After only two days of waiting, my 6 tea sampler pack from Good Life Tea arrived! Since it’s a bright and sunny morning, I decided that the Kyoto Cherry Rose Green Tea would be a good way to start the day.
This tea has a nice, light aroma. The sugary scent isn’t overpowering, and the cherries mix nicely with the floral.
The initial sip is more floral than cherry, but the cherry makes its appearance later on, slowly rising to blend with the floral and leaving a pleasantly sweet aftertaste. The green tea base gives this a light, refreshing body, with a smooth consistency throughout.
While writing this review, I’ve been avoiding using the word “rose” to describe the taste, because I don’t really get a rose taste from this… it’s far too light. As I continue to sip this tea, I realize that the taste reminds me more of cherry blossoms than roses. It’s very pleasant, and not overbearing.
I purposefully followed the instructions on the packet (1tsp/cup at 212 F for 3-7 mins) for this first test, but I think I’ll cut down to .5tsp/8oz ratio in the future (or maybe a 2 min steep time), since I prefer my teas a little weaker. I didn’t add any sugar, since I wanted to get a good taste of the tea itself.. and frankly I don’t think this tea needs any additional sweetening.
Overall, I enjoyed this tea and am considering purchasing more to give as a gift.
(2 cups later)
Okay, so I tried adding a little rock sugar to the tea (1st steep still), and boy was that a bad idea… it ended up bringing out the floral sweetness, which was too much flower for me. If swimming in a pool of flowers is your thing, then by all means go ahead, but I had a hard time finishing that cup.
I tried it with a dollop of honey too (new cup, same steep), and that turned out much better. Adding a bit of honey gives it a nice sweetness, without being in-your-face sweet. I think I still prefer this tea without any sweetening though, but I’m the kind of person who usually prefers unsweetened tea.
Flavors: Cherry, Cherry Blossom, Rose
