Multiple Infusions

No, not mecha, mecha. Before I begin I’d like to say that despite my raving about nitrogen-filled packaging on Tuesday, I think people tend to obsess over it too much. It’s nice to have when you stash shincha away for nearly a year, but not necessary for regular consumption.

I’ve always found Mellow Monk’s teas every bit as fresh as that of the shops using nitrogen–I think it helps that they use exceptionally thick packaging for their more expensive teas. What’s more, the Blissful Buds was vacuum-packed so thoroughly that it was practically a brick.

Blissful Buds is one of two recent additions at Mellow Monk. It’s nice to see them filling out their selection with some higher-end teas, but the truth is their Top Leaf was already pretty delicious, and for a very reasonable price. Whereas the entry-level Monk’s Choice and Top Leaf shared many characteristics with each other, the new mecha is an entirely different tea.

I only have one kyusu, the 300-millileter Gyokudo Shochikubai from Artistic Nippon, which makes the brewing guidelines I’ve set for my tastes pretty simple: 5 grams for intact tea, 4 grams when it’s more broken up. Since mecha is “rolled,” it fit into the latter category. The result was excellent. Long, soft layers of mellowy sweetness played against a very faint bitter tingle, enveloped in a thick but clean vegetal soup. I found this mecha decidedly more “green” in flavor than the tamaryokuchas above, fresh and grassy without calling lawn work to mind. For a tea that’s apparently supposed to be sharp and bitter, any edginess was extremely mild, far milder than many senchas.

Blissful Buds is in some ways similar to O-Cha’s Kirameki, taking up a point midway between gyokuro and bolder sencha, with a refreshing, long-lasting finish. Although not quite on the same level in terms of nuance and savoriness, at about half the price, this is an excellent tea at a terrific value.