 | "A rich vegetal artichoke like flavor, but not much sweetness."
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Class: Green
Origin: Japan
Crop: presumably 2007
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Price: 3 oz - $35
Vendor’s Description:
Gyokuro, also known as “precious jade dew” because of its unique blue-green color and naturally sweet taste, is Japan’s highest quality green tea. Made only with the earliest buds of the first spring flush season, Gyokuro usually grows in the shade for around 20 days before hand-harvested.
Due to reduced sunlight, less photosynthesis occurs resulting in increased amounts of amino acids. chlorophyll, and caffeine. This impacts Gyokuro’s color, taste and aroma producing a sweet, delicate tea with a soft, mellow body.
Brewing Parameters:
• Gaiwan
• Water Temp: 140f
• 2 tbs tea / 5 oz water
1. 1:30
2. 45s
3. 2:00
4. 4:00
Taste:
1. Rich, creamy, artichokey, vegetal, slightly astringent (but in a good way)
2. Same as infusion 1, but more intense
3. Less rich and creamy than infusion 1, but also less astringent, more like a high quality sencha
4. The vegetal flavor is starting to fade away, the tea tastes more like sweet water.
Aroma:
• artichoke like and vegetal throughout all infusions
Overall Impressions:
The intense vegetal flavor makes up for what this gyokuro lacks in sweetness. I was very impressed with the 1st 2 infusions, but I think that a high quality gyokuro should stand up to at least 3 “gyokuro like” infusions, and 1 “high quality sencha infusion.” The second infusion was highly cloudy, almost like a fukamushi sencha, but it tasted just like gyokuro. Gyokuro can be a finicky brew, so I wouldn’t recommend this tea to people that are new to green tea. If brewed too long or too hot, gyokuro tastes horrible, but if brewed at the right temperature, and the right time, it yeilds a wondrous vegetal infusion.
— To purchase Mighty Leaf Gyokuro, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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Trent Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Trent's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Trent. |
May 16th, 2008 at 2:15 am
[…] dew??? because of its unique blue-green color and naturally sweet taste, is Japan??s highest quahttp://www.teaviews.com/2008/05/14/review-mighty-leaf-gyokuro/Berkeley Researchers Identify Photosynthetic Dimmer Switch PhotonicsOnlineIn a study of the […]