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The is no more popular type of green tea anywhere in Japan. Sencha is an everyday green tea. It is the most produced and most consumed green tea in the country by a large margin.
It is not just Japan that loves this sweet and grassy verdant delight either. Sencha green tea is one of the most popular green teas the world over. Sure there are fancier green teas like Gyokuro. And more interesting ones like the wonderful Genmaicha. But Sencha is the standard. It is the baseline for which all other green teas are measured.
And though some Japanese green tea might be more expensive or more luxurious, hard-working sencha green tea will always be first in the hearts of the Japanese and in fact most of the world for a long time to come. A great place to start your sencha green tea journey is with Art Of Tea – Sencha Green Tea.
But all of the Sencha Teas on our list are great examples of this wonderful tea. So here are 7 of the best that you can buy right now. All of these teas do Sencha green tea justice, in my opinion. They are some of the best Japanese sencha green tea available. So give them a try and see if you agree.
Art Of Tea – Sencha Green Tea
Origin: Japan
Art Of Tea Is known for its incredibly unique tea blends that combine both true teas and herbal teas into some of the most amazing teas you can find. But they are no slouch when it comes to a simple cup of sencha green tea. They pack whole leaves into their biodegradable sachets so you get the ease of a teabag with the flavor of a loose leaf. You can try Art Of Tea – Sencha Green Tea for yourself and see how it stacks up to the very best sencha green teas out there.
Taste and Aroma
The taste of Art Of Tea’s Sencha Green Tea is what you would expect from a top-of-the-line sencha green tea. It is refreshing and flavorful. The grassy notes are front and center and the smooth natural sweetness wipes away any bitterness so long as you steep it just right.
The end result is a crisp and bright sencha green tea that is a joy to drink any time o the day or night. The smell is as profound as the taste. The teabags smell of fresh grass and that aroma is transformed into the tea. Breathing in the grassy aroma is like stepping outside in the early morn on a dew-covered day.
The Finish
I am a huge fan of Art Of Tea’s herbal blends but Art Of Tea’s Sencha Green Tea really surprised me with how wonderful it was. Art Of Tea recommends a 180°F/82°C water temperature and a 3-minute steep. I find these to be about right for their green tea as I didn’t notice any undue bitterness from adhering to their recommendations.
If you are new to Art Of Tea be sure to check out some of their incredible blends as well, they really outdo themselves sometimes.
Culinary Teas – Sencha Green Tea
Origin: China
Our next sencha green tea is an outstanding offering from Culinary Teas. I think this sencha green tea is pretty great, along with many of their other teas. Which will more than likely pop up on the site from time to time. They also have a huge selection of blended sencha teas like apple and grape blends that are worth your time.
But I digress, the sencha tea comes to us from the Zhejiang Province of China. However, it makes our list because it is steamed to the Japanese specifications of sencha tea. This sencha is part of the second flush or second harvest. This usually occurs in late spring or early summer. As a result, this sencha has quite a different flavor profile from the first flush Sencha Premier.
Taste and Aroma
The aroma of Sencha Green tea is a grassy one. It has an overall green vegetable aroma that is pretty vivid. Some people can detect the slightest seaweed aroma in this sencha. The flavor follows the smell quite closely. The green grassy notes are in the flavor quite convincingly. It has a delicate vegetable flavor with just a touch of that aforementioned seaweed flavor. You can get a taste of this fantastic Sencha green tea courtesy of Culinary Teas
The Finish
A wonderful all-around green tea. Keep in mind that this is a sencha green tea and will turn bitter very quickly if over-steeped. It is imperative that you steep at the right temperature for the right amount of time.
Adagio Teas suggests that you steep for 2 minutes at about 74°C. I found this to be about right, although I always err on the side of caution with sencha green teas. So I keep my steep time around a minute and a half for this tea most of the time. Remember to experiment to find your sweet spot for this fantastic sencha green tea. I think you will enjoy this one as much as I do.
