90
drank Ryokucha by Samovar
158 tasting notes

Wanted to try this at a higher temperature after reading Auggy’s note from the other day about how, at that slightly higher temp, the toasted element sort of took a backseat to the milky quality.

This is totally true. I feel like the toasted rice is still very much there, but smoother and less ‘overdone popcorn’ than just…nutty and toasty. There’s a definite saltiness that seems to be part and parcel with the brothy, milky, matcha-creamy flavors.

It would never have occurred to me to change the temp. I’m surprised by how different it is…especially that saltiness. Neat, though.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 45 sec
Auggy

Yay! I’m happy to see this since it means my taste buds weren’t just playing tricks on me.

sophistre

I’ve wondered that the last few days, myself. I put some Four Seasons into a travel tumbler, and…I kid you not…salty. Like gatorade salty. WTF? Maybe I oversteeped…but there are definitely days I wonder if my tongue is just being weird for no good reason.

This was good though…the Ryokucha. :D Briny but not overpoweringly so…and I like that it took the ‘burnt’ element out of the toasted-ness.

Auggy

Salty? That’s so weird. I’ve had an unpleasant experience with a Keemun in a travel tumbler because the lid blocked the smell but even with the scent of the oolong blocked, salty seems like a weird result. And I definitely think I’ll be making the Ryokucha at a slightly higher temp now – it really does temper the toasty edge and bring out the creamy. And now I want some.

sophistre

I…haha. It’s funny…I came back to check this post because I am starting to think my Brita filter is responsible, somehow…even though it’s new. I will know soon. But yes…salty is…strange. After I posted that I started to worry, myself.

Auggy

Hopefully you figure it out because it’d be a shame to ruin Four Seasons with salty!

sophistre

Okay, crazy possibility: drinking lots of caffeinated tea + intensifying exercise routine = dehydration, which results in…everything tasting salty. WTF? Pretty sure the brand new jug of apple cider I bought is not ACTUALLY salty. Or the new jug of milk. So, definitely my TONGUE.

Bummer.

Auggy

Eew @ the salty milk – though I have to admit, I laughed. That’s sorta freaky and I almost think that your tongue making things taste salty is worse than if the tea had ended up salty. But I’m still laughing. Kind of in horror.

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Auggy

Yay! I’m happy to see this since it means my taste buds weren’t just playing tricks on me.

sophistre

I’ve wondered that the last few days, myself. I put some Four Seasons into a travel tumbler, and…I kid you not…salty. Like gatorade salty. WTF? Maybe I oversteeped…but there are definitely days I wonder if my tongue is just being weird for no good reason.

This was good though…the Ryokucha. :D Briny but not overpoweringly so…and I like that it took the ‘burnt’ element out of the toasted-ness.

Auggy

Salty? That’s so weird. I’ve had an unpleasant experience with a Keemun in a travel tumbler because the lid blocked the smell but even with the scent of the oolong blocked, salty seems like a weird result. And I definitely think I’ll be making the Ryokucha at a slightly higher temp now – it really does temper the toasty edge and bring out the creamy. And now I want some.

sophistre

I…haha. It’s funny…I came back to check this post because I am starting to think my Brita filter is responsible, somehow…even though it’s new. I will know soon. But yes…salty is…strange. After I posted that I started to worry, myself.

Auggy

Hopefully you figure it out because it’d be a shame to ruin Four Seasons with salty!

sophistre

Okay, crazy possibility: drinking lots of caffeinated tea + intensifying exercise routine = dehydration, which results in…everything tasting salty. WTF? Pretty sure the brand new jug of apple cider I bought is not ACTUALLY salty. Or the new jug of milk. So, definitely my TONGUE.

Bummer.

Auggy

Eew @ the salty milk – though I have to admit, I laughed. That’s sorta freaky and I almost think that your tongue making things taste salty is worse than if the tea had ended up salty. But I’m still laughing. Kind of in horror.

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Bio

Ohhh, I dunno. I like tea but I’m kind of a tea newbie. At this point I can say with authority that I may never be anything else, no matter how many teas I try…there is always something new out there.

I write a lot.

I also play way too many video games.

Ratings! (Bout time, wot?) This is a new arrangement, so…subject to change!

1-10: Not potable. First-sip disasters.

11-30: Intensely unpleasant…won’t catch me finishing the cup.

31-50: I really don’t like it…but maybe somebody else out there would.

51-70: Drinkable, but probably not the first thing I’m going to reach for.

71-90: Pretty good tea, and stuff that there’s a good chance I’ll have on-hand. Will do in a pinch at the low end, all the way up to regular visitors to my infuser on the high end.

91-100: Teas I really do not want to be without.

Location

Boston/Cambridge

Website

http://sophistre.tumblr.com/

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