Ocha & Co. Organic Gyokuro – Shade Grown Japanese Loose Leaf – Smooth Umami-Rich Aromatic Organic green tea from Japan, 100g/3.5oz.

So I admit, this is my first Gyokuro. I drink a ton of green teas and matcha. I always try to get higher end brands. I used to drink a lot of store bought teas, which could be $3 a bottle (and also loaded with sugar usually, which I don't want. But, unsweetened bottled tea tastes horrible). Since I am saving money not buying bottled, I figured I mine as well get high quality teas to make myself. There was some Gyokuro that was double this price. But, this brand has great reviews, is organic, and the price was acceptable to me. So, overall, this tea compared to 'normal' green tea, has a much better flavor to me. Almost no bitterness, nice earthy flavor, with a good mouth feel. Gives me a nice boost throughout morning and afternoon as well. I brew the leaves two times (usually for 2 cups in the morning). You may be able to brew even more than twice, but, because part of the reason I drink this is for the caffeine, I want to make sure I am getting the most of that I can. I can see this becoming one of my favorites for daily drinking. The vacuum sealed bag I got is dated for a year past when I received it. Came in fresh. Inside the bag is all perfectly rolled tea leaves. No overly dry 'dusty' pieces. Very good quality. The smell is amazing! If you want to setup up your green tea game, this Gyokuro may be great for you!

I've enjoyed tea and coffee my whole life. I drift back and forth for seasons between them. Recently, I've been on a new tea kick: rediscovering some, giving some a second try, and trying some for the first time. I'm new to reviewing teas, but I know what I like and do not. If you like the earthiness of green tea, this is an exceptional drink. It sounds like it would be bold, but it remains delicate with a fresh floral grass flavor. It's very approachable to borrow wine lingo. The color is brilliant, and the steeped tea reveals the fresh nature of this product. I've heard that better Gyokuro teas are available at higher prices, but this is a sublime tea for me, and I'm not sure I'd know the difference (yet, anyway). The tea was in a nice tight, vacuum-sealed foil bag with a beautiful aroma out of the gate. The expiration is clearly printed on the package, and I have almost 12 months to open and enjoy it, but I'm sure the tea will be gone long before then. This tea seems the very definition of umami. Well done. If I'm formulating a Top 10 of Teas, this is in it.

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So let me set the standard here. I went to Japan back in April/May to visit my brother (who is an avid tea drinker.) I’ll never forget my tea experience, especially my first time trying first-pick Gyokuro. We went to Kawane and visited tea farms and factories and saw the process first hand. And the tea was incredible to drink! So the bar was set high to say the least. That’s what I was hoping for when I bought this tea. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! The package arrived SUPER Vacuum sealed. It was as stiff as a candy bar. And when I opened it, the leaves were in great shape! Little to no crushing or dust. And the smell was great! I brewed 10g of tea with 100ml of water at 50 Celsius for 150 seconds. As soon as I took that first sip, it was like I was standing in the tea fields of Shizuoka again. Especially for this not being a first pick tea, this tastes SO GOOD. It has a very strong umami taste and it feels like drinking broth as soon as it hits your tongue. Unless my brother ships me more tea, THIS is going to be the bag I continue to order.

I’ve been buying Gyokuro straight from Japan for years to avoid the bags full of stems I’ve gotten from a few US vendors advertising a premium product. I’ve settled on buying mostly dento hon Gyokuro from Yame. I appreciate the traditional methods used and the quality that a handpicked tea provides. While deployed in the Middle East this year tea was one of the few comforts I had. I was in need of more Tea and I settled on Ochoa & Co as it was readily available on Amazon and looked like it would be an acceptable substitute. It turned out to be much more than acceptable and I can confidently say that Suzuki San has knocked it out of the park with this tea. Don’t be fooled by the price or that it’s available on Amazon. This masterfully produced gyokuro is of the same quality as many teas costing 50% more. The taste is slightly more grassy and sharp with a strong umami start, as where most of the Yame gyokuro is a little more mellow, and requires and extra gram or two to reach this level of flavor. The caffeine level is a little higher than most gyokuro but the Thenine balances it nicely. I’ve really enjoyed the flavor of this tea and I’ll definitely be buying more of this as a daily drinker.