TETE, Green Tea

TETE Description:
Green tea is synonymous with healthy drinking, but not usually with flavor. We sought out to change that, and chose a tea that is made from leaves grown by small farmers who live near Mai Pokhari, one of the most religious lakes of Nepal. The tea-maker pan-roasts the carefully-plucked leaves, rolls them to release the nuanced flavor, and then dries them at just the right moment to lock that flavor in. The tea has a nutty flavor, and each sip will leave you wanting for more. It’s best as an afternoon drink.

Sample provided by TETE

At the time I am writing this the news is showing the rest of the world a country devastated by earthquake. The loss of life and the utter destruction is overwhelming. My heart goes out to the people of Nepal.

My Review:
As I noted when reviewing TETE Black Tea, TETE puts the emphasis on simplicity. They sell exactly 3 teas - Black, Green, and White. This one happens to be the green tea. Their packaging is as simplified as their product line. What I discovered with the black tea is not to let that fool me. Inside is Himalayan Full Leaf Premium Tea, just like it says on the label.

Opening the bag I get my first whiff. It made me stop and look. I also may have gone Ah-Oh. The dry leaf has an intense roasted aroma. I can do roasted but I have to be in the mood. It always makes me think oolong.

The leaf is deep green curled twists. I notice some of the leaf looks a little silvery while others are deep olive. It is a solid good looking leaf. I am getting over my nervousness about the aroma.

I intended to use my clear glass teapot but someone (me) forgot to rinse it out. So out comes the all purpose press. In goes the leaf. 160 F water is added. The steep time is 2 minutes. This is per directions on the back label. TETE's website assure me these teas have been sourced to work well even for those of us who don't always read the instructions, set the temperature, or watch the time. It's like they are in my head.

During the steep the leaf mostly clung to the surface but occasionally a brave dancer would break formation and do a solo pirouette to the bottom. Beautiful.

Now the wet leaf looks green bean in color and the leaf is still holding some wrapped shape. The aroma of the wet leaf is very roasted but upon paying more attention I also notice steamed vegetable and a bit of vine aroma.

The liquor is yellow in color like honey. It is clear and shiny.

So I finally get my first taste. It made me stop and look yet again. I may have said something like Oh Wow! All that worrying I did about the heavy roasting was for nothing. It tastes nothing like its leaf scent.

Here we have a nutty flavor. It is accompanied by a fresh and lively green flavor. It isn't grassy. It isn't viney. It is kind of vegetal. Man I need a new word to describe it. How about awesome. There is just enough bite to excite the palate without crossing the line into bitter or sour.

The aftertaste is lingering and sweet.

My guess is this would taste amazing as an iced tea but I haven't tried it yet.

Based on the dry scent I was not looking forward to tasting this. Had I listened to my nose, my taste buds would have been deprived of an amazing green tea. Now, if you love a heavy roasted flavor, I'm sorry, you'll just have to keep the leaf near by to sniff while sipping.

You can find TETE Green Tea here