Himalayan Green

Look, I've spent years in Japan and a lifetime outside of Japan drinking various Green Tea's. My favorite has always been Genmaicha and specifically love the taste of the roasted rice additive. After reading the mostly positive reviews of this tea I took a leap and ordered some at the ridiculous price (ridiculous because this price turns out to be the cost per cup for me ) This tin is nice and with a sealing lid, keeps the loose leaf fresh though does ship in a foil bag which also serves to keep the mix fresh. Let's start out by saying the color of this tea is slightly off. Just a bit too green in my opinion as a result, the steeping time is literally just a few seconds. There is no need to steep this for more than 30 seconds. In fact, you probably shouldn't steep it more than the pouring the water through the infuser without submersing the infuser in the cup or pot. Additionally, the mix is noticeably stingy with the quality and quantity of roasted rice grains. Yes, they are there but they just seem to have very little effect on the resulting taste. This is all surprising since the company website claims this tea comes from a 9th generation family shipping the tea out of Japan. It's hard to describe how this tea tastes. Bitter is an understatement. The type of bitter than only over brewed green tea can produce. Unfortunately, in the case of this tea, my first cup brewed for about 5-8 seconds. My second cup didn't brew beyond pouring the hot water through the infuser without submersing it. In both cases, I met with the most horrendous after taste. Literally, imagine taking a fistful of Fescue from your yard and brewing that for an hour before drinking. Yes, a carnival to the taste buds and more of a strip mall weekend carnival than a county fair. You have been warned. I managed two cups of this and couldn't and won't do a third. It's a real shame because I really had high hopes for this mix. The same company produces a carrot and ginger mix that is excellent. I mean it's really good. Good enough to win awards. But this stuff.. man, it's just bad.

I didn't see a review for this particular Pantenger flavor of tea yet, (Genmaicha) so I wanted to leave one. I have tried many Genmaicha teas in search of the perfect one for my tastes. As it's really my favorite flavor tea to drink. I prefer green tea without sweetness (so that I can personally make my green tea more "savory" tasting if I wish.) In some other brands of this flavor tea, the rice isn't right or doesn't have any at all. In some brands, the tea doesn't have much flavor or isn't organic. BUT this one has it ALL for me!!To start with, it's organic which I prefer. It has the toasted rice which I want and Patenger's toasted rice has wonderful flavor. (I always save a few toasted rice kernels out after brewing to put back in my tea- to eat at the end of the cup of tea. :) The flavor of the tea itself is very nice and refreshing and with no bitter tones if steeped correctly (temperature & time-wise) for green tea. The very nice container keeps the tea fresh and airtight. I will be buying more.

I cannot drink green tea but I love jasmine so finding a white jasmine tea and organic to boot is really a treat. Presentation of the product is lovely. I am aware that white tea is mild but unfortunately I found little flavor in this tea with my first attempt. I brewed it on medium setting in my Breville One Touch Tea Maker and it just didn’t have as much flavor as I like. I couldn’t see any way in which these tea bags could be used for more than one brewing as stated. The next time used 2 bags and I brewed it longer, strong setting, and it was much more flavorful without being bitter. Then I brewed the same bags a second time and placed on ice in a pitcher in the fridge for iced tea and it was delightfully flavorful and delicious. Maybe even better cold than hot, interestingly. So glad I gave it another try. Definitely a treat, I wish it wasn’t so expensive though.

Lifelong tea lover but not snob, my regular cup is a black tea with milk and sugar, preferably British in a stringless sachet. I love the stories and geography of tea; I find any tea an absolutely romantic story, a chapter in a magnificent world encyclopedia. I fell hard in love with this tea tin, needed to feel it and read its story. The white jasmine tea is truly delicious, sweet instead of bitter, with no tang at all of green tea. (I avoid green tea.) Incredibly fragrant on the inhale, I close my eyes and I am walking up Duval Street one warm Key West night, night jasmine blooming, poems brewing in my head. Sachets feel rich and well-made to the hand, and are good for 2 strong brews/ 4 servings in my 20 oz mug. Great with honey or as is.

-Presentation in tin is good.-Opening the tin and smelling the tea is good. It smells like matcha, nuttiness, almost like a milk tea.-Taste of the brewed tea is nothing like how it smells dried. The flavor is very bitter with a bad after taste.-The smell of the brewed tea smells like seaweed.For 20 dollars on tea, you expect to get what you're paying for. You expect the tea you purchase to taste like the tea you know. This wasn't the case. The rice smelled burnt.I can't recommend this tea to anyone.

I really wanted to like this product considering the premium I paid for it here on Amazon. The tea bags are described as "XL" and I assumed were to mean "extra large". If so, why does it brew such a small amount of tea at a time, and weak tea at that? The instructions recommend 5 oz of hot water per XL tea bag. Does XL actually mean "extra little"?I lived many years in SE Asia, which is where I grew to love genmaicha. This version of it is unlike anything I've tried, and a disappointment at that.The tin in which the product is delivered is attractive but I received a faulty unit that does not seal properly.

This tea truly is a luxury tea. My first sip and I said “ Wow”! It is a mild beautiful tasting tea. Packaging exceptional. I am on my second cup. Needless to say I will be purchasing it again. The slight aroma gives you a sense of calm. I am hooked.