August Adventures in Tencha

[Proinsias]

I used just under half in my kyusu. I've saved the rest for trying to grind up at my dad's house sometime this week.

I didn't have any trouble brewing the leaf at all which surprised me after reading others comments before brewing, which I usually don't do. I went with a circling pour, General Kwan method?, into the kyusu and the puppies drowned without any struggle. I was quite pleased.

The brew struck me as more gyokuro than matcha but this may be something to do with the fact that I was brewing it and straining it as opposed to eating it.

Delightfully thick and fresh, I wonder how much impact the physical differences gyokuro leaf have on the taste of the liquor.

As the weather has taken a cold turn over the past two weeks I've not really been in the mood for drinking greens but the sun came out and the complimented it beautifully.

I managed four steeps with the second being the most flavourful.
The fourth steep surprised me as the liquor came out distinctly beige, a shade I've not encountered in Japanese green before. It had none of the punch of the previous steeps but came through with a wonderfully sweet after taste.

Thanks for the tea!

I'm keen to see what happens when I try to grind it, even if it goes horribly wrong. I'll report back.

[Salsero]

Proinsias's note prompted me to brew the second half of my Tencha. This is really good stuff. Thanks again, Pentox! Here's the wet leaves. It looks looks like a Florida swamp: