Tamaryokucha?

[skarphedin]

So, I've been fed some lines by the local Palais des Thes about this strain of japanese tea called Tamaroykucha, but I felt the information was a bit sales-driven and not too informative. Once more I was forced to scour the intarwebs for knowledge. What I've been able to find is not much, and it seems that the availability of this tea is scarce (but that could be just me), at least on the internet. The Wiki says: « ... a fine Japanese green tea that has a tangy, berry-like taste, with a long almondy aftertaste and a deep aroma with tones of citrus, grass, and berries». I would very much like that, indeed. Sounds amazing.



Now I was wondering if any of you have tasted different 'ryokuchas, and if you could please tell me a bit about it and divulge some of your experiences with this tea. I'm also looking for vendors who has it in their stock, and general tips about where to get good tamaryokucha, as I'm eager to try this out.

Also, a final question. Do you brew it as a sencha, or more like a gyokuro, or something completely different?

[Chip]

Heh, wiki descriptions are not always reality. Tamaroykucha can be variable just like sencha.

It is unusual, but to call it rare is a bit of marketing hoopla. I would say it is a step down from most sencha.

It is usually pretty easy to brew, pretty much like sencha, they can often take water a bit hotter.

Several years ago another TCer gave me around 5-6 different selections along with Kamairicha which is a fired version because they were not his bag. They were interesting but I quickly burned out from boredom.

[bryan_drinks_tea]

Agreed with Chip.


Also, processing is just a little different. if you like it, drink it. simple as that.

[skarphedin]

.. It is unusual, but to call it rare is a bit of marketing hoopla. I would say it is a step down from most sencha ... They were interesting but I quickly burned out from boredom.

That confirms my suspicions of it being more of a marketing ploy then, since the one I tasted at the specific Palais-store wasn't all too convincing (quite bland, actually) and they tried to sell it as being something of a «special» tea. I thought that maybe there where more interesting varieties of the tea, but that was maybe just a pipe dream. In the end this saddens me a bit.

While I appreciate the diplomatic stance in statements of the type «if you like it – drink it», it wasn't what I was fishing for. I enjoy reading (and listening to) biased and subjective reflections, since they often offer more insight, are more committed, and generally contain more information, although some if it might be concealed. But still, thank you.

I might try some different tamaryokuchas come this spring, but if they are anything like the one I've already tasted I guess I'll stick to sencha, and gyokuro for the special occasions.

[Buzz Fledderjohn]

I like tamaryokucha. I have a bag of Den's Guricha that I have been drinking for the past couple of weeks. Tasty stuff.

[Chip]

I like tamaryokucha. I have a bag of Den's Guricha that I have been drinking for the past couple of weeks. Tasty stuff.

Den's is better than the stuff I mentioned above, yes quite tasty.

I also find that guricha holds up better then sencha ...

[Tead Off]

I like tamaryokucha. I have a bag of Den's Guricha that I have been drinking for the past couple of weeks. Tasty stuff.

Den's is better than the stuff I mentioned above, yes quite tasty.

I also find that guricha holds up better then sencha ...

What exactly is guricha?

[Chip]

I like tamaryokucha. I have a bag of Den's Guricha that I have been drinking for the past couple of weeks. Tasty stuff.

Den's is better than the stuff I mentioned above, yes quite tasty.

I also find that guricha holds up better then sencha ...

What exactly is guricha?

Guricha is a tamaryokucha. It is a regional offering mostly, often from Ureshino Saga.

This whole area gets a little grey since there are different types, etc. It is a lot like sencha, but some of the final steps are a bit different.

I have found them to have a cocoa to veggie aroma and profile. This can be a bit odd sometimes.

Guricha is different from Sencha both in appearance and taste. This tea benefits from a specific process that creates a tea similar in appearance to the pan-fired teas of China. Guricha is steamed and fashioned into "comma" shaped leaves by omitting the final kneading process.

[Tead Off]

I like tamaryokucha. I have a bag of Den's Guricha that I have been drinking for the past couple of weeks. Tasty stuff.

Den's is better than the stuff I mentioned above, yes quite tasty.

I also find that guricha holds up better then sencha ...

What exactly is guricha?

Guricha is a tamaryokucha. It is a regional offering mostly, often from Ureshino Saga.

This whole area gets a little grey since there are different types, etc. It is a lot like sencha, but some of the final steps are a bit different.

I have found them to have a cocoa to veggie aroma and profile. This can be a bit odd sometimes.

Guricha is different from Sencha both in appearance and taste. This tea benefits from a specific process that creates a tea similar in appearance to the pan-fired teas of China. Guricha is steamed and fashioned into "comma" shaped leaves by omitting the final kneading process.

I was given a gift recently of a small package of tea from guricha.jp All their tea comes from Shizuoka. The one I have is ぐり茶 which translates to Boring Brown. I really have no idea what this is. It is broken up and doesn't resemble sencha. It is smooth but the flavor is weak. Anyone have any ideas about this tea? It looks so different than Tamaryokuchas that I have seen.