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January 12, 2005
Gyokuro
Name: Gyokuro
Kathy's Rating: 7.5/10.0
Company: Tealuxe
Origin of tea: Japan
Price: $10/50g (1.76oz)
Tea form: Loose gyokuro green tea.
What they say: A must try for green tea enthusiasts. Literally translated "Jewel Dew," this full body tea offers unparalleled sweetness.
Preparation method: Pour slightly below boiling water over tea. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: Amongst Japanese green teas, I usually drink sencha, so gyokuro is new to me. That said, I selected a gyokuro from Teavana, and a gyokuro from Tealuxe in order to cross-compare them. This way, I will have a stronger basis for rating the quality of gyokuro green tea (at least from more than one supplier). I was very careful to prepare the two samples exactly the same way. This was done by using the same pot of slightly below boiling water to infuse both teas, and allowing the two teas to infuse for the same amount of time (3 minutes). Overall, I thought Tealuxe's gyokuro was pretty good. The taste is slightly more bitter and heavier than Teavana's gyokuro, which is why the rating is a bit lower. Interestingly enough, the color of Tealuxe's gyokuro has a slight brownish tinge compared to Teavana's gyokuro. This is probably because Tealuxe's gyokuro tea leaves are smaller overall, and contain more brown than Teavana's gyokuro tea leaves. If you're interested in my rating of Teavana's gyokuro, check it out here.
Posted by Kathy at January 12, 2005 07:03 PM