Ippodo Tea - Hosen Sencha (2.82oz Bag) - Medium & Balanced - For Everyday Enjoyment - Kyoto Since 1717

Good 👍

Beautiful, high quality Very real earthy taste Real value for your money

I chose a quantity of two and they only sent one. Problem solved after contacting support

Ippodo is one of the largest and most well known tea brands in Japan. They have been in business since 1717, so they obviously know a thing or two about green tea. The question is: is Ippodo really that good, or is it just popular because of name-recognition and history? Well, it's a bit of both. This is a mid-level sencha, producted in the traditional Kyoto style - light steamed (asamushi) sencha. Light steamed senchas require longer steep times, produce a more yellow and less green infusion, and taste a bit less mellow than deeper steamed senchas. At supermarkets in Japan, a similar tea (without the Ippodo name) would probably cost you less than 1000yen (10 USD), and Ippodo's pricing in Japan for 80g Hosen is only 1500yen (15 USD). Obviously shipping teas to the US increases the cost quite a bit, but the nearly 2x markup is a lot in my opinion. And as recently as last year, Ippodo sencha was packaged in 100g bags, they have now reduced it to 80g while maintaining the same price. The flavor: Mild, sweet, subtle. None of the flavors are particularly strong, but it is nicely balanced. Sweet aroma, but not very fruity. An excellent straightforward sencha, and if it weren't for the price would make a great "daily drinker", but lacks the potency and depth that higher grade senchas have. *Sweetness: 4/10 *Umami: 3/10 *Astringency: 4/10 Steeping instructions: (Ippodo recommends 10g per 210ml, but I find this is too much) ---Using 6.5 grams per 250ml --- 1st infusion: 165F for 60-90 seconds 2nd infusion: 170F for 60 seconds 3rd infusion: 212F for 10+ minutes, to extract all the EGCG and catechins, I don't mind a little bitterness. Thoughts: Very nice tasting mid-level tea, but not quite intense enough sweetness for my preference. But still certainly a great introductory sencha. Unfortunately, Ippodo prices their mid-level teas as high grade teas, and I think there are better value teas available from other companies. For nearly 3000yen, you could get a good gyokuro or kabusecha, or a very high grade sencha. That being said, with Ippodo, you are almost certainly guaranteed of getting a good quality tea - it is a safe bet, and would make a great gift for any tea lover. It's undoubtedly a delicious and drinkable sencha, just not the greatest value. **My bag expires 08/31/2022, which is quite soon. This tea is obviously from last year's harvest (2021). Shincha and new teas are harvested in April to May, and I would try and make sure when you order that it is from the more recent 2022 harvest.

soothing tea high quality

This is excellent sencha tea. The tea has a medium body, is very balanced with sweetness & umami and very little astringency. This is a green tea I could happily drink all day. I brewed using the instructions on the bag – 2 Tablespoons of tea with about 7 ounces of water at 176F for 60 seconds. I brewed these tea leaves 3 times & had lovely cups of tea each time. Sencha is the most popular tea in Japan. It is a steamed, green tea which prevents oxidation & locks in the beautiful green color & the fresh flavor. Ippodo is a venerable tea company founded in 1717 in Kyoto, Japan. If you visit Kyoto, it is worth a stop to visit their original shop. It is incredible and not far from the Imperial Palace. I learned a lot about tea in that visit.

This sencha is pretty amazing. It has the attributes of a high-end tea. I followed the instructions and steeped this in 175°F hot water for 1 minute. It has a well-balanced and elegant taste. It is mildly sweet and mellow, and slightly astringent. The aroma is bright and wonderful. It can be re-steeped up to 3 times. This comes packaged in a resealable, foil-lined PET bag. The loose tea leaves look fresh and clean, and have a bright, slightly bitter aroma to it, which is wonderful for sencha. It is produced and packaged in Japan. Overall, I really enjoy this sencha. Excellent flavor profile and a wonderful aroma. It is a little pricey but worth it for the excellent quality. I would recommend giving it a try.

This tea looks like finely mowed long-blades of grass. It has a light and sweet vegetable aroma. Per the instructions, I brewed two tablespoons at 176 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 minute in 8 ounces of water--note package says 7 ounces of water. The resulting brew was a slightly cloudy fluorescent yellow and the flavor was lightly sweet and vegetal. I almost always feel like I am drinking something very healthy when drinking Sencha tea. I love that this comes from Japan instead of China. Note that the instructions on the package were easy for me to understand, which is also a plus. That is not always the case with teas that come from Japan or China. In summary, I like this tea. At $25.74 for a 2.82-ounce bag, it is not cheap and rightfully so considering the quality. However, it is competitively priced. Note that I do brew the tea a couple of times before throwing it out. Tea like this is possible to brew more than once and still have the same flavor.