A classic green tea from Zhejiang province, China. Gunpowder, as the name implies, is made up of leaves hand-rolled into tiny pellets. These resemble gunpowder, and give this tea its distinct name. Full-bodied cup with a hint of smokiness.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Gunpowder, including flavor, aroma, preparation preferences, strength, and how the tea fits into daily routines. Browse the full review history page by page to compare tasting notes, steeping tips, and favorite ways to enjoy this tea.
I love green tea. This was no different. Warm is smooth like honey while cold, while feeling so wrong by itself. The flavor is a smooth, smokey savory that makes it pair nicely, oddly enough, with dinner. Don't go more than 3 steeps, it doesn't taste very pleasant after that point.
Very little grass taste, more of a smoky/spice smoothness. Reminds me of an oolong. Easy to drink. This will be a repeat buy.
This has been my go to mid morning. I love this straight, or I add ginger to it and have it with my morning toast.
I tend to mix my blends, and mixing this with orange and fiery cinnamon spice gives the right balance and honestly, I just think it's great!
I enjoy it, but I think I came into it expecting more of a smoky flavor. I did detect smoke and I enjoyed it, but the grass taste was a little more than I expected. But it was still very good.
Really good green tea Really good green tea Really good green tea Really good green tea Really good green tea Really good green tea Really good green tea Really good green tea Really good green tea
A mild green tea with a slight smokiness to it. I prefer this one in blends, but it wasn't a bad cup!
I like green teas, but this one just has a gingery taste I’m not fond of
I’m working to learn to appreciate green teas better but the plain grassy tea with just just smoke wasn’t for me. For those who are better tea mixologists than me I know you had a great time with this.
I love the smoothness of this green tea. Its not overly grassy and has a nice smoky finish.
Keep in mind I am not partial to solo green teas, so this tea simply wasn't for me. I definitely think it would go better in a blend than on its own.
I tried the first steep plain. I do not like anything with smokey flavor, but it was more toasty and light enough to be enjoyable . I added some spearmint to the second steep as recommended for a Moroccan Mint tea.
I wish I could give this a 4-1/2 star rating but I have to say that I like other green teas better. It’s still a really nice green tea. I’d say it is a bit grassy but not in a bad way. I steeped at 175 degrees for 2-1/2 minutes with subsequent steeps for 2 minutes each.
After reading reviews I bought this tea and I have enjoyed drinking. It has a pleasant taste. The name gunpowder makes you think it might have a bad taste or after taste this is not the case.
CommuniTEA 11/5/22: gunpowder greens are very hit or miss for me. Today was a day I enjoyed it. A very grassy top note, roasted underneath, and a distinct flavor of hay. Altogether a good tea for a rainy Autumn day.
190 for 3. minutes with a quick rinse
The first steep tasted too grassy. I added whipped cinnamon honey the second steep which overwhelmed the gunpowder taste in a good way. The third steep I added regular honey but it now just tasted bland. I think I prefer this used to make Moroccan mint tea.
A massively wondrous PA-POW of Green Tea! A joy to watch unfurl!!
At first I found this tea a bit too grassy for me. However, that’s just personal preference - it’s not an overly grassy tea. However, as I let it sit, some of the grassiness disappeared, and as other reviewers noted, it tasted similar to the tea you might be served in a Chinese restaurant. Although I’m not a green tea fan, this one is pretty good.
This is delicious with roasted flavors of spinach and seaweed. That might sound weird but it was great and stayed lovely through multiple steeps.
A green tea with great taste. I enjoyed brewing it in my ingenuiTEA and seeing the tea leaves opening up.
November 5th, 2022 CommuniTea. Delicious! I do love a good green tea, and this one is excellent, especially when you take sips between bites of sushi.
A nice mild green tea for low caffeine mornings. 2 mins @ 175 degrees.
This is a beautifully smooth, full-bodied cup of green tea. Sweet earthy flavors are strong throughout, with echoes of smoky flavor smoothed over by fruity notes. I would recommend this bold tea to any green tea lover.
I have read about gunpowder tea for many years and have never had it until the CommuniTEA packet showed up. I consider it to be a robust and flavorful green tea. I am definitely putting it on my wishlist.
This one is fun to watch steep. It has a smoky flavor. I’m looking forward to trying it with spearmint. Update 11.22: Tastes great with spearmint.
180 degrees for 3 minutes. Lightly smokey with hints of umami and seaweed, this green is good for multiple steeps. A classic green tea that's fun to watch in action.
A good example of a gunpowder-type tea. There is a bit of smokey flavor. The bitterness is minimal. It is smooth and does not require any additives to improve it. It is a little better brewed Gong Fu style, though you need higher amounts than what comes in the CommuniTEA packets.
Nice peppery and vegetal taste. Clean but not overly strong. I prefer other green teas but this is good.
I had some gunpowder green tea from another vendor in my tea cupboard so had not tried the Adagio Gunpowder Green until today. The Adagio is so much better! The one I had is bitter, hence I still have it! The Adagio Tea has no bitterness...delicate yet flavorful. Yum! I brewed it at 180 degrees for two minutes and will be doing multiple steeps. Time to relax and enjoy this delicious green tea.
Smooth tea that makes a nice morning tea. No strong overbearing taste to compete with whatever you are eating. I personally like fruity/floral teas a but I actually like this one if I wanted a more neutral tea.
What can I say? It's a great gunpowder green. It goes great with a little bit of jasmine and butterfly pea flower
I absolutely love this tea. I have from the first time I tried it. I even made a blend using this tea.
