[Pre-order] Farmers' Shincha (160g/5.64oz) Reviews

Out of Stock

Author	Karen Kletter (United States)
Review	I enjoy things that are not only of excellent quality but are interesting and unusual as well. On this basis, I decided to order Farmer's Shincha because I trust Hibiki-an's quality, plus it's not something one sees offered as a matter of course (my interest was piqued). I decided to postpone my Pinnacle Grade Shincha order. I have very little experience with sencha, so I can't compare this tea to the higher grades. That said, I thought this was wonderful. I was greeted with a fresh, very green aroma when I opened the bag so I knew I was on solid ground. I brewed the first infusion in my Hohryu at 80C (176F; pouring boiling water into a glass measuring cup or sharing pitcher immediately yields the correct temperature)) for a total of 60 seconds and was greeted with a gorgeous pale green liquor with an intense floral aroma. I shared this infusion with friends, one who immediately said after sniffing, "Jasmine?!" She was right--this was flowery, mildly bitter, and somewhat fruity, especially at the end (I was reminded of lime). I brewed the second infusion at the same temperature for about 30 seconds. It was still aromatic, less fruity, and mildly bitter, and floral. The third infusion, same temperature/50 seconds, was the most floral of all, especially at the very end. It was very mild, much less bitter, and not in the least fruity. The same beautiful color and aroma persisted throughout all three infusions, all of which were delicious. I'm sold! My guess is that I'll probably enjoy Pinnacle Grade Sencha most of all when I get around to ordering it, but for the time being, Farmer's Shincha represents excellent value for high-quality Japanese green tea that can be enjoyed every day. One of the friends with whom I shared that first infusion is from Japan; he thought it was excellent. It's a limited edition, so I recommend grabbing it before it disappears. (Comment from Hibiki-an) Thank you very much for your review. If you would like to enjoy more refreshing flavor of Shincha, we also recommend you brew a little higher temperature and shorter waiting time. Would you try to brew by various ways and find out your best way? Thank you again. We hope that you will continue to enjoy genuine Japanese tea.
Rating	Very bad... Bad... Very bad... Ordinary... Good... 5 of 5 Stars!
Date	May 16, 2007

Verified Purchase

Reviews Posted by this Author: 21