Paying Green for Great Green Teas (Review)

If you have not noticed, I love green tea. I enjoy drinking it, enjoy its subtle nuances and its relaxing aura. Green tea has many health benefits and can help you get through the day without the coffee jitters or stomach acidity. Three thousand years of tradition behind it. It's not too late to join in now, here a jump start on some teas you might want to try out.

You can check out my earlier posts on dozens of other green teas to see how they compare to these I have selected for review today. Note: make sure to follow the brewing instructions on the packages. This is very important. Also, on your first sip of the tea, make sure your palate is clean and not hindered by any other flavors or foods. Swish the tea around your mouth like it was wine, gargle it a little, chew it, swallow it and breath out. This will give you the maximum taste of the tea. Silly, maybe…but it works wonders.

I have purchased all ten teas(nine greens and one oolong) listed below from Special Teas. These ratings are from a one star to a ten star rating. Some have special brewing instructions, which I listed below.

Pi Lo Chun Competition Grade (Green Tea): *********

This is a light and sweet tea with nuances of honey, apricots and twig. Long aftertaste. Smell of a fruit orchard. Has little of the vegetal and musty flavors of lower grades of this tea and has more nuances. Brew: 2tsp per 6oz of water, 160º water, steep 2 minutes.

White Monkey King Green (Green Tea): **********

Yes, this is a ten star tea. not many get this rating. 

Strong upfront sweetness with a subtle charcoal smokiness. Nutty and fruity flavors seem to emerge in the aftertaste and during the first sip. Light smokey sweetness. A unique taste. Quite nice. Subtle vegetal notes in aftertaste. A must buy. This tea deserves your first sip in the morning. Brewing: 1tsp per 6oz of water, 180º water, steep 2 minutes.

China Taiping Houkui (Green Tea): *********

Light bodied and sweet green tea with a slight nuttiness. Long sweet aftertaste and a light honey-like flavor. Light charcoal flavor balanced with sweetness and a musty greeness to round out the flavor. Brewing: 2tsp per 6oz of water, 185º water, steep 3 minutes.

Jiuking Lung Ching West Lake (Green Tea): *********

This is not a geographically correct tea for a Dragon Well tea, but it is remarkable nonetheless. There is a strong toasted/roasted chestnut flavor to the tea, much more pronounced than all the other Dragon Wells I have tied. This is fantastic. Medium bodied, Long aftertaste. Slight sweetness.

Zhejian Mao Feng (Green Tea): *******

This is a sweet and light bodied green tea with a light toasted leaf taste. There is a slight greeness to the aftertaste.

Spring Blossom Pekoe (Green Tea): ******

This is a very sweet and medium bodied tea with a light toasted flavor. Melon-like sweetness. Slightly astringent and toasty aftertaste.

Yunnan Green Imperial (Green Tea): *******

Great tea. This has the aroma of sweet honey. Flowery sweet taste with a light vegetal mustiness and a long lingering aftertaste of honeysuckle. Unlike most sweet teas, this one does not leave you with an empty aftertaste. There is a slight astringency.

Gyrokuro Asahina Extra Fine (Green Tea): ********

A light bodied vegetal tea with a subtle toasted flavor. More vegetal than the Sencha Hiki 1st Flush. Smooth and well integrated flavors create a nice body. More of a toasted leaf flavor. Barely detectable astringency at last sip. Great runner up to the Hiki. Brewing: 2tsp per 6oz of water, 140º water, steep 2 minutes.

Sencha Hiki First Flush (Green Tea): *********

First off, this is the best Japanese green tea I have tasted. Fantastic.  This is a light bodied smooth tea with a nutty flavor. This tea's flavors are well integrated. Slightly sweet and subtly vegetal flavors emerge. This tea has a tremendously long and deliciously warm aftertaste. Not too vegetal or astringent of a tea. Slight honey taste. Buy some for your collection. Brewing: 2tsp per 6oz of water, 140º water, steep 2 minutes

Bai Hao Oolong Special Grade (Oolong Tea): ******

This is a deep flavored and sweet oolong tea. Medium bodied with a heavy twig and must fruit flavor. Dark honey, floral (orchid) and perfume-like nuances are at the back of the tea's bouquet.

I hope this helps you find the tea that will make your mornings worth getting out of bed for.