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Mellow Monk Artisan’s Reserve
Country of Origin: Japan Leaf Appearance: deep green Steep time: 1 minute Water Temperature: 165 degrees Preparation Method: kyusu Liquor: deep green, somewhat cloudy I’ve been posting quite a few blasts from the past lately. Mellow Monk is definitely among those. All of my previous reviews of their teas are from 2012 and 2013. Although it has been a while since I tried any of their offerings, I’ve been avidly following their adventures in Japan through social media. Paul Kotta, Mellow Monk’s co-founder, is a genuinely nice guy and very knowledgeable. He was kind enough to give me the pick of any of his teas. When I saw that the Artisan’s Reserve was a blend…
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Mellow Monk Kuma Green 1228 Sencha
Country of Origin: Japan Leaf Appearance: small, deep green Ingredients: green tea Steep time: 2 minutes Water Temperature: 165 degrees Preparation Method: kyusu Liquor: bright greenish yellow +Mellow Monk is definitely one of my go-to’s for Japanese green tea. I’ve reviewed quite a few of their teas but I think that this one just might be my favorite so far. The leaves, both dry and while steeping, were incredibly aromatic. If you could bottle the smell of spring this tea is what it would smell like. The taste was incredible smooth with a pure and sweet vegetal character. I was surprised at how many fruity notes there were. I was reminded of crisp apples and honeydew…
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Mellow Monk Blissful Buds
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…