A few months ago, I reviewed a tea from Renegade Tea Estate which has a special place in my heart since I’ve “adopted” a portion of the tea garden where it was grown. I also ordered a few other teas, such as this green tea.
Description: “It has a nutty, a bit roasted aroma with hints of sweetness and umami in it.”
Instructions: 80°C/175°F | 3 grams | 250 ml | steep 3 – 4 mins | re-steep 2-3 times
Review: Through my adoption last year, I purchased four teas from the Estate; a white, green, oolong, and black tea! This green tea was harvested at the end of May 2022. Opening the pouch, there was a warm and inviting mineral/salty, roasted, and chestnut smell. The dry twisted leaves were an ashy dark green colour which reminded me of kombu seaweed.
After steeping for 4 minutes, the liquor had equally toasted, roasted vegetables, nutty, marine, and umami taste quality. The smell reminded me of Genmicha, a Japanese green tea with roasted rice. After the first infusion, the liquor was a clear bright yellow-green hue.
The taste was nutty, caramel, and slightly vegetal and reminded me of a combination of pan-fired Chinese green teas and Genmicha! The sip had a nice lingering pine nuts taste at the back of the mouth. Once cooled, the liquor had a similar taste profile – nutty and crisp.
Brewing the tea for a second longer infusion, it developed a deeper yellow colour. Whereas the first infusion leaned more nutty in flavour, the second infusion was more vegetal and spinach-like. There was still a hint of the nutty, sweet, and mineral underlying flavour. Astringency left a drying sensation at the front of the mouth. The wet olive green leaves had somewhat unfurled after two infusions and smelled roasted, chestnuts, and slightly marine.
Overall, I really liked how this tea reminded me of a mixture of Genmicha and Dragonwell – two teas that have a nice roasted quality! I personally enjoyed the first infusion best as it was more roasted, but I feel like with additional experimenting, the second infusion could be lovely as well. I did on occasion try to infuse the leaves for a third time, but the liquor was rather mild. This tea was more roasted than vegetal, so this might be nice for someone who isn’t a fan of overly vegetal or grassy-focused green teas. I am excited to try the tea on the list (4/5 rating)!
- Type: Green tea
- Origin: Georgia
- Caffeine: Unknown
- Ingredients: Green tea
- Company: Renegade Tea Estate
Liked this review of Renegade Tea Estate’s Renegade Life? Pin it!
