I have an awful lot to thank the excellent tea subscription service, teatourist for. Not only have I tried some completely new and exciting tea's, I've also experienced familiar tea's that are provided by new companies. If it wasn't for teatourist, I'd of missed out on some excellent cups of tea.
So, this evening, I'm bringing you a wonderful Gunpowder Green tea which appeared in a teatourist box a couple of months back. It's from a totally new (to me, anyway!) company, The UK Loose Leaf Tea Company.
Today, it's National Tea Day. Friday also happens to be the day I do most of my blogging, so it's all really about the tea today!
Making tea now is a soothing ritual for me. I empty the old water out of the kettle, fill it with fresh, boil it, removing it from the heat just before it reaches boiling point, let it cool and pour over whatever tea I'm drinking. And this ritual is never more important than when I am preparing green tea. We all know by now the "rules" for making the perfect green cuppa. So ingrained are these rules that it's now second nature to know how to make the tea correctly. I'm proud of that!
This evening I was stood in the kitchen. I have plenty of tea to blog about, as you'll imagine, however, I stopped briefly and listened to what my body wanted. And it wanted green tea. Going through my box of samples I stumbled across this tea. There isn't much of it left to sample, I've been enjoying this through the week. It was perfect then that this tea be the first one I blog about this evening.
This gorgeous tea from The UK Loose Leaf tea Company is a feisty little green tea that packs an impressive punch. It is a Gunpowder Green tea and I find the gunpowders to be the stronger of the green tea's. Making this tea I've settled in bed, popped Twin Peaks on the Sky Box and took one lovely, long sip of this magnificent tea.
But firstly, I should take a step back and tell you a little of the tea's appearance. Well, it's called Gunpowder because of it's resemblence to, well, gunpowder. This tea has a lush, dark green colour to it. It's rolled into tiny balls.
I watched this tea infuse to a light honey colour. The suggested brewing time was 2-3 minutes. As I like this tea strong I left it for the full three minutes. Still, it retained it's light colour.
The aroma from this tea is nice and woody. Earthy and has that natural scent that I so love with green tea. I find this tea satisfying in every single way.
The flavour of this tea is fantastic and will say is a whole lot stronger then some of the gunpowder green's that I've tasted - and that is all the better for me. This is a tea that you can get your teeth into and that leaves a lovely impression for some time after you have finished your mug. Or cup. Whatever you use to drink tea!
The initial flavour that comes through when drinking this tea is it's roasted elements. And this tea is quite similar to, though less stronger in taste, to the Japanese Kukicha that I reviewed last week. This tea has smoky elements to it. It is a tea that has many layers. The smokiness is subtle though, not overpowering at all.
My favourite aspect of this tea though is it's earthy, grassy taste. It's a flavour I cannot get enough of. I just love the very natural, fresh aspect to this tea. This tea is exactly what most people probably think of when they think of green tea. I could drink this all day, but sadly, the packet is now empty, which is a good sign that this has been finished off, as it does mean it's been a surefire hit!
There is also a very light, nutty element to this blend as well. Each part of the sip, the beginning, the middle and the end reveal different flavours and your tongue experiences many different tastes during a single sip. At first you have the toasted element, then a touch of smokiness, then the woody, grassy flavour. And it's that flavour that stay's in your mouth for some time.
To say I enjoyed this tea is a understatement. I loved it. But I am a green tea addict.
This is ideal if you are a convert to green tea, especially if you are used to and appreciate the unique aspects of green tea and the nuances that come with it. If you are just starting out on your green tea journey or are weary of trying green tea then perhaps it's not the one for you.
You will certainly find this robust green tea satisfying and if you fancy a change from black tea then this may be the tea for you. It has body and strength.
In simple words, this is just about as ideal a green tea as you'll get!
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