The flavor of the brewed tea is great. However, the appearance is not what I expect from the description, Pinhead Gunpowder. This sample came looking like regular leaf tea, not the tightly curled balls I believe it should look like.

If you are a fan of pinhead gunpowder green tea I heartily recommend this brand. I have tried many brands of gunpowder green tea and this is as pleasant and consistent a flavor as I have found, while still being reasonably priced, especially given that it is organically farmed. The tea is packaged in a resealable, thick plastic bag that holds up well. My wife and I drink it every morning instead of coffee and it is a very satisfying drink to start the day. The caffeine buzz from a strong cup of gunpowder green is more subtle than coffee, but lasts longer, with no "wrung out" feeling after it wears off.

If you have never tried pinhead gunpowder tea it is in a category of its own, with a pleasantly robust and full flavor. It gets its dramatic name due to its resemblance to gunpowder; from the rolled tea leaves that are balled up when dry, but unfurl into surprisingly large leaves when steeped.

From my experience, here are a few tips to enjoy gunpowder green the most:

- Don't brew it from roiling hot water. Pull the top off of your tea kettle to let it cool a bit (3 -5 minutes after boiling). This should bring down the temperature of the water to around 180 degrees Fahrenheit, which is ideal.

- Brew the tea for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, but no longer. That will help avoid bitterness.

- Keep most of the tea in the sealed bag. Take out what you think you might use within a week or so, and store it in a metal tin. It's easier to manage.

- Purchase a tea spoon, one specifically made for loose tea. You can find them with small handles that fit nicely in a tea tin. Having a good spoon makes it easier to brew a predictable amount for flavor.

- It tastes fine brewed in stainless steel, but I think it is best brewed in glass. There are a variety of wonderful tempered glass teapots to choose from that make it easy to see the release of flavor and color as the tea infuses the water.

- Don't be afraid to brew the leaves again. This kind of tea has a lot to offer a second brewing, or can easily become a great iced tea later.

Enjoy!

If you want good tea steer clear of anything with Chinese, Japanese, Indian etc wording in the name. This comes from experience, as always your mileage may vary.

I love this tea for many reasons. It's certified organic by the US, not in tea bags (which contain plastic fibers), and hibiscus tea is full of antioxidants, and I like the flavor! I will order more teas from this company because I trust them!

I should start off this review by stating that I am not a green tea connoisseur, and rarely drink the product until recently. However, I am glad that I read the reviews for "Organic Pinhead Gunpowder Green Tea, Loose Leaf Bag, Positively Tea" because they were, for the most part, correct in their assessment. Those who said this is a gunpowder green tea were correct, as it has tightly curled leaves, unlike other products that are more like bits and pieces of broken leaves; what I would describe as "leaf shake".

In order to compare and contrast for myself, I also ordered "Davidson's Tea Bulk Gunpowder Green tea". That tea is approximately 30% less expensive per weight as it sells for $9.99 in comparison to this tea for $14.95. The difference in taste for this tea is phenomenal and worth the higher price! Davidson's Green tea was bitter and weak, a very watery taste to go along with a not so pleasant green tea flavor. The Positively Tea Pinhead Green Tea was true Gunpowder Green Tea as the leaves were tightly rolled, as seen in the photo I attached to my review; LEFT is Positively Tea, RIGHT is Davidson's Tea, just like the other reviewers photos. The Positively Tea also had a nice smooth slightly sweet taste to it and was some of the best green tea that I have had. Much less watery than the other tea and seemed to carry a slightly higher viscosity too. The difference was night and day.

For bulk green tea at a low price point Davidson's will do the trick, but it will not be highly enjoyable. Go with another product to get a better tea. I don't know if I will drink a full 1 lb of it after I ordered it. But this tea is worth a daily cup!