Organic Gyokuro

Edit (02/08/25): Organic Kukicha 100g ReviewI'm adding my review for the Organic Kukicha 100g here, as Amazon's listing doesn't allow separate reviews for different teas in this category.At £18, it's definitely pricey for what it is. For those who've never tried kukicha before, I would describe it as "sencha-lite" with more sweetness. Like the other teas in Ocha's lineup, it's vacuum-sealed for maximum freshness and quality.Brewing it at the recommended 80C for 30 seconds, in contrast to the fukamushi, the theme here is "light & clean" in both taste and visual. It has a light umami with no bitterness, clear notes of sweetness, and ends with a clean finish. You can brew it for longer to get bitterness, but it's not meant for that. It's also very low in caffeine due to being made from stems/twigs, while still being quite healthy.My only main problem is the pricing. £18 is quite a lot for this tea. It's good, but I don't think it's £18 good. 4 stars.__________This tea costs £20 for 100g, which places it firmly in the premium range, and it definitely shows.The package arrived vacuum-sealed to preserve maximum freshness, which is always a good sign for high-quality tea from Japan. The leaves themselves are a deep green and finely broken, exactly as fukamushi should be. The dry aroma is a nice, strong grassy roasted smell, quite pleasant that I enjoyed.I followed the brewing recommendation of 80C for about 40 seconds. If you prefer a bit more bitterness, you can steep it a little longer. The result is a hallmark of authentic fukamushi tea: rich, full-bodied, and with a deep umami flavour. You can see the quality in the cloudy appearance of the tea. For those new to this style, yes, you are meant to drink the cloudiness and the fine sediment at the bottom. It contains all the good stuff that makes fukamushi even healthier than regular sencha.The only minor issue is with cleaning your strainer. Because the leaf particles are so fine, some will get stuck in a normal mesh strainer and require a bit of extra effort to clean. There are special teapots (kyusu) for this tea, but they aren't essential.So despite the high price, it's completely justified; you're paying for quality and I can certainly gives it a 5 stars.

I drink loose green tea alot (much better than tea bags in my opinion) but unfortunately I can only get Gunpowder which I think is grown in china or taiwan. As much as I like it I did want to try something else so off to the internet I went. I was a bit surprised by how many types of green teas there are so what was supposed to be a quick buy turned into a full on research project about green tea, companies and customer reviews (making me into somewhat of an amateur expert lol) and came to a final decision - that being I would like to try Sencha tea and that Ocha and Co seemed a good bet to buy from as it is a large company, the positive customer reviews and the pictures of the tea itself.I wasn't disappointed.Unlike Gunpower which is pan fired giving it a smokey type flavour and yellowish tinge this is steamed so you get more of that subtle green tea flavour. It is light and refreshing and has a lovely green colour. Sure it is more expensive but I think it is worth it as a treat on the weekend.The only negative thing I can say is that it took around 3 weeks to arrive hah. I think it may of actually been sent from japan lol.The way I prepare my green tea is with a beaten up old metal tea pot that has a spout cover with holes in it. It holds around 300ml. I put one teaspoon of green tea in the teapot then I add a splash of cold water to the tea leaves (like the amount you would add milk to ordinary tea) then pour in the boiling water. This usually gets the temperature just right (remember it's better it being cooler than too hot and having bitter tea). This is then poured down the drain straight away. It may be seem a waste but this washes dust etc off the leaves. It also helps get rid of chemicals off non organic teas. Apparently it is also supposed to 'wake up' the leaves for seeping. Then just fill up the teapot the same way again and leave for 30-40 secs and then drink as you go. I usually get a good whole mug and some more of green tea. More water can be added to the teapot after if wanted. I get a few bits come through but generally the leaves expand and don't come through plus adding to filter out the rest. Any that does will settle. The picture of the mug has bits in it though this was because I was playing around with the wet leaves deciding how to show you.Anyway....back to the review....5 starsUpdate.It does come straight from japan. And other times I have bought it it has come within the week.

Good flavour and pleasant smell.300ml double walled glass, tea strainer (not a meeh, better quality) 75°C 9g 45 sec

Really nice tea apart from the spinach smell. When made correctly with a tiny bit of honey, it's a refreshing cold drink for the summer. It's a lovely green and you can tell it's fresh.

Quality and the best tea - highly recommend

I like the taste of this tea

This is a really good tea, fresh and clean tasting. It has a distinctive smell to it, quite strong in the packet - a bit fruity perhaps? (I don't know the tea jargon!). After steeping, the leaves have a firm, springy texture to them, which I think might mean it's fresher than others I've tried, or perhaps younger/smaller leaf tips? (I eat the leaves after drinking the tea, so have noticed the difference). I'm not a tea connoisseur, so find it hard to explain, but this tea does stand out as different from the many other brands I've tried. Happy to find an organic tea at a decent price. The packaging is neat and stylish, easily resealed with a clip to keep the air out for freshness. I'll definitely try the others from the same range another time.

This tea is best sencha that I had, but expensive.