ITO EN Mugicha Barley Tea

Japanese Barley Tea Misses the Mark Behind Korean Barley Tea Giants

Name: ITO EN Mugicha (Unsweetened Barley Tea)
Category: Cold Tea (Bottled)
Ethnicity: Japanese
Brand: ITO EN

Japan has some of the finest tea in the world, right? White, green, oolong, black, sencha, matcha, jasmine, Japan simply has some of the best that you can get. And when it comes down to these lovely teas, ITO EN is a leader in the business. Their bottled teas are easily the best bottled teas I've ever consumed. Even when they branch out from their classic flavors into lightly sweetened teas and even coffee flavored lattes, they're pretty much flawless. With ITO EN, I expect excellence in every bottle because that's what they've always delivered. That is...until now. Here is ITO EN Unsweetened Barley Tea: a normal looking ITO EN tea bottle with great packaging and presentation. On the bottle, it claims that the barley is steamed and roasted twice for a robust taste and aroma. They claim to use premium whole barley, not powdered or concentrated barley. Sounds good so far. Upon first taste, I am not in a good place: The tea is sour and bland. The tea leaves a sharp and bitter taste in my mouth. It has no notes of roasted barley or wheat, which is often requisite in barley teas. Now, I will say I have had many barley teas in my day, and yes they are different from other teas. They are typically light in flavor, mellow, and rich in roasted nuttiness. This version simply did not have those classic tastes I've come to know and love from Korean barley teas. I don't think Japan makes bad barley tea. However, I do think that Korean barley tea is so fantastic that Koreans should be the leading producers of this gently, subtly nutty, golden roasted liquid. ITO EN is a king beverage manufacturer but this one should be cut from the line. 

Rating: C- (Japan Better Start Improving Their Barley Tea)