Yamamotoyama, Hoji-cha

This is a bagged tea. I bought it because I wanted something I had never tried before, I like the oolong by this company, and it is cheap. $2.29 for 16 bags. This is labeled as a roasted green. The bag smells a bit smoky. I brewed it for 2 minutes with below boiling water even though directions called for boiling. The scent of the wet bag reminds me of Genmaicha. The brew is surprisingly almost as dark as a black tea.

First sip is too hot for me to catch much taste, so I got a slice of Jewish sweet bread while the cup cooled. Wow, did the bread help bring out the flavor. No bitterness or hint of astringency. I thought by the smell of the bag it might taste a bit smoky, but its not. This is a simple roasted green tea like the box says. Hojicha is a bancha tea that has been roasted traditionally over charcoal. I steeped a second cup with a new bag and this time used boiling water per the directions. It made only a slight difference in taste.

Bottom line: Could you do better? Sure, but for a $0.14 tea bag it is pretty darn good.

Yamamotoyama Pu-erh Tea

Here it is called an Oolong tea, which is lightly oxidized. Pu-erh is generally considered a green tea. After drying and rolling, it is compressed into bricks and aged. High dollar tea is aged for years. This is not high dollar tea. During aging, microbes ferment the tea. Here that aging does give it a mild oolong taste. It makes a dark cup of tea. The leaf pieces in the bag look black after steeping. The taste is very mellow with a light earthiness. I have read other reviews that claim this tea, while not a great tea, captures the essence of pu-erh. It doesn’t taste exactly like ‘normal’ tea. It is mildly exotic. It is also a little bland in my opinion especially compared to loose or cake pu-erhs. I did get two cups from one bag and must admit the second was a much earthier tasting, which I did enjoy. If you have been curious about pu-erh tea, this is a relatively inexpensive opportunity to try it. They have reportedly been blending tea since 1690. Yamamotoyama of America has owned Stash Tea Company for several years now and distributes their Yamamotoyama tea under the Stash banner.

Yamamotoyama China Oolong

The only ingredient listed on the bag is pure China oolong. This is a dark oolong and they can take a little getting used to. The earthy damp forest floor taste may not appeal to everyone. The brew is clear and chocolately in color. The aroma is mildly earthy with a hint of smokiness that is not like ashes but more like a campfire. It is subtle but present. It is quite pleasing mellow but flavorful and complex. I don’t care that it is 2g of dust. It is just plain good. It is also very forgiving. I can use boiling water or much cooler water. I can steep two minutes or fifteen. Other grocery store blends don’t even come close. I have heard this tea comes from Brazil – I can’t verify it so maybe not but it does not taste like any other brand I have tried. It tastes great hot and at room temperature. Never tried iced but imagine I would like it. I have only seen it in bag form. This is a good choice for the curious. Yamamotoyama of America has owned Stash Tea Company for several years now and distributes their Yamamotoyama tea under the Stash banner. They have reportedly been blending tea since 1690.