Ocha & Co. Premium Organic Japanese Sencha
Origin: Japan
A wonderful Japanese Sencha for your consideration. This is a wonderful tea that comes packaged for freshness. And every bag I have received has been of the same great quality. There is almost no variation in the quality of the product and the packaging. It is an absolute delight to drink. You can find this wonderful Ocha & Co. Premium Organic Japanese Sencha, available on Amazon.
Taste and Aroma
The grassy, vegetable notes are evident the second you open the vacuum-packed pouch that this wonderful tea comes in. It is a very good sencha tea and you can tell from the first time that wonderful smell hits your nose. There is also an almost oceanic aroma permeating through it. A nice seaweed aroma would be a better way of describing it, I guess.
The Finish
This is an incredibly delicate tea. Even among sencha. So be extra careful when you steep. The suggested instructions on the packaging are 45 seconds to 1 minute at 70°C to 80°C. I find the low end of their suggestions to be the best way to approach steeping this tea.
Personally, I go for around 45 seconds at around 75°C or a little less. That gives me the best flavor and no bitterness. give it a try and then adjust it to your specific tastes.
Starwest Botanicals Japanese Sencha
Origin: Japan
Starwest Botanicals is one of the most well-respected and well-known herbal brands the world over. They are still what I would call a premium tea brand but they toe the line between exclusive and mainstream. Their offerings are of the highest quality. Their sencha green tea offering is among the best you will ever try.
Taste and Aroma
It smells wonderful. full of flavor with a slightly earthy and wonderfully grassy aroma that wafts all around you as you prepare for its morning bath. The product page refers to it as a spinach aroma and I think that does it justice.
The taste is equal to the smell. it is vegetable and smooth with no hint of bitterness, provided you get the steeping right. There is also a touch of citrus. And what I would describe as a slightly roasted flavor. The golden-green color is mesmerizing in a little white cup as you drink down this verdant delight.
The Finish
Starwest Botanicals suggested steeping instructions are for a 3-minute steep at about 72°C. The resulting green tea is very drinkable but I prefer to steep it for a little less time.
I find that for my tastes a steep time of about 2 minutes 15 seconds to about 2 minutes 30 seconds is just enough to draw out the flavor and not get any bitterness. The temperature seems about right though. Give it a try and see where your sweet spot is for this wonderful Sencha green tea. You can pick up Starwest Botanicals Japanese Sencha on their website. It comes in a great little reusable tin as well.
Touch Organic Sencha Green Tea
Origin: China
I really love this Sencha Green tea. It is also produced in China. It is the first Chinese Sencha Tea that we have on this list and one of the few ones from China at all.
While Japanese Sencha takes most of the plaudits, and rightfully so, this Chinese offering does the Sencha name justice and is a great example of the worldwide reach and popularity of Sencha green tea in general.
Taste and Aroma
This has the aroma of a good sencha. The grassy vegetable notes are profound but not overwhelming. It has a good well-rounded smell that flows perfectly into the taste of this fantastic Chinese Sencha Green Tea.
Speaking of the taste, it is a very delicate vegetable flavor. Slightly grassy and sweet with almost no touch of bitterness when properly steeped. It is eminently drinkable and refreshing all by itself. When a little extra flavor is added to it it is an added delight. Check out our article on the best ways to add a little extra flavor to your green tea without adding sugar.
The Finish
Like its Japanese counterpart, Touch Organic Sencha Green Tea is very delicate when it comes to steeping. I tend to keep the water temperature at around 75°C or lower. The steep time for me is around 1 minute 30 seconds. This gives me enough of the remarkable flavor without the bitterness that can occur when you steep too long or too hot. Check the current price of Touch Organic Sencha Green Tea on Amazon.
Buddha Teas – Organic Sencha Green Tea
Origin: Japan
Buddha Tea’s Organic Sencha Green tea is a great example of a sencha green tea. Sencha is by far the most popular tea in Japan and is very well-liked around the world as well. Sencha green tea has a few distinct characteristics that make it such a great tea for any type of tea drinker. It has a deep green color when steeped properly. and of course like all green teas it is loaded with healthy antioxidants(source).
