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Masters Teas’s Shincha Gyokuro

Shincha Gyokuro by Masters Teas
Green Tea / Flavoured
$34.00 USD for 1.5oz (43g)

Masters Teas has provided me with Shincha Gyokuro for the purposes of writing an honest review.

First Impressions

Shincha Gyokuro came in a sealed, resealable pouch. This is a Japanese green tea from Masters Teas and I was super stoked to be offered the chance to try it – it was harvested April of this year! This particular tea comes from Shizuoka, Japan and is such a pretty colour after it steeps (keep reading to see!).

The dry leaf is a dark green – the leaves are thin, narrow, and flattened. There’s a grassy, roasted aroma to the leaves and it’s a really nice smell. It smells fresh and vibrant and it’s just really exciting to get to steep and taste a newly harvested and roasted tea.

Preparation

Masters Teas recommends steeping Shincha Gyokuro in 165°F (74°C) water for 2 minutes, this information wasn’t on the packaging but I easily found it via the product page on the website. I used the lowest temperature setting on my kettle – 175°F (79°C) – and allowed it to cool for about 5 minutes prior to steeping the leaves.

First Taste

Shincha Gyokuro steeps to a pale yellow-green colour. There’s a strong grassy aroma to the tea that reminds me of a warm spring day, which is nice. The flavour itself is a mix of grassy and nutty – there’s some strong umami notes without being overwhelming. There’s no bitterness or astringency, which is nice, and it just makes for a rather pleasant and savoury cup of tea.

A Second Cup?

Masters Teas’s product page for this tea suggested that it could be steeped up to seven times (six resteeps), so of course I had to try it! I found that Shincha Gyokuro does really well – the leaves become such a vibrant bright spring green and the flavour of the initial steep carries through as I resteeped it. The umami notes don’t pack as much of a punch as you resteep it, and the grassy notes come forward a bit more – it still remains a pleasant and savoury tea to drink.

My Overall Impression

I loved Masters Teas’s Shincha Gyokuro. I think it smells great, steeps well, and resteeps even better! The grassy and umami notes of this straight green tea are pleasant and delightfully savoury – which would pair well with a meal or snack. I really enjoyed how well this Japanese green tea resteeps, as well as how vibrant the leaves are after being steeped – such a gorgeous colour to experience!

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Sunny M’s Formosa Mudra

Formosa Mudra by Sunny M
Oolong Tea / Straight
$40.00 for 100g

Sunny M has provided me with Formosa Mudra for the purposes of writing an honest review.

First Impressions

Formosa Mudra is a curious little tea that came from Sunny M. Described as being ethically sourced, hand picked and artisan roasted, this oolong tea comes from the Charm of Hearts tea estate in Taiwan. The tea itself is primarily dark brown, very tightly bunched up leaves.

Formosa Mudra is a straight oolong tea with no additives, the aroma from the tea is a fruity aroma that reminds me of stone fruits – like apricots or peaches. The dark colour really shows an impressive amount of oxidation, and I’m excited to give it a try.

Preparation

Sunny M recommends steeping Formosa Mudra in 85℃-95℃(185℉-203℉) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep for 5 minutes in 93°C (200°F).

First Taste

Formosa Mudra steeps to a lovely light golden orange colour. There’s a pleasant aroma from the steeped tea that reminds me of a mix of peaches and malt, I find the tea to be smooth, with a slightly thickened texture to it and just a slight astringency, which is nice. It’s not as sweet as I was expecting it, based on the aroma of the fruity dry leaf.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Formosa Mudra a total of six times (seven steeps total), adding an additional 30 seconds for each subsequent steep. As I resteeped Formosa Mudra, I found that the tea became more buttery and creamy in flavour than fruity as I steeped it. It made for a nice transition and still a tasty cup of tea.

My Overall Impression

I loved Sunny M’s Formosa Mudra. I found the aroma of the dry leaf to be lovely, and the steeped tea to be not quite what I expected – as it shifted from a stone fruit to a more buttery cream flavour. It does make for a nice cup of tea though, so I’m not disappointed at all in the change and really enjoyed steeping the same leaves over and over again. It was a real treat to watch the leaves open up so much as I steeped this oolong tea.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Dessert by Deb’s Butterscotch Jam Bars

Butterscotch Jam Bars by Dessert by Deb
Rooibos / Flavoured
$16.00 for 75g

Butterscotch Jam Bars is an exclusive blend for Dessert by Deb subscription subscribers and is available for purchase by subscribers only at this time.

First Impressions

Butterscotch Jam Bars is a rooibos blend that came in one of my subscription boxes, and it is a subscriber exclusive. This rooibos blend comes in a gold sealed, resealable pouch, with a colourful label across the front. I’m personally keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t smell or taste the rooibos because it’s not one of my favourite ingredients – I tend to find that rooibos reminds me of a medicinal flavour.

Butterscotch Jam Bars has a beautiful aroma to it – I can smell brown sugar, maple, raisins and vanilla. Surprise, I can’t smell the rooibos base at all. The brown sugar and vanilla notes make me think of a cake or pastry, which is nice and quite fitting considering the name of the blend is Butterscotch Jam Bars.

Butterscotch Jam Bars consists of organic: fair trade rooibos, vanilla, Canadian maple, elderberries, currants, raisins, hibiscus, brown sugar, honey bush, and cinnamon.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Butterscotch Jam Bars in 100°C (212°F) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I followed the recommended steeping temperature and did an initial steep for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Butterscotch Jam Bars steeps to a nice orange colour with a bit of a pinkish hue to it, which I credit to the hibiscus, of course. There’s the aroma of vanilla and brown sugar, with hints of raisins in the background. I found the blend to be nicely sweet, with that brown sugar and maple in the mix. It definitely tastes like a dessert, and that it should be more of a guilty pleasure that it is given the flavour of the blend. It tastes like a cake, which is really scrumptious. The big bonus (for me!) is that I can’t taste the rooibos base itself, all I taste is vanilla, raisins, brown sugar, and the hint of maple in the background.

I really don’t think that it needs a sweetener, but if you do choose to add something, I would go with brown sugar or maple syrup to play up some of the flavours that exist in the blend.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Butterscotch Jam Bars, but found that the second steep was more rooibos and less dessert-like. Which means, if you’re a fan of rooibos, then steeping again is a great way to go.

My Overall Impression

I liked Dessert by Deb’s Butterscotch Jam Bars. I really appreciated the care into developing the flavours that shone through in the initial steep. The use of brown sugar and maple with the blend of elderberries, currants, and raisins, really helped to create the flavour of a baked good. The initial steep was definitely preferred by me over the resteep because I’m not a fan of rooibos. For those who do love rooibos though, I think you’ll get more enjoyment from resteeping it.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.