 | "Because the 2008 shincha was not yet released at the time I got this sample, I was drinking a year old tea. If you want fresh shincha, buy it between May and August.”"
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Class: Green
Origin: Japan
Crop: 2007
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Price: 3 oz - $32
Vendor’s Description:
Shincha, a type of sencha green tea, picked from the “first flush” spring harvest in Shizuoka is one of Japans highest quality and most sought after teas. Rich in amino acids and catechins, this rare, first flush green tea exhibits a characteristic bright, emerald green color, strong aroma and refined sweetness.
Brewing Parameters:
• Water Temp: 185
• 1 tsp / 5 oz
1. 1:30
2. 45s
3. 5 min - boiling H2O
Taste:
1. smooth, pleasent astringency, vegetal but not grassy, faint sweet aftertaste
2. slightly more astringent, faintly sour, more grassy body, faint sweet aftertaste
3. plesant astringency, subdued sweet body
Aroma:
1. intensely grassy
2. subdued vegetal, no grassyness, moderately sour w/ a sweet finish
3. slightly sour, all else subdued
Overall Impressions:
Unlike most japanese greens, the leaves of this shincha were fairly large. They weren’t large by chinese standards, but by japanese, they were huge. They brewed an eye catching fluorescent green liquor. I was impressed by the first 2 infusions, but infusions 3 and on suffered from a major lack of flavor. That lack of flavor was probably due to the fact that Mighty Leaf is selling year old shincha. If you want a fresh shincha, buy it between May and August. From around September - April, you will be purchasing old shincha. If this tea was fresh, it would probably be excellent. But when it is this old, the tea won’t hold up to multiple infusions.
— To purchase Mighty Leaf Shincha, 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 15th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I’m a bit curious as to your comments about the age of this particular Shincha. We are in the middle of Shincha season as it stands, so I’m wondering if you’ve either been sitting on this sample for a while or if you know that it is last years. I don’t recall seeing it on their website before so I figure it may be new.