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January 12, 2005
Gyokuro Imperial
Name: Gyokuro Imperial
Kathy's Rating: 8.5/10.0
Company: Teavana
Origin of tea: Japan
Price: $15/2oz (56.7g)
Tea form: Loose gyokuro green tea.
What they say: The finest of Japanese teas, Gyokuro bushes are covered for several weeks before harvest with bamboo or straw shades to increase the chlorophyll content of the leaves. The results of this transformation are the renowned dark green leaves with high concentrations of anti-oxidants, vitamins and amino acids. Celebrated for its emerald green infusion and sweet aftertaste.
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). I really liked this tea. The taste was light and pure, with almost no bitterness. The liquid was clear light green in color, and the tea leaves were a vibrant green, with some of the leaves appearing to be almost completely unbroken (a sign of higher quality leaves). I also reviewed Tealuxe's gyokuro, which I thought was pretty good, but didn't like as much as this one. This tea inspired me to look into trying gyokuro from other suppliers, so stay tuned for more future reviews of gyokuro tea.
Posted by Kathy at January 12, 2005 07:21 PM