Country of Origin: Japan
Leaf Appearance: deep green, powdery
Ingredients: sencha, matcha
Steep time: 1.5 minutes
Water Temperature: 175 degrees
Preparation Method: glass teapot
Liquor: bright green, cloudy
This offering from Aiya Tea combined my two favorite kinds of green tea. I jumped at the chance to try it because although most have us have seen “super green” genmaicha, I had never seen a sencha prepared the same way. It was brisk, sweet and incredibly fresh tasting. This tea was practically spring in a teacup. It wasn’t vegetal or grassy but tasted the way that grass clippings smell. There was no astringency to speak of and it was very smooth. I loved the neon green affect that the sencha added to the liquor.
All of Aiya’s products are organic, which I think is particularly important with matcha since you are consuming the whole leaf. They are also Kosher and Halal certified. This isn’t something that I often see listed on a companies website but it is a big consideration for many tea drinkers. They have a video on their website explaining their company history and how matcha is made that I definitely suggest viewing when you have a chance. The teas that I’ve sampled from Aiya Tea have been some of the highest quality Japanese teas that I’ve had the pleasure of drinking.
You can find this tea here.