Sipdown! (13 | 143)
So… I haven’t had much gyokuro. For some reason, I’m very intimidated by it, even though I drink sencha all the time. I guess it’s because it’s supposed to be this precious thing, and I’m afraid of messing it up? I ’unno…
But today I said YES, let’s steep it up! This was a single sealed 5g packet leftover from an Obubu sampler I had. I used a 120-ish ml shiboridashi for this tea, and 140°F water.
Wow, it’s really a punch in the mouth! Such an intense vegetal and umami flavor, but without any bitterness at all. Very thick with a lovely honeyed sweetness, and also some sweet fruity notes. The first thing I thought of was maybe cooked pear? But I see that the description mentions melon, which I also agree with. There are also sweet and creamy veggies, like edamame and fresh garden peas, and a strong note of steamed spinach. Perhaps a hint of floral at the end?
This was just so yummy. Very thick, brothy and satisfying, yet also sweet and fruity. I have a few more gyokuro samples from Obubu, so I’ll have to give those a try soon!
Flavors: Broth, Cantaloupe, Creamy, Edamame, Floral, Garden Peas, Honey, Honeydew, Melon, Pear, Peas, Smooth, Spinach, Sweet, Thick, Umami, Vegetal
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The one time I tried gyokuro, I found it a little too seaweedy for me, at least on the first steep (subsequent steeps were better). But I really liked it cold steeped.
It sure gave me an energy boost, though! I only drank gyokuro stems today and was unable to take a nap, heh.
This sounds so good. My experiences with gyokuro have been pretty good as long as I’m very careful with time, temp, and leaf amount. Finicky, but rewarding!
@Alita – I definitely felt a little rush of energy for a few minutes after sipping this! But nothing more than that, as I don’t tend to be affected by caffeine.
@Kittenna – Luckily I had a video from Obubu with parameters specifically for this tea! But they didn’t have any instructions for second or third steeps, so I’ll have to experiment with that more.
The one time I tried gyokuro, I found it a little too seaweedy for me, at least on the first steep (subsequent steeps were better). But I really liked it cold steeped.
It sure gave me an energy boost, though! I only drank gyokuro stems today and was unable to take a nap, heh.
This sounds so good. My experiences with gyokuro have been pretty good as long as I’m very careful with time, temp, and leaf amount. Finicky, but rewarding!
@Alita – I definitely felt a little rush of energy for a few minutes after sipping this! But nothing more than that, as I don’t tend to be affected by caffeine.
@Kittenna – Luckily I had a video from Obubu with parameters specifically for this tea! But they didn’t have any instructions for second or third steeps, so I’ll have to experiment with that more.