Teaviews.com » Anne http://www.teaviews.com Reviews of the Best Teas in the World Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:00:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 en hourly 1 Review: Adagio Sencha Premier http://www.teaviews.com/2008/10/16/review-adagio-sencha-premier-2/ http://www.teaviews.com/2008/10/16/review-adagio-sencha-premier-2/#comments Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:23:08 +0000 Anne http://www.teaviews.com/2008/10/16/review-adagio-sencha-premier-2/ Reviewed by: Anne
Rating: 7/10

Sencha is a tea that can be off putting for some as it has very grassy notes that are very unique. This characteristic of Sencha can be reminiscent of vegetables and if that flavor profile isn't enjoyable to someone, the tea can be a very hard sell. However, when the tea is of excellent quality, there will a perfect balance of acidity and a lingering sweetness in the mouth that can be very soothing and refreshing at the same time. According to Adagio's website, their Sencha Premier is from "the Shizuoka region of Japan made only from the dark green leaves gathered in the treasured first (early spring) flush." My sample of the tea had quite a few leaves that were broken but I didn't think that would impact the flavor so went ahead and brewed it. ...]]> sencha.jpgSencha is a tea that can be off putting for some as it has very grassy notes that are very unique. This characteristic of Sencha can be reminiscent of vegetables and if that flavor profile isn’t enjoyable to someone, the tea can be a very hard sell. However, when the tea is of excellent quality, there will a perfect balance of acidity and a lingering sweetness in the mouth that can be very soothing and refreshing at the same time. According to Adagio’s website, their Sencha Premier is from “the Shizuoka region of Japan made only from the dark green leaves gathered in the treasured first (early spring) flush.” My sample of the tea had quite a few leaves that were broken but I didn’t think that would impact the flavor so went ahead and brewed it. Since Sencha is a tea that is susceptible to bitterness when too much is brewed too long, I decided to play it safe a only brewed about 1.5 teaspoons for about 2 minutes. The tea was a lovely shade of bright green and had a calming and herbal aroma. The taste was slightly acidic (accentuating the “grassy” notes) and there was a strong aftertaste of sweet in the throat. The vegetal characteristic of the tea was much stronger when the liquid was hot but mellowed out once it started to cool down. Remembering this, I second Vanessa’s opinion about trying it out as an iced tea as I think it would be more appealing to people who might not like the strength that Sencha can exude.

]]> http://www.teaviews.com/2008/10/16/review-adagio-sencha-premier-2/feed/ 0 Review: Zhi Tea Coconut Assam http://www.teaviews.com/2008/10/02/review-zhi-tea-coconut-assam-2/ http://www.teaviews.com/2008/10/02/review-zhi-tea-coconut-assam-2/#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:23:46 +0000 Anne http://www.teaviews.com/2008/10/02/review-zhi-tea-coconut-assam-2/ Reviewed by: Anne
Rating: 9/10

In my opinion, there is nothing worse than synthetic tasting coconut flavor so when I first brewed a cup of Zhi's Coconut Assam, I wasn't sure what to expect. I happen to be a huge fan of anything coconut flavored and really wanted to like it so I was hoping for the best but didn't have very high expectations. So it was not without pleasure when I tried the tea to find that it had a lovely natural tasting coconut flavor that had me draining the pot. The flavors of the tea are layered with a toasted nuttiness combined with a sweet spiciness. It is soothing and rich at the same time which is a combination that is always the best part when it comes to a cup of tea for me. I usually prefer my tea without milk or sugar but I can see this being ...]]> black-assam.jpgIn my opinion, there is nothing worse than synthetic tasting coconut flavor so when I first brewed a cup of Zhi’s Coconut Assam, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I happen to be a huge fan of anything coconut flavored and really wanted to like it so I was hoping for the best but didn’t have very high expectations. So it was not without pleasure when I tried the tea to find that it had a lovely natural tasting coconut flavor that had me draining the pot.

The flavors of the tea are layered with a toasted nuttiness combined with a sweet spiciness. It is soothing and rich at the same time which is a combination that is always the best part when it comes to a cup of tea for me.

I usually prefer my tea without milk or sugar but I can see this being absolutely delicious with the addition of both as an accompaniment to dessert.
The tea is unique and comforting simultaneously and I’d have to say a definite winner.

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