Iyemon Cha Roasted Green Tea

Say it.  Go ahead.  You know you want to. Iye-Mon Cha……..

Fun, isn’t it?  You can almost hear the gong in the background.

Iyemon Cha is an imported Japanese green tea.  It comes in two varieties, green tea and roasted green tea.  I tried the roasted green tea first.  It just sounded intriguing.  Roasted green tea?  Roasted?

I had never heard of such a thing.

From the press release:

Iyemon Cha is the only bottled tea in the world to add a touch of matcha, a stone-ground tea of the highest quality, for extra richness. Matcha is made from the finest, youngest leaves of the tea bush, which is covered for several weeks before harvest to slow down growth, imparting a more intense sweetness and depth of flavor when pulverized into a fine powder. Prized for its superior quality, matcha is the centerpiece of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony and a unique, essential ingredient in Iyemon Cha.

Iyemon Cha is made entirely in Japan from 100% Japanese tea leaves using the purest refined water to bring out the best flavor. It is imported from Japan and bottled in a stylish, environmentally conscious glass bottle (12.2oz /361 ml) with a suggested retail price of $2.75.

But what did I think?

It was different.  I seriously have never had a flavor like this.  I tried it unsweetened and  then added sugar. I prefer this tea lightly sweetened.

It smells of wheat grains when they are being ground.  Matt says that it smells somewhat like Sugar Smacks.  Definitely malty- grainy.

The first flavor is the grassy character of good green tea followed closely by a roasty complexity that is reminiscent of grain.  It is almost like beer without the yeasty flavor.  But not.

There is a slight acidity on the tongue in the aftertaste, very pleasant.

As you may have guessed this has been hard for me to describe.  It is a very unique tea and if you like complex, roasty flavors this is one to try.

The bottle is nice to hold.  I know this sounds odd but I have touch sensitivity and often have difficulty with they way things feel.  This bottle just feels good.

Might be hard to find, depending on where you live.

image:marye audet