Gunpowder Green Tea - Temple of Heaven - Organic - Fair Trade

70
Percentile
11 ratings
Picture of Gunpowder Green Tea - Temple of Heaven
Brand:Numi Organic Tea
Style:Gunpowder Green Tea
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Region:?????
Loose/teabag:Teabag
Product page:Gunpowder Green Tea - Temple of Heaven

This tea's info last updated: Dec. 15, 2013

Commercial Description

Within hours of being plucked, this whole leaf organic green tea is gently steamed and then rolled into small tight pearls. When steeped, the leaves unfurl, releasing a well-rounded, full-bodied flavor.

Ratings & Reviews

Page 1 2 of 2 pages with 11 reviews

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Reviewer pic82 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
(85 reviews) on

This tea has a mild roasty and vegetal aroma which I enjoy. The flavor is pretty good and also has a kind of roasted quality to it. I enjoy this green tea because it is very smooth and is definitely less astringent than many other green teas I’ve had. It still does have a slight astringent aftertaste in my throat but it’s not too bad at all and it’s still really enjoyable to drink. Although not my favorite, this is a pretty decent green tea!
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Reviewer pic75 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
(24 reviews) on

Got this at the cafe at the St. Louis Museum of Art. Gunpowder tea in a bag seemed a little strange to me. I steeped for two minutes. It was pretty good. No qualities that jumped out at me, just a decent cup.
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Reviewer pic66 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
(402 reviews) on

The "Temple of Heaven" needs a smoke alarm; it may be burning down.

This was my next new-tea attempt from a Numi variety pack, and mostly it's a good, clean, smooth, hearty cup. The tightly rolled nodules unfurl into the biggest leaves I've ever seen inside a tea bag, larger than those of many loose-leaf teas I've tried to date. When drinking loose tea, I tend to use a bigger dose than available in bags, just to make it stronger, but Numi's gunpowder green offers just about right amount -- a surprisingly potent green, after more than the recommended steeping minutes. That imbues some bitterness into the brew, but not enough to be a turn-off. I'll take that trade-off for a darker, stronger drink.

The only problem I have with this tea is a noticeable, unmistakable smoke flavor. It's not subtle at all, at least after brewing as long as I do. As far as I can recall, I've only tried one other green tea of the "gunpowder" style to date, and don't recall its tasting so smoky. I wonder where that comes from. Fortunately this doesn't carry into the aroma or aftertaste.
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Reviewer pic77 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
(6 reviews) on

This is a really nice green tea. Pretty mellow throughout, but with a nice crisp finish that sets it apart from other types of greens. Nice clean mouthfeel, not much lingering going on. I get a nice quenching feeling I find uncommon with a hot cup of tea.
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Reviewer pic73 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
(19 reviews) on

This has been my go-to, everyday green tea for a while now. Not as good as others I've tried, but I always keep it on hand since it is readily available at the local grocery store.

On the box it is mentioned that this tea is sourced from a fair trade garden in China, so it does appear to be a genuine Chinese gunpowder. I have no idea of what region/district in China though. But I thought that worth mentioning.

I tend to steep first at 2 1/2 minutes, and for the second steep I go up to 3 1/2. I also use a fairly low temperature, 175 (F).

Nice amber color (that is it in my profile pic). Pleasant ever so slightly smoky aroma. Taste is ultra smooth with a hint of citrus. So very easily drinkable, which is why it's always in my tea chest, ready to drink at a moments notice :)
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Reviewer pic70 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
(1453 reviews) on

The only gunpowder tea I have ever had in a tea bag, and was among the better examples of gunpowder tea that I've tried, competing even against a lot of loose leaf (much better than the generic boxed stuff sold cheaply in most Chinatowns and Asian markets). Served in the little cafe in the middle of Franklin and Marshall College's campus.

A flat paper tea bag that has relatively big pieces of leaf, looking just like most loose-leaf gunpowder. Brews a rich golden-amber cup, quite dark in color for a green tea.

Mild aroma. Only a light hint of smokiness, not overly smoky like some examples of this style of tea. Smells more like Japanese sencha than most gunpowder.

This tea has a clean, fresh, cooling quality...lightly tangy, almost slightly minty. A good tea for a hot day. I'd imagine it would probably also taste great iced.

I steeped for 3 minutes, and then again for 5. The second cup was plenty strong, like I'd expect from a whole-leaf tea. A little pricey though, especially given that gunpowder, even good-quality, organic examples of it, is very cheap. I compare to some of the loose-leaf offerings from Upton Tea Imports, which are a fraction of the cost-per-cup of this one. But the price on this is not bad if you compare it to whole-leaf organic teas in tea bags.
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Reviewer pic73 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
(334 reviews) on

A 3 minute or so steep was good for me with this tea, which brewed to an amber color. It reminds me of teas I drank and enjoyed while living in Japan (though this style is actually from China). The smell, pleasantly "grassy", is muted until your face is in the cup, but very nice. It feels, for me, like a tea of nostalgia. I'll be buying this again. :-)

Update: Tried this one again. I'd like to add that oversteeping can happen easily if you're not a fan of any bitterness, so keep an eye on your time.
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Reviewer pic70 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
(180 reviews) on

This is an easy-drinking green tea with grassy notes an a faint whiff of herbs (sage? I dunno - but I get an herbaceous quality if you let it steep long enough.) Must steep at least 3 minutes as it brews up "pale". Good hot and OK on ice. I like this one better hot. Super-mild.
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Reviewer pic63 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
(50 reviews) on

I like this tea, but it is very mild. I usually add lemon.
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Reviewer pic87 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
(2 reviews) on

Color: pale yet thick brown color, nice heavy weight
Nose: green herbal nose, a little dirty and musky as well
Taste: on the front end there's a great smoked herbal flavor, on the midpallete the herbal flavor remains but there's a musty top soil flavor that replaces the smoked flavor, the finish is a musty-ness that disappears quickly
Comments: really good tea imo, its tasty and full of character yet isn't so strong that it overpowers you, i agree with mithel in saying that its a tea you can just enjoy anytime and i find it really good for making a good quality ice tea for that reason
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Page 1 2 of 2 pages with 11 reviews

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