Reviewer: Alex Zorach
✓ 1453 teas reviewed
✓ 16 of Hojicha
✓ 219 of Green Tea
✓ 32 of Wegmans
✓ 65 from Japan
Review of Houjicha Roasted Green Tea
October 2nd, 2013
| Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
| 8 of 10 | 4 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 73 of 100 |
| Excellent | Good | Reasonable |
A surprisingly good-quality, but expensive hojicha with a light roast, woody aroma, and a sweet flavor.
Dry leaf has a lighter color and a "greener" character to the aroma...only a light roast, and moderate woody aroma, tones of malt or grain, and even a hint of the grassiness characteristic of sencha and other unroasted Japanese teas.
Brews a rather mellow, muted cup...only a light roast evident in the aroma. Surprisingly sweet flavor...very pleasant. Slightly more oolong-like in character than most hojicha.
I tried to make a second infusion, using a 2 minute first infusion, but it was too bland.
At $50 a pound, this is not a cheap tea, which surprises me because Wegmans sells some teas, including matcha-infused green teas of reasonable quality, for much cheaper. I thought this tea was good, but overpriced, especially given that it didn't make a second infusion. It seems a bit odd for Wegmans to stock such a high-priced hojicha when their other Japanese teas, including types that are usually much cheaper than hojicha, are lower-priced.
