White August's The Girl Next Door Review

Type: Green
Origin: Not Stated
Price: Free sample (regular price – 7.95 for 50g)
Vendor: White August Tea Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 180°F, steeped for 1-3 minutes
Overall Score: 3.0 out of 5

The description of this tea on White August's web site starts out with "Our hidden love,..." in which they definitely have the word "hidden" correct because they do not describe anything that is in this tea other than a "passion fruit aroma." Thus, with nothing to go on, this is going to be interesting.

Passion fruit it is. Immediately after opening the bag, I am assaulted with the fruity aroma. I don't know why but I always think of the aroma of passion fruits as the aroma of grapes combined with that of lemon. It is citrusy yet earthy at the same time. So, passion fruit, passion fruit, and passion fruit... that is all that I get. The delicate green tea leaves are reeking with it.

The aroma of the freshly steeped batch of leaves is of, but of course, passion fruit. The aroma coming from the liquor, which is a nice greenish-yellow color, is more subtle than that of the dry blend, but it still screams with sweet, fruitiness.




The taste is tart at first then it settles with a sweet flavor that lasts for quite a while. I think this blend might make a nice iced tea because it pretty much tastes like drinking fruit juice. There is nothing from the green tea leaves themselves. I guess that is not a bad thing if you really like passion fruit. After a few sips the sweet flavor builds more and more. If, at this point, you wanted to add sugar... I would have to call you crazy.

Just like with the previous reviews of White August’s teas, I would really appreciate more information. What little is given is nowhere near enough for me. If passion fruit is all that flavors this tea then that is fine; there is nothing wrong with saying so. An origin of the green tea would be great, as well.

White August’s Morning Geisha Review

Type: Green
Origin: Not Stated
Price: Free sample (regular price – 11.95 for 50g)
Vendor: White August Tea Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 180°F, steeped for 1-3 minutes
Overall Score: 3.7 out of 5

Morning Geisha is a green tea base blended with raspberries and pomegranate. Wow, as soon as I begin to tear the package open I am bombarded with sweet, berry aromas. The pomegranate barely out weighs the raspberry scent I realize after a few more sniffs. The overall aroma is not unlike a freshly made batch of Kool-Aid. The green tea leaves are good size for being a flavored tea. There are a few dried bits of raspberry and pomegranate throughout.

The aroma coming from the kyusuu is very berry. It is sweet and tart at the same time. The color of the liquor resembles a deep yellow honey.




The taste is incredibly sweet at first then the tartness settles on my tongue. I can definitely identify the pomegranate flavor, the raspberry is hard to find, though. There is absolutely no bitterness and only a little astringency.

The only way I can tell it is green tea is from the subtle, delicate flavor and light body. I can’t taste any grassiness or vegetal components. The fruit flavors pretty much take over. Therefore, if you like teas that don’t really taste like tea… then you might want to try this one.

Another thing I don’t like about this tea is that there is very little information about it on the company’s website. A short description is provided, but not much else. It could very well be possible that I missed it, but I searched most of the site and could not find the place of origin or estate that this tea came from. This lack of information might not matter so much to a casual tea drinker… but it bothers me.

Arbor Tea's Dragonwell Review

Type: Green
Origin: China
Price: Free sample (regular price - $10.95 for 3oz.)
Vendor: Arbor Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 180°F, steeped for 2-3 minutes
Overall Score: 3.0 out of 5

Dragonwell is a green tea from China. The dry leaf aroma, however subtle, is slightly woody and nutty. The roasted aroma is prominent with this tea. Long, flat pieces in about every shade of green slide out of the package and onto the plate. The leaves are not as big as I have seen for a Dragonwell, however. There are a fair amount of tiny bits and broken pieces in this bag.

The aroma coming from the gaiwan while the leaves are steeping is a nutty and buttery combination. The liquor is a pale yellow color.





The taste is a little bitter at first. It has an astringent, nutty bite to it. Hmm… this seems to be a harsh tea all the way around. There is just something that feels kind of stabby on the tongue. The aftertaste is very dry until about five or six seconds later then the creamy, buttery background shows up.

By the time I reached the bottom of the cup, the taste eventually grew on me… a little. It has a heavier body than most greens and it packs a bitter punch. This is an interesting tea, but I am just not sure this would be my go to Dragonwell. I will play around more with time and temperatures to see if it changes the overpowering roasted flavor.

