So I got my order from Den's on Monday - lightning fast, since I'm pretty sure I ordered on a Friday. One of the many things I ordered was powdered Sencha, which I got on a whim because I like sencha and have been looking for a cold tea.
http://www.denstea.com/powdered-teas-po ... 8_269.html
$8 for 30 grams seems fair; it is in line with regular sencha + a bit extra to cover the grinding process + retail markups. Package is rather small compared to Den's current packaging (which has changed since I last ordered), and the product is densely packed.
Keeping with my usual method, I gave my first try based off the product directions - one tsp powder to a litre of water. Let it sit in the fridge overnight and shake before serving.
The result is rather refreshing. Dark green, yet not dull. Flavor, at that ratio, is fairly light but does out compete the water for attention (don't know how better to describe that). Vaguely reminds me of cucumbers.
A larger ratio might be more flavorful. I'll try 2tsp next time (got another 1 tsp batch ready in the fridge - going to be a hot week sounds like).
One problem with this method is in separation. Naturally, you'd expect a suspended powder to precipitate out of solution over time. Unfortunately, "time" here is <10 minutes, as often when reaching the bottom of my 12oz mug, there's quite the layer remaining. A swift swish around the bottom of the mug usually gets it though, when there's only an ounce or so left. This doesn't seem to work well with larger volumes though, so after a few minutes from shake/decantation the solution actually weakens in flavor (unless you bring a spoon). It's a bummer but far from a deal breaker. I suspect that if I were to use a blender bottle (vs the 1 ltr glass waterbottle I am using now) it would work better.
Overall I'd say this is a good value product. I think shaking and decanting into smaller, lidded vessels would work better overall, as I could recap and shake for consistency.
What has been your experience with powdered non-matcha? Did Den's compare favorably, if you know? How about other powdered teas by Den's and others?
Cheers,
M.
Jun 18th, '14, 09:16
Posts: 445
Joined: Mar 25th, '13, 23:03
Location: Lexington Park, Maryland