David's Tea Time: Sencha Taniba

August 2, 2023

Hey folks. Here are some tasting notes I took for our Sencha Taniba.

Following Den’s Preferred Brewing (~160 Deg for 90 sec)
- Taste: Watermelon Rind, Pasta, Rice Paper, Spinach
- Feeling: Quiet, mellow, solar energy
- Smell of Wet Leaf: Roasted Seaweed w/ Sugar
~180 Deg for 30 Sec
- More of the Solar Energy has come out; cooked tortilla on the tongue
152 Degrees ~20 Sec
- Tasting Notes: Initially when it hits the tongue, there is a superficial astringent flavor that is not overpowering, followed by subtle notes of
- Cooked flour tortilla; watermelon rind; sweet lacinato kale; freshly cut grass
Brewing with a lighter temperature water yielded more of the sweeter notes which rounded out any bitterness that was present.
- The consistency is light which I think is to be expected with Sencha.
- Color
  - The leaves have a rich, dark green color which perhaps tells me that the quality is quite high. Of course, this Sencha is from the same area as Fukamushi Sencha Chiran which is my favorite Fukamushi Sencha of the ones that we offer.
- Dry Leaf Smell
  - Sugary sweet; wet forest in the morning
168 Degrees ~20 Sec

A little bit more astringency was pulled out at this temperature, but more of the 氣 (ki, energy, feeling) of the tea really could be experienced. It felt like I was drinking gentle sunlight. It is not that the tea had a warming affect necessarily but that the feeling of the tea could be described as bright, clear, and radiant. It was like experiencing the Sun in the afternoon on a cloudless Spring afternoon when the sun quietly and continuously beams down on the Earth.

165 Degrees 2 Minutes
- Additional Notes
  - This cup was heavier on the astringency, had some bitterness and still had that radiant sun energy. I don’t recommend brewing for this long unless you are looking for a strong, nutrient dense cup.

What did you think of our Sencha Taniba? Let us know by emailing daves@denstea.com.

Have a great tea time and be well!