Matcha Source’s Organic Morning Matcha Review

Type: Green
Origin: Japan
Price: Free sample (regular price for matcha - $33.00 for 30g; regular price for kit - $69.00)
Vendor: Matcha Source
Brewing Method: Per Instructed – 1 teaspoon of sifted matcha, 1.5 oz. of filtered water heated to 180°F, whisked vigorously
Overall Score: 4.9 out of 5

I was excited when Matcha Source asked me to review their matcha as I have never formally reviewed this particular kind of tea until now. I was even more excited and very surprised to find out that they sent an entire matcha kit for the ultimate matcha experience.

The five piece kit includes a chawan (bowl), a chasen (whisk), a chashaku (bamboo teaspoon), a sifter, and matcha. All of the pieces, including instructions, come neatly and securely packed in a box.

The instructions are easy to follow. Simple drawings are provided through each step of the process. One thing I really like about these instructions is that it tells you how much matcha should be on the chashaku by describing it as “’almond’ size scoops.” I wish I had had that description when I first made matcha with a chashaku because it is possible to make that bamboo spoon hold more than necessary which meant that I had to search online for a picture of the right amount – something that the company didn’t provide. In fact, it was only because I had read tea books which disclosed the basic procedure to making matcha that I had a clue what I was doing during that first time. Thus, Matcha Source providing great step by step instructions, along with other tips and recipes, is a huge plus.









The Organic Morning Matcha has a nice, fresh, grassy scent that is detected immediately after I open the seal on the can. The matcha powder is the perfect shade of green – it is not light green, it is not dark green, it is just green… a color that I could paint an entire room with.

After about 15 seconds of vigorous whisking, the matcha creates a layer of frothy foam on top, which is good sign. The aroma, however difficult to detect, is vegetal and very similar to steamed broccoli.

The flavor corresponds with the grassy, vegetal aromas. It is slightly sweet and not bitter. The steamed vegetable flavor lasts for a while after each sip, along with hints of astringency. The texture is great for being a normal, everyday matcha. What I mean is that it is not grainy; the powder mixes well with the water to create a smooth texture. I have had some bad experiences with other matchas that were grainy or that were bland in the beginning and too bold by the time I made it to the bottom of the cup because the powder had clumped (even after sifting) and settled. It is not the case regarding this matcha. The flavors were even throughout and when I hit bottom I wanted more.

Rishi Tea’s Houjicha Review

Type: Green
Origin: Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Price: Free sample (regular price - $3.00 for 1oz.)
Vendor: Rishi Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 185°F, steeped for 3 - 4 minutes
Overall Score: 4.3 out of 5

Houjicha is an organic, roasted green tea from Japan. The aroma of the dry leaves is toasty, woody, and slightly grassy. The leaves are various shades of brown and are long and flat with quite a few stems in the mix, as well.

The tea smells woody and nutty. It definitely doesn’t hold back the roasted aroma either. It reminds of oolong tea because it lacks the fresh scent that most steeped green teas have. The liquor is a yellowish orange color.





The taste is… unlike other green teas. It tastes nutty and buttery. It also has a sweet, honey-like flavor to it. There isn’t much of a grassy or vegetal taste to this green tea. The boldness of this tea matches that of oolong tea – roasted notes that linger for quite some time.

This should not be an intro tea to those trying greens for the first time as it is rather bold and astringent. The tea isn’t bitter, but the intensity of the roasted flavor can be a surprise. Although, if you want to drink green tea and you don’t particularly like the grassy taste, this would be a good one to try as it has darker qualities similar to oolong and black tea.

With that said, this is a great tea for those who are tired of the same old stuff. This Houjicha is a rather complex tea and it surprises me every time I take another sip. I have to remind myself that this is a green tea even though the taste is unlike anything else. The fact that it is organic is a major plus, too.

Rishi Tea’s Dragon Well Review

Type: Green
Origin: Zhejiang, China
Price: Free sample (regular price - $5.50 for 1oz.)
Vendor: Rishi Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 180°F, steeped for 2 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 4.8 out of 5

This particular Dragon Well is organic. The leaves are pressed flat so that they are long, slender pieces marbled with various shades of green. The aroma, however subtle, is toasty and grassy. The dry leaves smell buttery with a rich sweetness.

While the leaves are steeping, the tea has a fresh, sweet, buttery aroma. The liquor is a light greenish yellow color.





