Country of Origin: Japan
Leaf Appearance: very small, deep green
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 2 minutes
Water Temperature: 165 degrees
Preparation Method: kysusu
Liquor: bright, cloudy green
According the product description for this tea, Blissful Buds™ is a mecha, or bud tea, made from young buds and shoots. For more information on mecha, check out this great article from +Ricardo Caicedo at My Japanese Green Tea. This type of tea is often served alongside sushi (which I’m really in the mood for now). Just as with +Mellow Monk Frosty Garden, I prefer to let the small leaf particles settle before sipping. The taste was grassy, vegetal and somewhat fruity with a lingering sweetness. It had a fresh crispness that brought mind slices of green apple. There was quite a bit of astringency but not so much so as to make it unpleasant. If you enjoy sencha or gyokuro then this tea is definitely worth giving a try. It was very refreshing and I’m sure that I will be reaching for it as the warm summer weather heads my way. It would be particularly good when cold steeped.
You can find out more about this tea here.