Noticeably different from TJ40...more heavily roasted (tending toward the dark side among all hojicha's I've tried)...very dark brown cup. The aroma is not overwhelmingly roasty, however...there are still a few of the fresh green tea tones present.

Flavor is sour...which I don't like, although there's also a hint of sweetness. This tea is not cheap, and I'd be hesitant to say I even prefer it to TJ40. I also don't agree with upton that it is "more flavorful", although both are good teas. Also, this is just my subjective guess based on how it makes me feel, but I suspect this tea is less caffeinated than TJ40 (although both seem low in caffeine).

I'd be hesitant to order this one again. While it was perfectly fine, it fell short of the awesomeness and great deals that I find among Upton's Indian and Chinese teas. I am starting to become convinced that Upton simply knows Chinese and Indian teas better than it does Japanese.

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