The taste is quite buttery and creamy at first. As I continue to sip I can taste the subtle nutty flavors mingle with the slight grassiness. No bitterness at all… in fact, I find it rather sweet. The tea also lacks any unpleasant dryness that sometimes accompanies green teas.

This particular Dragon Well seems to be creamier than others that I have had. Usually the nutty flavor is front and center which kicks the rest of the flavors to the background. But, this one holds that buttered toast flavor up front, making it a savory tea.

Pearl Tea’s Moroccan Mint Review

Type: Green
Origin: China
Price: Free Sample (regular price - $5.25 for 1oz.)
Vendor: Pearl Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 167°F-185°F, steeped for 0.5 - 2 minutes
Overall Score: 3.0 out of 5

Moroccan Mint is a combination of green gunpowder tea and mint leaves. I barely opened the package and I was hit with an intense minty aroma. The blend looks like an equal portion of tightly rolled gunpowder tea and tiny specks of mint. Every so often I see some woody stems which, I think, are from the mint.

The liquor is a light yellow or golden color. The aroma of the brew is, of course, extremely minty. It smells sweet – kind of like I just steeped a piece of mint flavored gum. At this point I am wondering what the green tea has to offer because it seems to be all about the mint. Maybe that is in the taste…





The taste is not as minty as I thought it would be… the mint is more bark than bite. The overall taste is sweet and refreshing. The green tea provides the medium body and slight astringency, but the main flavor is from the mint.

The vendor suggests trying this tea iced. I can imagine that would be a nice tasty, refreshing treat in the summer months. However, there is snow on the ground now… and I’m glad the tea is warm.

Pearl Tea’s Sencha Review

Type: Green
Origin: Japan
Price: Free Sample (regular price - $22.50 for 3oz.)
Vendor: Pearl Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 167°F-185°F, steeped for 0.5 - 2 minutes
Overall Score: 4.8 out of 5

Sencha is a Japanese green tea. The dry leaves smell fresh and clean. They have a very nice sweet, grassy aroma. The leaves are small, skinny, and tightly rolled bits with light and dark green colors mixed throughout.

The aroma while the leaves are steeping is subtle and vegetal. It has a fresh scent, kind of like fresh cut grass. The liquor is a pretty yellowish-green color.





The taste is mellow, vegetal, and clean. It leaves the sweet, grassy aftertaste. I would not say that his tea is bitter, but it has a tiny bit of astringency that I noticed after about the 3rd sip. However, the pleasantly mild grassy taste is enough for me to keep drinking.

Ah, I love Sencha. It is kind of the “every day” green tea as far as comparing price to flavor. The flavor is always mild enough to enjoy, but not too subtle either. The astringency is low for being a green tea. Plus, the sweet, clean taste is almost indescribable.

Pearl Tea’s Dragon Well (Long Jing) Review

Type: Green
Origin: China
Price: Sample (regular price - $25.50 for 3oz.)
Vendor: Pearl Teas
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 167°F-185°F, steeped for 0.5 - 2 minutes
Overall Score: 4.7 out of 5

Dragon Well (Long Jing) is a hand-pressed, roasted green tea from China. This particular tea smells slightly sweet and vegetal, but not too grassy. I can smell the wonderful roasted characteristics in this tea. The leaves are long, skinny, and flat. A mix of light and dark green color comes from a spoonful of the leaves.

The liquor is a light green color. The aroma of the brewed tea smells like roasted green vegetables. It is a nice clean, fresh smell.





The taste is more subtle than I imagined. The tea is mellow, sweet, buttery, and vegetal. The aftertaste holds the roasted, nutty flavor. The tea is not bitter, but a tiny bit astringent. This tea is rather refreshing. I love the sweet buttery taste up front followed by the nuttiness.

This is a tea that gets better as you drink it. Since the roasted flavor is in the aftertaste, once you sip the tea a second (third, fourth, etc.) time, you get a well rounded buttery, nutty flavor that is mighty tasty.

Mighty Leaf’s Marrakesh Mint Green Tea (Iced) Review

Type: Green
Origin: China, Morocco
Price: Sample (regular price - $9.95 for 15 Pouches)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 170°F-180°F, steeped for 2 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5

Marrakesh Mint Green Tea is a mix of Chinese green tea and peppermint. I can smell the cool peppermint instantly just as I begin to tear open the package. The leaves are tiny specks of green and white leaves.

