Tuesday 30 December 2014

Review: Japanese Bancha by Clement & Pekoe, Ireland

There were plenty of green tea temptations in Clement & Pekoe but there were only so many teas I could actually try as they don't taster menus. There was a wide selection of teas for take away and drinking in the shop, the ones I tried where at decent quality for the price point.


Japanese Bancha [Japan, grassy/floral] **** $$   by Tea Tf, CN

Other names: 番茶, common tea

I agree with the Tea person in Clement & Pekoe that Bancha is much easier to like than Sencha, and this Bancha had an absolutely fantastic smell, beautifully floral with grassy and citrus notes. The taste didn't come off quite that strong but it remains a very pleasant tea, very smooth and with its lively green colour like its neighbour Sencha. I took a bag away with me! 

Similar Teas: Sencha, Chinese grassy teas such as LongJing.


Footnote
On further reading Banchas are later picked Sencha leaves and so are considered lower quality. I think I'll still stick with Bancha over Sencha any day!





Monday 29 December 2014

Review: Shui Xian Oolong at Chi Asian Bistro, Ireland

One cold christmas night, an old friend and I went to try and find the famous fish and chips at McDonaghs only to have our efforts thwarted by missing last orders by a nose. My friend Brian didn't appear to have sufficient coats on for the evening so we quickly replanned and after a christmas of meat and potatoes with our respective families an authentic noodle soup seemed like just the thing.

Imagine my surprise on finding an oolong on the menu that I had never heard of....I think Brian liked it too.


Shui Xian Tea [Green, woody] **** $$ at Chi Asian Bistro, Galway, Ireland

Other Names: 水仙茶 , Shu Hsien, Sacred Lilly, Water Sprite

This tea has leaves that look more green (small leaves like white teas) than usual WuYi oolongs, intially had more woodiness on the nose than in the taste but the colour was unmistakably the brown-red of a semi oxidised oolong. It has a taste that is neither floral, like Guan Yin, grassy like Longjing or strongly woody like most of the other Wuyi oolongs but is a distinctive mellow taste that incorporates elements of all three. Me likey!



Similar teas: Semi Oxidised Oolongs, WuYi teas, Da Hong Pao, Fancy Oolong, Zui Jia Ren