Gunpowder Customer Reviews

Green tea is the only category of tea that I've never managed to like, no matter how much I've tried to over the years. Expressing this to fellow tea snobs usually gets the same recommendation every time (double when they learn that lapsang souchong is in my top five teas): try gunpowder!

Having now done so, I'll be honest: I actually 'get' this less than the usual green tea. I don't review most of my green tea samples--always added to a purchase on a whim in the hopes that *this time*, greens'll click for me--because I feel as though it's unfair to them, when it's truly not the tea's fault; I don't like seaweed or grass tones all that much, and that's a lot of the appeal of greens from what I understand. The thing is, I at least intellectually understand that. Gunpowder feels like the worst of all worlds: not great as a green (but with all the green notes I dislike) because it's too smokey, not great as a smokey tea (even though it overwhelms all of the subtle notes the tea could otherwise have) because it's too green, and not, in the end, a coherent experience for me one way or the other. Gunpowder is one of the few greens I don't know if I can imagine *anyone* liking, though it clearly has its fans.

Still, though, with how much it's been recommended, I'm left more disappointed than usual.

Very nice. Earthy delicate taste. I little tricky to get the right temp water (at least with my current water heater). Only downside is that its easy to burn.

3 min steep · 165°F

I first tried this tea in Italy a couple years back. I stocked up the moment I saw that it was available here. It's got a really distinctive smoky flavor that isn't for everyone, but I personally enjoy.

More smoky than I personally like, but its great quality tea, and the stars I give are solely based on my tastes and do not reflect on the quality.

a good strong regular green tea, good for everyday drinking

Finally found a green tea that I really like and does not not cost a fortune. Thanks Adiago Teas!

2 min steep · 180°F

This is an excellent green tea that will be a regular for me!

Mellow, flat flavor; grounding; not sharply bitter. Goes well with strong flavored food.

2 min steep · 180°F

Thus is a good, solid green tea. Not my favorite but does not disappoint. I love th shape of the tea leaves.

3 min steep · 212°F

Solid green tea, nothing special.

I bought this to create my own blend at home with orange rind and peppermint. It is a good green tea that blends well.

3 min steep · 203°F

It is a great green tea and you don t need much. I mix it with Spearmint tea and it s top five favorite for me.

This was great, I love to mix in some mint to make my own Moroccan Mint tea.

I tried a few other green teas to be sure that gunpowder was what I was looking for and it definitely is! I love this gunpowder, it's smokey but not overwhelmingly so. As a personal preference, I mix peppermint with it if I want to tone down the smokey notes.

I brew this every morning to start my day. It has a wonderful flavor and has all of the properties of a green tea that I want.

It's like drinking a cigarette... tobacco tasting >'<

Smooth, relaxing, and perfect for a snowy evening after a stressful day at work. I've been wanting to try this tea for a while and happy that I finally tried it!

This is my everyday green tea. Makes a great cup every time.

1 min steep · 180°F

I love earthy green teas with strong flavor and this one checks those boxes. I usually don’t need much to flavor; one full teaspoon actually worked for almost two cups.

2 min steep · 185°F

Everyone in my family liked this one, I'd definitely recommend it to people who are new to tea. It reminds me of the green tea you'd normally get at a restaurant.

2 min steep · 180°F

Very tasty green tea. Smokey flavor is quite pleasant

This green tea is strong for green tea and I love mixing it with other green teas

3 min steep · 212°F

Excellent body and flavor. Sturdier than your average green tea. Gave some to my roommate and then had to turn around and buy him a bag.
Be careful though, the leaves are pearled so you won’t need as much to make a balanced cup

3 min steep · 170°F

This was exactly the clean green tea flavor I was looking for. Brews up quickly, and has a clean taste that isn’t overwhelming. It is reminiscent of the green tea I was served in a higher end Japanese restaurant.