The smoky taste of gunpowder green is definitely my favorite green tea, but I still require honey to really enjoy it. Plain green tea is just kind of a mixed bag for me.
Delicious, smooth and just a hint of smoky. This is a really tasty tea. Beautiful for a relaxing afternoon.
UPDATED from 11/5/20: There is a smell of fresh greens in the CommuniTEA packet, and when open, all the tiny green pellets roll out. It steeps into a lovely golden color as the pellets have opened up into large leaves. The aroma is sweet, and this is a mellow tea. There is a grassy flavor, but not too grassy. The sweetness of it is fresh, like the grass in early spring. The mouthfeel is soft and smooth. This tea can steep several times, so yahoo to that! Even though this seems to be a delicate tea, it holds its own with food, as I have served it at numerous tea parties. The finish is clean and my mouth feels refreshed. This is one of the teas that will always be in my tea cupboard. (3 mins @ 180ºF).
I always adore an unadulterated green tea. Gunpowder is a delicious entry to that category. I enjoy the flinty characteristic for which it is known. It is a very “different” tea and I’m always looking for something unusual to sip. However, I still think it is very approachable. We aren’t talking lapsang here! It is a light tasting green, brewing up a pale straw color with hints of hay and grass in the sip. The terroir here is not overpowering, so if you don’t like “grassy” greens, you should give this one a steep. It’s very mild. You also get the fun of watching the little pellets unfurl, so bonus! This one will steep up a few times, so sip it on a day where the pace is slow. Overall, I love this tea! Happy Sipping!
Just OK, as I'm not fond of the smoky/campfire flavors. But on the positive side, it brews to a beautiful hue and I love seeing the little pellets burst into leaves...Update...Exactly what I would have written today...
UPDATED 11-5-22: Today's CommuniTEA is Gunpowder. I brewed mine hot with tupelo honey and it was good, as usual. I have had Gunpowder now several times and found it to go well with anything and everything!
Mango, Strawberry, Orange Peels, Raspberry Leaves, and Green Tea Honey was okay.
Hibiscus, Rose Hips, Rose Petals, and Green Tea Honey over ice was quite good.
Green Tea Honey is good with this tea.
Sourwood Honey is also okay with this tea.
I even used Gunpowder in one of my own blends - Schiesspulver Und Pfefferminze. I really enjoy this tea and would highly recommend it!
ORIGINAL: I made my Gunpowder with lukewarm water, burdock, and green tea honey. Burning this tea is so easy, which is why I opted for just barely warm water with a longer steep. This tea is really good! Obviously pretty plain, so I look forward to experimenting with it more, but I would definitely recommend this tea!
I will admit that the name made me concerned the first time I tried this but give it a try, this tea is great. This is smooth with mild vegetable flavor, and there is also a buttery-ness.
I don't really get the smokiness that others describe, except maybe as a faint aftertaste. (180F for 3min)
In the bag: Mainly the tightly rolled, dark forest green leaves. A few brown bits of stem are scattered about.
On the nose (pre-steep): A vegetal earthy scent, like a damp forest floor. Secondary notes of clean smoke - not ashy smoke like a campfire.
On the nose (post-steep): Same flavor profile as pre-steep, though the smoke is a touch reduced.
On the tongue: A vegetal flavor with a light grassy note. Grass is stronger on the tip of my tongue, while vegetal is stronger on the back. I only get a hint of that smoke I smelled. Not bitterness. Intense flavor.
Opinion: Though I'm not a fan of plain green tea, the grass and smoke here made this one enjoyable. It can be enjoyed without thought but also presents subtleties for the curious.
Preparation: 2 ½ min @ 175 ℉ (I followed Jim R's recommended times)
Good green tea with a smokey undertone. I tend to like stronger green teas, and this is one of those.
Bought the sample to see if it would replace the gunpowder I'm running out of, and I think I like it better than the one I have!
I used this to make Moroccan mint tea with fresh mint leaves and let me just say I greatly enjoyed the result, as did the people I served it to. I have yet to try it plain but don’t really feel a need to yet. I know what I want to use it for and it’s served its purpose well in that regard!
I don't have the vocabulary to critique tea like some folks do. I won't talk about the flavors and what notes I taste and stuff like that. But wow, a fantastic cup of tea when prepared exactly how instructed. Maybe one of the best I've had. I drink it with no sweetener. I tried to get this years ago but I think maybe there was a supply issue or it is a special release. I don't know. All I know is it is a wonderful green tea.
After 8 years of becoming a tea lover, THIS one remains my top choice. This is one of my favorite greens out there! I reach for this at least once a day. Smoky, smooth, yet light and yummy!!!
This is a very favorite of mine. My Grandmother always drank it and Now I can enjoy the great tea from my youth.
Just reading about this tea makes you want to get it. Each tea leaf is rolled individually. Just something to be appreciated right there. And yes, there is a slight smokiness to this tea. I was surprised, but it’s there. I am not one for that.. but in this tea, it’s slight and only adds to the mystique.
I've always loved strong, vegetable, mineral greens and this is one of my staples!.Its on the stronger side and not as smooth as your basic green teas. Not for everyone but perfect for me!
Great green tea option. Brews up for a flavorful liquid with a pretty leaf and presentation. Would try again.
I was lured away from Gunpowder by all of the other green teas on this site (true FOMO). Well, I came back to GP. It's a staple in my tea pantry. I also tried other brands GPs, and Adagios won hands down. It tasted cleaner, smokier and just has more depth than others I tried.
I also like to mix it with either spearmint or peppermint herbal tea when I crave a Moroccan Mint tea,