I’ve always liked Japanese teas like genmaicha, houjicha and sencha, but I didn’t know much about gyokuro until some years ago. The first time I bought some gyokuro, I was very excited about brewing it. I followed the recommended guidelines: 20ml (0.6 oz) water at 60C (140F) with 4 grams (1 tsp) of tea for 2 minutes. You have to use small cups, because the idea is to have a concentraded tea and also to make several infusions. It smelled very good, but when I tried it, I found it too intense for my taste! Unlike the subtle and refreshing flavor of Japanese green teas, gyokuro has a strong taste. Not bitter or astringent, but with a lot of body, the liquid seems thick, like a broth.
To top it off, it had a flavor component close to spinach, with a lasting aftertaste. I really didn’t understand why I couldn’t enjoy this delicacy. Perhaps I was brewing it the wrong way? For the second infusion, the flavor wasn’t as heavy and at the fourth infusion I finally enjoyed it because it now tasted like a high-quality sencha.
Overall, my first experience wasn’t that good, unfortunately. However, after tasting it again in other occasions, I began to appreciate it more. Maybe it’s an acquired taste?
Now I find that the flavor of gyokuro sometimes reminds me of pistachios, and that the second infusion is my favorite. I like how the leaves have a dark tone and are very shiny, along with a deep and intricate aroma. I can tell that there’s also a subtle sweetness in gyokuro not commonly found in other green teas, and that the brothiness is very special because it’s so unique.
Nowadays, from time to time, I have cravings for gyokuro.