After the tea is steeped and iced, I can smell the peppermint clearly. It is not as pungent as in the dry leaf state, though. The liquor is a yellowish-green color.

Wow, if this does not cool you off on a hot summer day, I’m not sure what will. Surprisingly, even with the overwhelming peppermint taste, I can still taste the green tea. The peppermint does its job of creating a cool, refreshing effect in my mouth. No bitterness, no astringency… just a cool flavor with a hint of sweetness.

I have never had peppermint iced before – I have had it hot, but never iced. I know when I had peppermint flavored hot tea it left my mouth feeling cool despite the hot beverage. The iced version is really nice, especially while drank during a miserably hot summer day. Actually, I’m more of a spearmint fan than a peppermint fan and I enjoyed this tea without ever once wishing it was spearmint.

Mighty Leaf’s Mango Green Decaf Review

Type: Green - Decaffinated
Origin: Nilgiri, India
Price: Sample (regular price - $8.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 170°F-180°F, steeped for 2 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 3.8 out of 5

Mango Green Decaf is decaffeinated green tea with mango and calendula. When I open the package, the first thing I smell is the sweet, fruity mango… and that is about all I can smell from the dry leaves. The blend is tiny rolled and twisted green tea with big chunks of mango and pieces of calendula. The mix of dark green, yellow, and orange is pretty.

The freshly brewed tea smells of sweet and tart mango. There is a floral scent in the background, but I can’t figure out if it’s from the green tea or the calendula. The liquor is a pretty orange color.





The taste is fruity and tart. Mango is the main flavor I pick up in the first couple of sips. The tea was quite bitter… more so than I thought it would be. The bitterness may be more from the calendula (because the plant is described as having bitter qualities) and not necessarily the green tea.

The aftertaste is fruity and sweet, but also a little astringent. I still don’t taste the green tea anywhere, however. I would say this tea is medium bodied because of the punch from the tart mango.

It would be interesting to see what this tea would taste like iced. Mango is a refreshing flavor so I believe some ice cubes and a pinch of sugar would ease some of the tartness and make this tea a nice treat.

Mighty Leaf’s Yellow Flower Review

Type: Green
Origin: China
Price: Sample (regular price - $16.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 170°F-180°F, steeped for 2 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 4.0 out of 5

Organic Yellow Flower is a Chinese green tea. The subtle aroma of the leaves is sweet, floral, and slightly grassy. The leaves are long, slender, rolled pieces that are dark green in color. The whole leaves are quite big and I noticed very little tea dust in the package.

The tea smells fresh, sweet, and grassy with some floral notes in the background. The liquor is a very light yellow color.





At first sip, the taste is light, sweet, and grassy. This is definitely a light bodied, mellow tea. After I swallow, the tea leaves a sweet, floral aftertaste that lingers for a while. It is not bitter or astringent at all… it is actually quite refreshing.

The tea is so light that sugar would kill it completely, but I don’t see a need for a sweetener (do I ever?) because the tea provides enough sweetness on its own.

Mighty Leaf’s Organic Emerald Pearls Review

Type: Green
Origin: China
Price: Sample (regular price - $16.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 170°F-180°F, steeped for 2 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 4.2 out of 5

Organic Emerald Pearls is Chinese green tea. The aroma of the dry leaves is sweet, fresh, and grassy. The leaves are long, rolled, slightly twisted strands which are dark green in color.

The aroma of the tea is grassy and fresh. The liquor is a light yellow color.





The taste is sweet, fresh, and grassy. A sweet, floral aftertaste lingers for quite some time. I would say this tea is somewhere in between a light and medium bodied tea. It is not really mellow, but it is not bold either. The tea is not bitter, but it is a tad astringent… after just the first 2oz. cup my mouth started to feel a bit dry.

There isn’t much to say about this tea… it is straight and to the point with its sweet, grassy flavor. There is a tiny bit of astringency, but this tea has refreshing qualities, as well.

Adagio’s Bengal Green Chai Review

Type: Chai (green base)
Origin: China
Price: Sample (regular price – $7 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Adagio
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 170°F-180°F, steeped for 1-3 minutes
Overall Score: 2.8 out of 5

Bengal Green Chai is Chinese green tea with a blend of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom… and the cloves are already burning the back of my nose and throat. After several attempts, the only thing I manage to smell from the dry leaves is the cloves. The blend is very colorful with the green tea leaves, yellow cardamom, and brown and black cinnamon and cloves.

