Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Cold Water’

The name “Green Matcha” may sound redundant, but Pure Matcha delineates it that way for a reason. Of their three products available, only the Green Matcha is traditional matcha. The other two are matchas made from a Darjeeling/Assam blend and rooibos, respectively. I recently had the pleasure of trying out their wares for the first time. While I could’ve gone for the traditional matcha first, I actually bee-lined for the oddities instead. Both were wonderful. Now, it was time for their flagship product.

Pure Matcha gets their namesake offering from the Nishio region of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. While not the largest city in Japan by any standard, it does have an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for holding the largest simultaneous tea ceremony ever. Nishio is also considered one of the primary growing regions for top-quality, ceremonial-grade matcha – along with Uji. Matcha is also produced in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, but I’ve found theirs to be mid-grade at best.

Right off the bat, without using too many superlatives, I have to say the stuff looked gorgeous. Identifying high-quality matcha isn’t that difficult; the brighter – more vibrant – the green color, the better it is. This was the boldest, brightest, darkest green powder I’d yet come across. And the aroma – dear Buddha! – it was incredibly sweet and kelpy. Granted, I’ve read aromatic notes to that effect but never really ran into them myself until now. I even bought a new chashaku (bamboo matcha spoon) for the occasion.

Preparation for this seemed easy enough. I used my usual miso soup bowl, took 2 chashaku spoonfuls-worth of powder (usucha or “thin tea”-style), used a tiny bit of cold water to sift out the clumps, and heated some more water at about 160F. Next, I took my chasen (bamboo whisk) and stirred the heck out of the green concoction.

The result was a radiactive green, bubbly liquor with sweet, seaweed-like nose. This had frothed up wonderfully, another revealing trait for high-quality matcha. The flavor echoed the visual and aromatic excellence with an only-slightly vegetal (but not spinachy) cup that held onto its sweetness like green tea ice cream. The fluffy texture was also welcomed on the foretaste and all the way to the finish. Without exaggeration, probably the best matcha I’ve ever tried.

You can purchase the Green Matcha directly from the Pure Matcha website.

Company Product Description: Artisans train for years to create blossoming tea flowers, and the Dancing Angels Flowering Tea represents the peak of that training. Each flowering tea is painstakingly hand sewn to ensure the each bud will open up and create a visual delight.

This flowering tea hails from the Anhui Province of China, where only the best leaves are chosen to wrap around a chain of Jasmine flowers, hanging like an arch over an Amaranth flower in the middle.

A succulent peach undertone characterizes this flowering tea, and it is as much of a joy to sip as it is to watch it unfold in the teapot. Each flower can be infused several times, and when you are finished brewing, you can replace the water in the pot or transfer the blossoming tea to a clear cup, add cold water and a touch of vinegar, and enjoy the blossom for days!

This Dancing Angels Flowering tea makes a great gift for friends, or can be enjoyed at a tea party where it will inevitably become the center of attention and conversation between you and your friends.!

REVIEW:

I was in a “Kids Choir” at our church when I was little and I always remember one of my first shows…we had to dress up like Angels and sing, dance, and act our way thru a Christmas Cantata.  I think I was 5 at the time.  I remember there being at least 2 Acts.  For some reason I had a sort-of Tea-Association with this Tea Experience.  When I tried this flowering tea for the first time I put it to the test for a total of 4 infusions…or should I say “Acts”?  Here are my findings…

ACT 1 – Infusion 1:
One this flower blooms it is HUGE!  It opened PERFECTLY and completely. The Red Floral Center’s color is so vibrant it looks like a strawberry from across the room. The liquid’s scent is sweet and wine-like. The color is pale but a pretty yellowish-white. My first sip was still very hot but I could instantly find the peachy tones – or should I say – they found me?

It’s sweet and peachy and floral-Jasmine towards the end of the sip. One of the better flowering teas I have EVER had! This is VERY flavorful especially for a flowering tea.

ACT 2 – Infusion 2:
The 2nd infusion was more flavorful than the first only infused about a minute longer. It was darker than the first infusion and, again, VERY tasty.  YUM.

ACT 3 – Infusion 3:
I could taste the Jasmine more than before.  TeaFrog says it’s good for 2 to 3 infusions but I am going to push the envelop!

ACT 4 – Infusion 4:
The 4th Infusion was lighter in color than the last 2 and sweeter but not much Jasmine than before but that’s okay with me.  One could probably try a 5th infusion if you were looking for a weaker or mellow tea. Regardless I am very pleased with this and would recommend it to anyone!

You can purchase the Dancing Angels directly from the TeaFrog website.