2 min steep · 180°F · 4 helpful votes

This is my daily go-to green tea. It s really tasty--not quite as good as some of the other, more expensive ones, but still very good. It s a great daily, higher quantity tea. I compare it to a house wine vs that special every once in a while one.

I brewed according to the temperature and time recommended. Seems a bit more subtle than I remember. The tea is a nice flavor, but I don't get any of the smokiness one would expect. When I added a little mint, that became the only thing I tasted.

2 min steep · 180°F

A staple green tea in my house. I add Adagio's Spearmint tea leaves to this one for a minty green tea mix.

My favorite tea! I love making and drinking this one daily!

A little stronger than some varieties. I like this variety as a base when I’m adding other herbals/flavors. Then I don’t feel like I’m covering up a delicate flavor.

3 min steep · 180°F

Delicious classic green tea flavor! I love this and will order again.

I should have been wary by the low price. I usually love rolled green tea, and hadn’t had a gunpowder in years despite it being the first loose tea I purchased. This extracted very little flavor neither with low or high heat. I did prepare this gongfu style, and tried much longer infusions than I would with even a pearled tea. Very odd and disappointing

2 min steep · 185°F

This is a bit mellower than my go to sencha green tea but the slight smokiness gives this one a unique taste. Not my go to but I love to keep it on hand for those mornings that I am feeling like something a little bit different.

3 min steep · 180°F

I really like this one. It has a nice smoky flavor. I mixed the tea with dried mint leaves from our garden, and the combination goes well together.

A sturdy, reliable green. Nothing fancy and fussy, but great for an everyday green.

2 min steep · 180°F

This is a staple in my house. Pleasant but not overpowering.

My favorite Green Tea. I brew it in an open kettle to allow the leaves to fully open.

4 min steep · 180°F

I love the smoothness and flavor punch of this green tea. Wonderful mouthfeel and excellent nose!

A nice, no-nuance green tea, but without the slight sweetness I hope for in a green. Good with honey.

3 min steep · 180°F

This is a pretty tasty green tea. I find green teas can sometimes lack any real taste at all but this one comes through pretty well. It's a go to for me when I just want plain green tea. A little honey perks it up.

3 min steep · 180°F

A wonderful basic green tea. A little sweet, a little smoky, and not hard to mess up. You can taste how nice it really is as it cools.

2 min steep · 180°F

Little too much smokiness for my taste, but it’s a decent green tea

3 min steep · 150°F

This has a very smooth flavor, and there’s not too much of anything. It’s just right there in the middle of everything good about green tea. Great when you’re not looking for a heavy punch of greenery. ~ ~ I like that I don’t feel the need to sweeten it, when having it on its own. During brewing, if I get up close and take a full, long, slow inhale of the leaves, it reminds me of the scent you’re greeted with when you first enter the doorway of a milking parlor. The cows. A little hay. And I mean that in a really good way! ~ ~ For my second steep just now, I added a little spearmint to try the Moroccan Mint recommendation. A good squeeze of agave, and, wow, is that ever good! I’ll have to try some of the other blending suggestions, too.

15 helpful votes

I like this tea because of its mild toasty aroma. I enjoy this green tea because of its smooth and is less astringent than many other green teas I’ve had. This varietal ranks as one of my favorite green teas. It's pretty much a regular on my shelf at work and home.

4 min steep · 185°F

Lovely herbal green flavor, my go-to green tea, great 50-50 with peppermint for Moroccan Mint.

3 min steep · 180°F

Pretty good and tasty. I like to mix it with green chai

3 min steep · 212°F

A solid gunpowder green tea, with the right amount of smokiness for my taste. I tend to prefer the steamed green teas, but this one is very good.

2 min steep · 170°F

No complaints here. A nice, almost smoky green tea.

Love this mixed with mint and tarragon. Definitely rebuying when I run out.

3 min steep · 185°F

not only is this tea delicious but also so pretty to look at

Bought to use for kombucha. Did a great job and added a nice flavor.