Lightest Roast Hojicha
purchased from Liquid Proust
5g, 230 mL kyusu, Brita filtered tap
Never tried hojicha before, but this piqued my curiosity. I had no idea how to brew this, so I googled, and then messed it all up anyway, so here’s what I did do.
1st steep: 158f, 1 min. 30s
2nd steep: 196f, 30s
3rd steep: 212f, 45s
4th steep: 212f, did not time
Dry leaf smells very nutty, slightly sweet and grassy
Wet leaf has no distinctive smell whatsoever. The kyusu has been sitting in my drawer so I’m not sure if that’s it. Boy, the lightest roast was no joke. I expected a brown
colored liquid and it’s a clear yellow like chrysanthemum tea
1st steep: tiny hint of bitterness, slight nuttiness and sweetness. Tastes like green tea, but slight grassy/minty and nutty aftertaste. Not nutty in a chestnut way, but like walnuts or something. It’s very familiar but it’s also very late here (needed a late night caffeine pick me up) and I can’t think straight. Slightly dried tongue after.
2nd steep: stronger bitter taste upfront, but stronger slightly sweet, quite nutty aftertaste.
3rd steep: just a light bitter taste, almost like smoke but not quite.
4th: really bitter burnt bad matcha like taste from my early forays into matcha
Overall: a green tea masquerading as hojicha is my impression. I have no idea what hojicha’s like but it seemed from online sources that it’s darker and closer to coffee in ways. I didn’t enjoy this one too much and would not repurchase
