If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor - Eleanor Roosevelt
When Eleanor Roosevelt said this, I am pretty sure it wasn't in reference to tea, but I certainly think it fits! Having tried a lot of different teas, I though I had a good understanding of the flavors and textures to expect from a cup, whether its fermented or not, from Asia or Africa, heavily or lightly oxidized etc
However this tea completely blew all that out the water!
Firstly a bit about the tea, which is not your every-day drinking tea but one used when you want to treat yourself!
Gyokuro is the most sought after and expensive of Japanese teas with a unique growing and brewing method.
It is made from heavily shaded tea plants, similar to the way tencha is grown. This slows growth stops leaves from converting Theanine into Catechins and results in higher levels of Chlorophyll.
Theanine is an amino acid, which is believed to have a wide range of health benefits including promoting relaxation, reduce anxiety, increase focus and improve your immunity, and it gives the tea its flavor and gives the drinker a relaxed, happy feeling!
Once picked, the tea is processed in the same way as sencha, which involves steaming, a six-step rolling process to give the tea its dark green color and needle shaped leaves, before being hot-air dried and sorted.
The brewing method for Gyokuro, is also very different, it is brewed at even cooler temperatures than other green teas (around 50-60 degrees Celsius) and it is brewed for longer, with MeiLeaf recommending this tea is brewed for 2 minutes, rising to 3 for the third brew. This combination of cool water and long brews was already intriguing, before that first sip was taken!
And if you've never tried this tea before, that first sip will BLOW YOUR MIND!
So firstly how does the tea look? From all the brews, this tea delivers on color, producing a pale green, milky-looking liquor.
The first brew of this tea is something else. From Mei Leaf's own words, it is an umami bomb, that actually put me at a loss for words! Almost salty but not quite, the taste was extremely strong, and though it got weaker with every brew, this umami flavor continued stronger than I have ever tasted it in any other tea!
Aside from that sharpness of the umami, the tea had a lingering effect on your tongue - an almost buzzing, happy sensation that lasted after your last sip.
Tea Rating:
Honestly, I am not sure what rating to give this, as I can't decide if I liked it or not! Being so unexpected and so powerful it makes it a little hard to put stars on it!
However, it is definitely one that any tea head should try! And although I wasn't fully convinced I would be keen to try a few different Gyokuro to learn a little more about the tea and its flavors!