Itoen Genmaicha (Brown Rice Tea) Matcha Blend Premium Bag 2.3g Pack of 50

Love the flavor. Glad to have a larger 50 count box. Nice green color and aroma.

People giving a bad review have no idea that matcha genmaicha is not the same as genmaicha. There is a difference and the ones giving bad reviews are the ones describing how there's powder and it's a mess. If you want straight up just Genmaicha (green tea leaves and roasted rice), then buy Yamamoto Ya Genmaicha That does not have the matcha powder. This brand has matcha powder in it. So yes, you'll get powder out of the packet!! This tea is good and flavorful. The matcha is just right flavor and not overly bitter like a lot of brands. If your water is set at the right temperature, the flavor comes out tasting right. if water is too hot, you've "cooked" your tea leaves and matcha. The flavor is not the same. This tea has a good balance of flavor w/the roasted rice, matcha and the tea leaves I do not taste a strong bitter taste that most brand has. The roasted rice is aromatic and smells like roasted rice too. The tea itself is smooth and flavors are well balanced. For those who likes more bitter taste or like the flavor to be light, this brand is not for you.

I have loved genmaicha tea since my Japanese son-in-law introduced me to it some years ago. I had always bought the Yamamotoyama brand before but decided to try something different this time. The Itoen, also an authentic Japanese brand, tea smells wonderful and tastes delicious and authentic. I was waiting eagerly for it to arrive and made my first cup as soon as I had it in the door. My skin always looks better when I am drinking green tea regularly, and its other health benefits are well documented. I have heard to let the water get hot for green tea but not quite to boiling and don't leave it in too long. It depends how strong you like your tea, too. The directions for Itoen say to leave it in just 30 seconds. I think I like mine a little stronger than that, so I left the bag in a little longer. Price-wise, I bought 50 Itoen bags for $15 and Yamamotoyama today on Amazon is selling 90 bags for $25. So, the Yamamotoyama at that price costs a little less. Packaging is not my main concern; it is how the tea tastes (although using biodegradable plastics in packaging wherever possible just makes sense from an ecological standpoint). I had not realized matcha genmaicha was different from just genmaicha.

Very good brown rice flavor. String and tag team bags.

Good stuff! I love the taste.

I'm a genmaicha enthusiast, and this is what I'd call a perfect entry-level genmaicha. It's high in tannins with a hint of nuttiness and a balanced flavor with none of the grassy notes that some genmaicha can have. In that way, it's sort of the "Lipton" of green tea with brown rice--which is not at all a bad thing! That means it appeals to a lot of people and offends almost none of them. If you're shopping for tea for more than one person, this is an excellent choice. If you're shopping specifically for yourself, because you like green tea with brown rice, this may or may not be what you want. Itoen is well known for its nice, strong, dark green tea brews, and this doesn't exhibit the same types of complexity. If you wanted something that had the aggressive green tea flavor you find in other Itoen products, this isn't the tea you're looking for. I'd compare it to scotch: if you're buying for someone you don't know or a group, you get a blended scotch without much specific character. This is, in those terms, kind of the Johnny Walker Blue of genmaicha: high quality, tasty, and very much "down the middle" of the flavor profile of genmaicha. If you want something more specific that expresses some of the unique character of the ingredients of genmaicha, this may not be the right option. (You can always do what I do with it... use it to introduce other people to green tea with brown rice!)

I first bought this in Japan. I am glad Amazon has this because this tea is really great tasting.

Box came damaged and clearly opened. Tea bags were individually wrapped so I did drink the tea and enjoyed it. Its a little weak with just one tea bag but good flavor and price for genmaicha.