The liquor is a yellowish green color. The first thing I smell from the freshly brewed tea is cloves (why am I not surprised?)… and that is pretty much it… and overall spicy aroma.





I taste the cloves first and it settles on the back of my tongue and throat. I can’t taste the green tea at all. It pretty much tastes like spicy water. This tea is described as sweet, but I don’t taste that at all. The tea is not bitter, but it is astringent – the heat from the cloves dries out my mouth.

Milk may mellow out the harsh spices, but that may also mask any chance of tasting the green tea (and good luck with THAT by the way). Adagio makes some good green tea. I happen to be a fan of their Sencha and Gykuro… but I am starting to think that chai just isn’t their thing.

Teas Etc’s Bi Lo Chun Reserve Review

Type: Green
Origin: China
Price: Sample (regular price – $16.95 for 3oz.)
Vendor: Teas Etc
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 170°F-180°F, steeped for 1-3 minutes
Overall Score: 3.9 out of 5

Bi Lo Chun Reserve is a carefully picked and processed green tea. The aroma of the leaves is fresh and sweet. They do not have that normal heavy vegetal and grassy smell like most greens. It’s more like dew or “after a rain” type of aroma.

The leaves are in small, twisted pieces that are tightly rolled. The overall color of the dry leaves is dark green with some light green bits scattered about.

The usually grassy/vegetal flavor comes out as the leaves steep. The liquor is a very light yellow color. A fresh and sweet aroma is still present in the tea.





The taste is delicate, light, and mellow. It is also quite sweet and crisp. This tea reminds me more of a white tea than a green because it is so mellow and light. It is not bitter, but it is a little astringent – my mouth was starting to feel rather dry after my second 2oz cup.

I may try increasing the steeping time for this tea and see how it turns out. The flavor was just so delicate (maybe too delicate?) that I really had to search for the flavor.

Canton Tea’s Pouchong Review

Type: Green
Origin: Xu Family Farm, Wenshan, Taipei province, Taiwan
Price: Sample (regular price – £13.99 for 100g)
Vendor: Canton Tea Company
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 180°F-190°F, steeped for 1-2 minutes
Overall Score: 4.1 out of 5

The dry leaves of this Pouchong smell very fresh and grassy, however the aroma is very subtle – I had to stick my nose in the package in order to find the sweet smell of the leaves. The leaves are huge, long, rolled strands with an overall dark green color.

The liquor is a very nice green color. The aroma of the freshly brewed tea reminds me more of an oolong than a green. It smells vegetal with also that fresh, crisp smell that oolongs have.

The taste is lightly grassy. It has a taste between a green and an oolong – brisk, lively, and vegetal. The tea was a little astringent, but not bitter. Overall it kind of tastes like steamed green vegetables, especially in the after taste.

I would say this is a nice, plain, everyday green. There is nothing special about it, but it not a bad tea either. If you want a step up from the everyday Sencha... this is a good one to try.

Mighty Leaf’s Organic Lu An Gua Pian Review

Type: Green
Origin: Anhui Province, China
Price: Sample (regular price - $16.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 170°F-180°F, steeped for 2 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 4.7 out of 5

Organic Lu An Gua Pian is simply organic green tea from China. The leaves are very large, long, rolled strands with a mix of light and dark green colors. The aroma, although subtle, is vegetal – smells like grass basically.

The aroma of the tea is very grassy and vegetal. It has that fresh smell, kind of like dew. The liquor is a beautiful greenish-yellow color.

The taste is sweet and grassy. It has this lime-like flavor to it. The tea is not bitter or astringent. I would say that it is very mellow and has a delicate flavor overall. This blend is very simple in aroma and flavor which is perfectly fine with me. If you flavor a tea with too many ingredients then things can get complicated.

This is great stuff. I finished my cup and I am ready for another. Simple teas like this one always take me back to the heart of the tea plant and remind me of what true green tea is supposed to taste like.

