Harney & Sons Japanese Sencha Green tea, Loose leaf 4 ounce

The Spicy Kick in the Pants You Didn’t Know You Needed
Harney & Sons Chai Tea: It’s like a warm, spiced blanket for your soul, except instead of gently tucking you in, it slaps you in the face with cinnamon and says, “Wake up, it’s chai time!” This tea doesn’t mess around—it’s here to spice up your life whether you’re ready or not.First Impressions:Right from the start, the tin alone tells you this is no ordinary tea. You look at it, and it feels like you’ve just walked into a cozy little spice market. Pop open the lid, and BAM, your nose gets hit with a symphony of spices. Seriously, it’s like a cinnamon stick, a clove, and a piece of cardamom all jumped into your sinuses for a dance party. But, you know, in a good way. This tea smells like it’s got secrets—spicy secrets.The Brew:So you brew a cup, and here’s where the magic happens. As the hot water hits the tea leaves, you start to smell it: that perfect chai aroma that makes you feel like you’ve suddenly mastered the art of tea-making. You’re not just brewing tea—you’re brewing an experience. You’re practically an herbal alchemist at this point.The first sip? Oh, it’s good. It’s real good. It’s like every cozy autumn day has been boiled down into one perfect, spiced cup of deliciousness. The black tea gives it that bold backbone, while the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger take turns karate-chopping your taste buds with flavor. It’s warm, it’s spicy, and it’s everything you never knew you wanted from a tea. It’s like drinking a chai latte—but without the overpriced coffee shop guilt.The Spice Situation:Here’s the thing: this chai does not hold back on the spices. It’s like the spice cabinet exploded and Harney & Sons managed to catch all the good bits. You’ll find yourself questioning whether you’re drinking tea or downing a cup of mulled spices, but in the best way possible. It’s not overly sweet or weak like some chai blends—it’s here to remind you that chai means business.But be warned: this tea could make you feel like you’re starring in your own Bollywood movie, doing dramatic chai-sipping close-ups in slow motion. It’s that good. Just try not to break into a spontaneous dance routine after your first few sips. Or do. I won’t judge.Fancy Factor:Let’s talk loose leaf for a second. If you’re using Harney & Sons loose-leaf chai, congratulations, you’ve reached peak tea sophistication. You’re no longer messing around with basic teabags—you’re swirling tea leaves like some sort of chai sommelier. Bonus points if you’ve got a fancy teapot to match. This chai was meant to be brewed in style.And if you’re feeling extra indulgent, add a splash of milk or cream, maybe even a little honey. Boom—chai perfection. It’s like drinking a hug. A spicy hug. From a very enthusiastic friend who smells like cinnamon.

Smooth and pleasant tea
This is a nice smooth, mellow blend that is well done. The main reason I gave it four stars was because my preference is for a more robust tea, and this is overall a pricey indulgence for a four ounce tin of tea that isn’t going to knock your socks off. Still this tea is quite decent for the niche it occupies-better than grocery store tea but lesser quality than what a dedicated tea shop would offer. I’m not knocking Harney and Sons by any stretch of the imagination. They are a solid choice for loose leaf black teas that are comfortably drinkable without breaking the bank. For my money, I would pay $11 more and pick up a 1 pound package of Harney and Son’s Irish Breakfast tea, which I find to be a very nice assam for $25/lb. For an even better bang for your buck, I would pick up a 2.2 pound bag of Taylor of Harrogate’s Tea Room Blend. Taylor of Harrogate’s Tea Room Blend is mellow, smooth, balanced, and popular blend while being very budget friendly at $28 for 2.2 lbs of tea. Just understand that Tea Room Blend uses CTC pellets mixed with loose leaf tea to achieve the blend, but if CTC doesn’t freak you out, it’s a nice, drinkable tea at the end of the day.

Pleasant and drinkable authentic green tea
This is a very nice sencha green tea with leaves sourced from Shizuoka, Japan, and packaged in New York at the Harney factory. The tin came with two vacuum sealed foil packages. The leaves look as high quality as direct imports from Japanese companies (for example Ocha). The flavor and aroma of a brewed cup are mild and herbal, which is how I like it, and the tea feels silky and full as you drink. There is no “grassy” flavor, but you have to brew it right. 165 degree water steeping for no more than two minutes. Go too hot or too long, and you will get an unpleasant grassy taste. This will happen with all green tea. I have an electric kettle with a built in thermometer, and I brew this in a 100% clay kyusu teapot. Yes I am pretentious about my tea, life is too short not to be. 😉 Bottom line is this is a great price for a sencha tea that ultimately holds up against “fancier” direct imports.

Not my cup of tea
I like some of their other teas but just not enough spice for chai.

Bold flavourCalming

This is a beautifully aromatic tea and I just made the perfect cup. This is a must buy.