Review: Kawane-cha - Yamashiro

Type: Sencha
Producer: Yamashiro
Origin: Kawane, Shizuoka
Brewing Parameters: 5g; adjusting brewing params. to taste
Appearance: Thin, dark green rolled leaves of medium size (0.5 to 1 inch long)
Rating: B+ | 88/100
# of Brews: 3

Tasting Notes and Thoughts
So, I picked up this tea during a class trip in Japantown earlier this year. It was relatively cheap– about $10, if I remember correctly– for 70 g. Just as a note, I haven't been drinking tea that often lately; I have had Irish breakfast often, but nothing like sencha or oolong. It's probably a combination of the summer weather, lack of money, and no motivation, so please excuse me if this review is subpar.

Now that that's out of the way, the first few cups of this tea were a light green, which gradually got brighter over multiple brews. Interestingly, the most prominent smell I noticed was tuna; I couldn't really smell anything else, since most of it was overpowered by that fishy aroma. As for the taste, like most senchas, this one is a bit sour, with a grassy aftertaste. I can also a slight bitter, fruity taste, which I think is mostly similar to grapes– but not sweet, table grapes. It also left my throat feeling slightly dry, but not to the extent of other, harsher teas.

As the drinking session continued, the tea became even more bright, and started to lose its bitter taste. It mellowed out, with savory, seaweed notes becoming the main flavor. The fruity notes followed, lingering in the mouth with a sort of waxy texture on the cheeks and tongue. After that taste had gone, there was a vague sweet taste that came off of my breath and gradually became more intense.

Overall, I thought this was a decent sencha. While it is better in terms of brewing ability– it seemed hard to mess it up and make it very bitter, which is not the case with many other green teas– it lacked any characteristics that would set it apart. I ended up only having three brews since I ran out of water, but if I was drinking with others, I'd have more, and I'm sure that this tea could last for a while.

Other Notes
Now that my summer forensics program is finished, I can finally start that plan I mentioned in my previous post. So, for most of July, here's my plan with a few updates:
1. Read 50 pages of a required book OR 1 chapter/section from a textbook
2. Read at least 8 books of my choice before school starts
3. Write 1 personal thing, like this review or an application essay
4. Write 1 thing for homework, like a journal passage
5. Do some other school-related thing like editing the APUSH study guide I wrote, or making flashcards

Other than that, I'll just be going to another science summer camp for a week and hanging out with friends.