I did an introduction to the Yumewakaba cultivar recently, but somehow, I forgot that I had a Yumewakaba black tea that I could talk about as well. But it all worked out for the best because this tea is so delicious that it deserves its own post!

First Impressions

As with most black teas, the dry leaves look long and twisted. They smell malty, woody and most intriguingly, floral.

Tasting Notes

I was blown away by this tea from the first sip. It smelled very floral and reminded me of the benifuuki cultivar (but a even more floral version, if that’s possible). In terms of taste, it’s sweet, malty, and of course, very floral. The floral notes initially reminded me of jasmine, but then I thought of the black tea blended with tea flowers and I feel like that’s a closer match. It’s very delicious!

The second steep was very similar to the first, so let’s skip ahead to the third steep. The sweetness from the tea is gone by now, but the floral notes are still distinct, which is pretty impressive. Unfortunately, the fourth steep turned out to be rather light (it may benefit from a much longer steep) and that marked the end of the tea session.

Concluding Thoughts

This was an extremely pleasant surprise! Till now, the benifuuki cultivar has been my favourite cultivar for wakoucha but I think the Yumewakaba may take the top spot now! It feels more floral and I love the sweetness that’s also present in the tea. It’s definitely something that I’d want to have in my tea closet in the future.