Organic Gunpowder Green Tea

A lot of flavor and aroma are packed into the small, and tightly rolled pellets of this high-quality gunpowder, so be careful to scoop a little bit less into your teapot than you normally would with other loose-leaf green teas. The flavor is boldly robust with a hint of smoke, and at the same time it is mildly sweet, with notes of honey, and has a slightly astringent finish on the tongue. To be sure to enjoy the sweetness, and not bring out too much of the astringency, I always steep this tea for no more than one minute. Brewing it gongfu-style in an Yixing teapot yields several satisfying steepings.

I never drank tea until I discovered Gunpowder green. Now my best days include morning on the porch and a cup of Arbor Day's Gunpowder green. From my first view of the lustrous sage-green tightly-wound leaf balls to the earthy aroma and on to the full but not-too-earthy flavor my senses are fully awakened when I start my day with Gunpowder green.

I love a nice bold tea and this fits the bill. It's got a really nice earthy-ness to it that's just perfect for an afternoon perk me up. The quality is well above store brands, too!

Just to clarify, I was a coffee drinker only up until a few weeks ago. I have chosen to cut coffee and drink tea only for the health benefits . Now to the gunpowder review. First time I brewed this tea, I thought it was weak in strength with a pleasant green tea flavor. Second time I brewed (I use a french press with a mesh strainer), I placed double the recommended dose of tea leaves (2 tsp per 8 oz vs 1 tsp), 180 degree water, steeped for 2 1/2 minutes. Halfway through the steep I pressed the french press plunger down and pulled it back up (to re afitate the leaves and have them swirl around) The flavor was off the charts and extremely strong! It almost felt like green tea fumes were coming out of my nose as I drank the tea.

I have tried the jasmine and another Chinese green tea from Arbor, but I like this one best because it really packs a punch. As other reviewers have mentioned, it is a smoky and bold green tea. You don't need many leaves to make a strong cup, and it is beautiful as it unfurls. I like to drink mine Chinese-style just by putting the leaves in the cup and pouring water over. Nevermind letting it steep too long or using a strainer! I use appropriate water temperature, but this tea doesn't get bitter, and the flavor lasts all day. Best value by far!

I am new to arbor teas and pretty new to tea in general, But holy freeholy is this green tea the best I've had yet. But I am brewing it Gongfu-style. At exactly 180 F , 2 teaspoons for 8 ounces. First infusion is 10 seconds, dump in sink, (for your enemy) to clean and wake up the tea. Second infusion is first real one, for 15 seconds. Wow is that good! The next infusion for 15 seconds as well. Best one yet!! Now that is a green tea, full of flavor. Keep repeating infusions for 15 seconds every time to enjoy the subtle differences in flavor. Because it was awake right away, I can see that if your going to seep western style, for water to be at 175-180 and to not seep for more than 2 minutes if not just a minute and a half at all. Enjoy!

I love gunpowder, I especially like to have it first thing in the morning. I used to be a huge coffee drinker, but gunpowder has replaced my morning coffee. It is a nice smoky flavor, but also slightly sweet. It has a lot of body and character, and goes well with savory meals such as your eggs and toast! I have tried many other gunpowders and this one is very good quality, it's got just the right amount of smoky flavor without being overpowering. It does have a slight astringent quality, and it is important not to over steep this tea (max 2min 30 sec in my opinion) or it becomes bitter.

My first impression of this tea was negative due to the fact that I was not using enough. Due to the compressed nature of the tea I thought I should use slightly less than normal for other teas. When I used more tea the result was a better, more robust flavor. The smoky undertone was definitely less than other gunpowder teas I have had, but apart from this I enjoy the tea.

My husband & I LOVE this gunpowder green tea, starting our day with & drinking it all day. It has a smoky, slightly sweet flavor. This tea has such a beautiful aroma and flavor that it can stand alone! It holds it's flavor well for multiple infusions. In the summer, it's very refreshing served over ice, sweetened with a little agave nectar and a splash of lime. The Arbor Teas products are top notch, high quality. Believe me, we can notice a difference when we run out of it & purchase elsewhere.

I've never tried gunpowder green tea before ordering this one, and I must say that I really enjoy it. You can smell the smoky notes while the tea is brewing and when you take a sip, those are definitely still there, but you can also tell that you're drinking a green tea (the smoky flavor doesn't completely overpower the taste). I enjoy that balance; it makes the tea very drinkable and I would definitely order this tea again.

I purposely waited 9+ months to review this tea in order to provide a true assessment of it. I ordered this tea in bulk and stored it inside the large air tight metal containers sold here. If you like intense green tea flavors, this tea is a good choice for you. The aroma is nutty and rich and the flavor is complex. As with all gunpowder green tea, a little goes a long way. Multiple infusions allow the flavors to change and evolve. Be sure to steep the first infusion accordingly (175 F for approximately 30-45 seconds). Otherwise, you will be shocked by how bitter this tea can get. I have accidently forgot about my steeping gunpowder tea for several minutes on a couple of occasions and the resulting tea was nearly undrinkable (very intense bitterness).

My wife and I agree this is our favorite morning tea for those days when we want to keep the caffeine down (compared to Black tea). The Gunpower # 2 is close but this is better in our opinion.Smoky and also smooth. A little goes a long way it has a potent flavor so actually a real bargain.We are at roughly our 10th reorder point (in bulk the past year or so) so hope it is always in stock in the future.

As usual I brewed this tea Gongfu-style using a small clay pot. I used 7 grams (about 1 tablespoon of this tea) in 200ml of water. As is typical for a green tea the water should be below boiling about 185 degrees. First steeping was about 30 seconds. The resulting brew was a very light straw color. The aroma is clean and fresh with almost a citrusy note. The tea is very light in flavor with a medium to full body. There is some vegetal character but it is not unpleasantly grassy like some green teas. This is smooth and delicate with little bitterness or astringency. The tea is made up of mostly very small whole leaves and tips with very little breakage. The second infusion was somewhat cloudy but with little change in flavor. Excellent tea.

This is the other end of the spectrum from Jing Mai. One of the gunpowders will have a permanent place in my cupboard--so far it is this one. Full flavor will easily tolerate several brewings (new word?). Some will not like this but everyone should try it.