Taste And Aroma
Buddha teas sencha green tea has a wonderful delicate flavor. I would describe it as a grassy or vegetable flavor with a slight touch of sweetness to it. the bitterness is kept to an absolute minimum if you make it in the correct manner. It’s very delicate so any mistakes made in the steeping process will leave you with a bitter astringent brew.
The aroma of the sencha green tea is delightful. much like the flavor has a grassy almost undergrowth type of smell to it. this complements the taste of this tea exquisitely. As you breathe in the wonderful Aroma anticipation builds for the Sip of this wonderful and flavorful green tea. You can check the current price of Buddha Teas.
The Finish
As I mentioned, sencha green tea is very very delicate. So the proper brewing time and temperature are paramount. Buddha Teas recommends a water temperature of between 160° Fahrenheit and 170° Fahrenheit. The recommended steeping time is between 2 and 4 minutes.
This might seem a bit long for a sencha green tea but it actually works out pretty well. I found that right around 3 minutes of steeping is perfect for my taste. But you are going to want to experiment to find your sweet spot for this wonderful and flavorful sencha green tea.
Adagio Teas – Sencha Premier
Origin: Japan
Adagio tea sencha premier comes from the Shizuoka region of Japan. this particular sencha tea is a little bit more sensitive than some of the other sencha teas on this list. As a result, you’ll have to be extra careful when steeping this wonderful green tea. Any miscalculation while steeping could cause you to have a very bitter and unpleasant tea to drink.
As a result, you’ll have to be extra careful when steeping this wonderful green tea. Any miscalculation while steeping could cause you to have a very bitter and unpleasant tea to drink.
Taste and Aroma
The taste of this sencha green tea is very similar to some of the others. You get your expected Grassy almost vegetable notes. And the finish is incredibly smooth when brewed properly. Sencha Premier also balances the grassy notes with a delightful sweetness that really adds to the overall experience of drinking this tea. It’s this balance that defines a really great sencha tea. Sweet, Fresh, grassy, and very very smooth.
The Finish
The recommended steeping temperature for Sencha Premier green tea is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The recommended steeping time is 2 minutes. I found the steeping time to be pretty accurate although I like mine to be a little shorter than 2 minutes but no shorter than 1 and 1/2 minutes for this particular sencha green tea.
You can find more information and a current price for Sencha Premier Green Tea at Adagio Teas. Adagio Teas sencha Premier green tea is another wonderful example of this incredibly popular type of green tea. One really useful thing about Adagio Teas is it they offer a sample size of most of their products giving you a chance to try out their teas without having to spend a lot of money on a full-sized bag.
Why Choose A Sencha Green Tea
Like all green teas, Sencha is loaded with antioxidants and is generally regarded as one of the healthiest drinks on the planet. But that is not why you should drink it, or at least not the only reason. We drink it because it is a remarkable drink with an unbelievably delicious taste. That it is healthy is just a bonus.
One of the things that make sencha green tea so popular is that it is incredibly drinkable. When it is steeped properly it is sweet and grassy with no hint of bitterness. Tea is such a smooth and refreshing drink that it is no wonder that people love it and drink it for every occasion. It is the type of green tea you can wake up to or have in the evening a little while before your dinner.
The Big Finish
There really is no bad time to drink this remarkable green tea. The Sencha green teas on this list are the best of the bunch, as far as I am concerned. Most of you will disagree with some or all of my list and that is to be expected. Every tea drinker needs to find their own favorites. Find those special teas that remind you of why you love tea in the first place. Maybe one of them is on this list, or maybe not.
My hope is that this gives you some ideas and maybe some new choices to try on your quest to find that perfect cup of Sencha Green Tea. For more great green teas check out our article on the best organic loose-leaf green teas.
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful day.