I rarely drink tea blends.
One exception is genmaicha, because it’s such a common tea blend in Japan.
I’m also a big fan of yuzu.
This citrus fruit has such an interesting aroma.
It’s hard to describe, but one you smell it you probably won’t confuse it with another citrus fruit.
Yuzu isn’t available where I live, so drinking a tea made with it is a good opportunity to enjoy its fragrance.
I received this sample from Japanese Green Tea Co.
Although the product’s name is yuzu sencha, the green tea used is actually kamairicha.
That makes it even more special, because it’s not as common as sencha.
Furthermore, the tea has real pieces of yuzu peel, it’s not artificially flavored nor sweetened.
Let’s try it
After opening the bag, the yuzu smell is very evident.
It’s hard to detect any other aroma, although I feel a light sweetness.
The kamairicha leaves are small, which is good.
They have a good color too, in my opinion.
For the first infusion, I’ll use a teaspoon of tea, 60 ml (2 oz) of water at 80ºC (176ºF), and one minute of infusion time.
I can now feel the aroma of the wet leaves as well. It’s vegetal.
Of course, the smell of yuzu is still powerful. Citric and fresh.
The liquor has a pale yellow color, with a bit of brown.
I’ll go ahead and taste it.
Unlike the aroma, the taste does feel like a green tea.
It even has umami taste.
Thankfully, the yuzu flavor doesn’t overpower the whole tea.
It’s balanced. The tea doesn’t have a sour taste either.
There’s also a sweet aftertaste.
I decided to make the second infusion with the same parameters.
It has a similar taste, but lighter.
Less body than before, and the aftertaste isn’t as sweet.
But still pleasant.
I’ll make a third infusion in the same manner.
Lighter than before.
But at least it still isn’t bitter nor astringent.
It’s a straightforward drink.
If you like yuzu, it’s a sure bet. I certainly liked it.
