Jugetsudo

Pretty sure I bought my fancy tin of this at the PDX Tea Fest with Sara in 2018. I tried cold brewing it, and mmm, it’s crisp and clean and… almost sweet, I’d say. The roasted brown rice flavor is definitely there, and I can smell it too. There’s a hint of the matcha flavor, but it’s not as strong as the roasted rice. Very nice genmaicha, would buy again!

Sampler September! This is the last of the Jugetsudo teabag samples in my PDX fundraiser bag… only two samplers from that bag left to go! (I’m shocked with myself that something I ordered in July is going to be sipped down by September, considering the fact I’m still plowing through what feels like a thousand teas all purchases back in 2018…)

This teabag had very fine green leaf as well that looked similar to that from their Sencha teabag. It was a bit light on genmai, and I’m not sure if that is intention of the blend or luck of the teabag. The matcha dusting was obvious.

My own preference for genmaicha is a bancha base, not too scant and not too heavy on the genmai, and without matcha, but genmaicha is genmaicha and this is a pleasant and relaxing cup. Despite the low amount of genmai I saw in the leaf, there is a very nice toasted rice flavor to the tea. The matcha, too, is light enough to not overpower the cup with marine umami, and I’m getting a fresh, grassy flavor with a hint of vegetal peas. The tea has a nice greenish sheen to the liquer color from the matcha. There is a sweetness right at the end of the sip which is very pleasant. It’s a fine morning cup.

Sampler September! Feeling the need for an afternoon pick-me-up to get me through an afternoon of working on manga and manhwa scanlation projects, I grabbed this bag from the PDX fundraiser samplers.

The teabag packet is only labeled as “Sencha”, but the only sencha offered on Jugetsudo’s website is “Sencha Asa”, so I’m just going to assume they are the same one. The leaf was very fine, but didn’t appear to have the powdery/crushed appearance of fannings like the hojicha teabag from the same company. The dry leaf also had a very fresh aroma.

Steeped the single teabag for about 2 minutes in 350ml 175F water. It may have had a slightly longer steep as I took out the trash while waiting and my timer was already beeping when I got back. Thankfully the extra time didn’t hurt this cup, as there is no awkward green tea bitterness. The tea is very smooth, with a decent amount of buttery flavor (my favorite flavor in sencha). The vegetal notes taste most closely to spinach and seaweed, with a touch of that briny/salty quality to the marine note. The butteriness smooths it out so the marine flavor (my least preferred flavor in sencha) is mellowed out a bit. Warm buttered greens and ocean air… quite relaxing!

Sampler September! Another offering from the PDX Tea Fest fundraiser bag. There was a set of three Japanese green teabags (Genmaicha, Sencha, Hojicha) by Jugetsudo, and I really felt in the mood for a cup of houjicha tonight.

When I opened the package, the single sachet teabag had a trifling amount in it, and what it did have could in no way be considered “leaf”… it was all powdery fannings. I’m a fan of hojicha, but I like big, full, leafy hojicha, so I already wasn’t impressed.

Unsurprisingly, brewed up it is the weakest cup of hojicha I’ve ever tasted… like a faintly woody water. What is there of the flavor hints at a good hojicha; a nice roast, walnuts and caramel, woody without turning barky. But it is just far too weak.

I am guessing getting the loose leaf of this same tea would be incredibly pleasant, but the teabags from this company leave much to be desired. Though I don’t care for the somewhat “barky” edge of Yamamotoyama hojicha teabags, I would definitely take them over this.