Mighty Leaf’s Organic Earl Green Review

Type: Green
Origin: China
Price: Sample (regular price - $9.95 for 4oz.)
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 170°F-180°F, steeped for 2 - 3 minutes
Overall Score: 3.7 out of 5

Organic Earl Green is a base of Organic green tea infused with the oil of bergamot. The leaves for this tea are really dark for being a green tea. They are dark brown small, long strands which are very tightly rolled. The aroma of the bergamot oil rushed out when I opened the package. In fact, that is really all I can smell – the green tea aroma gets hidden.

I can smell more of the green tea as the leaves steep. The bergamot oil is still front and center, though. The liquor is a dark amber color.






The taste is basically a mouthful of bergamot. Because the green tea is so mellow, it stays in the background and all I taste is the sweet citrus flavor of the bergamot. Also, because of the green tea once again, this blend does not pack the same punch as its brother, Earl Grey.

It is not bitter, actually it is rather sweet. However, I am about half way through my cup and it has already dried my mouth out significantly. The vegetal taste of the green tea shows up more in the after taste. If you enjoy the taste of bergamot and do not want the bold black tea in tow, then this tea is for you.

Finally, Some Real Matcha

While in Chicago a few weeks ago, we visited a Japanese market place. My boyfriend, his dad, and brother were there to buy food for that night’s dinner… soup and sushi… which ended up being rather awesome, by the way. I followed close behind and waited patiently until we hit the tea aisle.

One side of the aisle was all green tea; the other was a mix of black, oolong, and “weight loss” tea (which I couldn’t help but to smirk at). I thought about buying some loose green tea, however most of the tea was in transparent bags and I could clearly see they were loaded with stems and twigs. I passed on the loose stuff, although I found some matcha that interested me.

The particular can of matcha that I ended up getting was, according to the only English-like characters on the label, Yamashiro Uji Matcha. I was really anxious to try it because the only matcha I’ve had so far was Teavana matcha which was horrible – bland taste and almost no foam.

The Uji matcha was very nice. It was smooth, thicker than the Teavana matcha, and produced a beautiful layer of foam when whisked. I’m sure this matcha is not the highest grade out there, but it was full of enough flavor for me to drink it every morning for five days straight.

David's Tea's Sencha Ashikubo Review

Type: Green
Origin: Ashikubo Valley in Japan
Price: Sample (regular price - $18.75 for 50g. Also available in 25g and 100g packages)
Vendor: David’s Tea
Brewing Method: Per Instructed - 1 teaspoon of leaves, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-205°F, steeped for 4 - 6 minutes
Overall Score: Their Instructions: 1.5 out of 5; My Instructions: 4.2 out of 5

Sencha Ashikubo is said to be “less grassy” and have a “hint of toast that comes from the firing process,” according to David’s Tea’s website. The dry leaves certainly look and smell like Sencha. However, I do notice a slightly roasted smell in the background. The leaves are, although small, are long, thin strands. They kind of remind me of blades of grass. There are a lot of tiny broken particles, as well.

The aroma of the freshly brewed tea is stronger than normal for greens. It is very grassy, vegetal, with a hint of nuttiness. The liquor is a bright yellowish-green color.

Left: Steeped for 5 minutes. Right: Steeped for 1 minute.

After being steeped for 5 minutes, the taste is just as expected - extremely bitter. It was all I could do to choke down one 2 oz. cup. The tea is very strong and astringent, also. The bitterness coats my tongue which ends up being the only thing I can taste. About 15 seconds after swallowing, the grassiness of the tea finally shows up in the aftertaste.

So, let’s try this again. This time the tea will steep in 160°F water for 1 minute.

The aroma is very subtle. It is ever so slightly grassy with a buttery smell, as well. The liquor is a very light green color – much lighter than the first cup.

Ah, there is the Sencha that I know and love. A subtle but sweet grassiness is what I taste first, and then a pleasant mix of nutty and buttery fills in. It is a lot smoother on the tongue than the first cup. I found this cup to still be faintly bitter and a little astringent, but it didn’t really hurt me any.

When I do tea reviews, I always brew it according to the vendor’s instructions because that is how non-tea-freaks are going to do it. When you buy from a specialty store, you trust them to be experts on what they are selling – so you are going to do as they say.

However, I still do not understand why the instructions for this tea are the way they are. I don’t mind some bitterness with tea now and then (I NEVER add sweeteners) but I think brewing this tea as instructed by the vendor is undrinkable.

I know my instructions are not perfect either. Everyone has their own tastes. However, my suggestion is to lower the water temperature A LOT and set the steep time to around 1-3 minutes.