Tea: Vietnam Green Organic
A Green Tea from Simpson & Vail - Organic
This tea has been retired/discontinued.
Brand: | Simpson & Vail |
Style: | Green Tea |
Region: | Vietnam |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Loose? | Loose |
# Ratings: | 1 View All |
Reviewer: Alex Zorach
✓ 1453 teas reviewed
✓ 219 of Green Tea
✓ 954 of Pure Tea (Camellia sinensis)
✓ 42 of Simpson & Vail
✓ 12 from Vietnam
Review of Vietnam Green Organic
June 18th, 2012
Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
6 of 10 | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 63 of 100 |
Good | Good | Good Value |
A unique green tea, almost bizarre. Large but tightly-curled dry leaf reminds me of some Korean and Ceylon greens. The leaf has a strong, peppery aroma, and is also suggestive of other Vietnam green teas I've sampled. Leaf is slow to infuse and produces many infusions. Flavor is remarkably consistent through different infusions.
Brewing this tea produces a dark golden cup with a rich body, and strong peppery qualities. Aroma is predominately of black pepper, also rather like poor man's pepper or other pepper-like plants with a more herbaceous quality. Flavor tangy and umami (savory). Somewhat astringent on the palate, with a peppery finish. The peppery sensation is quite different from the quality people talk about with respect to Yunnan black teas.
There's a slight sweetness and some pleasant grassy and corn-like tones in the background, and I liked these aspects of the aroma, but I was overwhelmed by the peppery sensations. The flavor is more similar to other green teas I've had from Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. As unique as the aroma is, it's not very complex.
This tea was above average, but I'd shy away from it because the peppery sensation almost overwhelmed me, and, while this tea was good and reasonably priced, I preferred the other two green teas that I've tried from Vietnam, as well as others from Thailand and Laos, to this one.