open-gaiwan brewed
I’ve never had a genmaicha before and this sure wasn’t what I expected! I anticipated an umami flavor with some crispness behind it. That would be a no on both fronts, it’s quite smooth with no umami character.
Dry leaves smell like dry hay and a little citrusy. The rinsed leaves have a stronger citrus scent with a little seaweed character. The liqueur is a lightly cloudy, greenish gold.
First steeping tastes strongly like unbuttered popcorn kernels a little bit burned, with the seaweedy, citrusy sweetness just peeking in at the end. I cannot believe how creamy the mouthfeel of this one is, I was not anticipating it! It leaves a really fuzzy, soft feeling on the palate, it’s delightful. There’s a very slight mouthwatering floral aftertaste I can’t really place. This is equal parts sweet and toasty, they play off each other very well.The seaweed character increases into the second and third steep, bringing a grassiness with it. There’s a gentle cooling green flavor in here now as well… maybe celery? The creamy mouthfeel has softened and the tannins are just starting to dry but still the tea is still far from bitter or even crisp. My empty chahai smells a little like cotton candy as it cools.
By the fourth and fifth steep the toastiness is beginning to really fade and a sweet lemon-grassiness I expect from many greens takes over. I’m going to ice the remains while a little toastiness still remains.
I’ll admit that I ate a little of the steeped rice toast at this point… I’m certain that the leftover tea and rice would be delicious mixed in with some steamed rice!
Edit: I ate some of the brewed leaves. Nope, nope, nope. These leaves are for brewing, not for eating.
Flavors: Burnt, Celery, Floral, Hay, Lemon, Popcorn, Seaweed, Sweet, Toast, Toasted Rice
