Shanghai Tiantan Special Gunpowder Green Tea

It depends on what you're looking for and whether you get a good batch. When fresh, this tea delivers a bold, strong gunpowder flavor at a very competitive price for 17.64 oz. However, if you're a quality-focused tea drinker who wants a consistently excellent cup, this may frustrate you. Reviewers report significant batch-to-batch variation — some receive beautiful rolled green pellets, while others get brown, dusty tea mixed with sticks and debris. For everyday mint tea making, it can be a great value. For serious straight-cup green tea drinking, you might want something more reliable.

This is actually one of the things this tea does best. Multiple reviewers specifically use it for Moroccan mint tea, and its bold, strong flavor profile is exactly what you want for that preparation — the tea needs to stand up to fresh mint and sugar without disappearing. Traditional Moroccan mint tea calls for Chinese gunpowder green tea, and Temple of Heaven is one of the most widely available options. Just make sure your batch is fresh — the tea should be green with tightly rolled pellets, not brown or dusty.

This Temple of Heaven gunpowder green tea is most popular for making Moroccan mint tea — several buyers specifically use it for that purpose, and its bold, strong flavor holds up well when mixed with fresh mint and sugar. Some creative buyers also use it as a flavoring ingredient in beer brewing. When you get a fresh batch, the concentrated flavor means a little goes a long way, which makes the large 17.64 oz bag a practical choice for regular mint tea drinkers.

Start with about one teaspoon (roughly 2–3 grams) of the rolled pellets per 8 oz cup of water. Since reviewers describe this tea as bold and strong — and note that a little goes a long way — you might find you can use less than you would with other green teas. For Moroccan mint tea, you can use a bit more since the mint and sweetener will balance the stronger brew. The 17.64 oz bag is a generous size, so at a teaspoon per cup, it should last quite a while.

This tea is best suited for Moroccan mint tea enthusiasts who go through a lot of tea and want an affordable, bulk-sized option. It also works well for homebrewers who want to add green tea flavor to beer. Flavor enthusiasts who appreciate a bold, strong green tea and don't mind some risk of batch inconsistency may enjoy it too. It's not ideal for tea connoisseurs seeking premium, consistent quality or for anyone who primarily drinks green tea straight and expects a refined, delicate cup every time.

Temple of Heaven is one of the most recognizable and widely available gunpowder green tea brands, and the G603 grade is their standard offering. When fresh, it delivers the classic bold gunpowder flavor that the brand is known for. The main differentiator — and concern — compared to other brands is quality consistency. Some competitors offer more reliable batch quality, but often at a higher price point and in smaller quantities. If you're buying gunpowder tea primarily for mint tea and value the large 17.64 oz size, Temple of Heaven offers good value when you get a good batch.

Yes — some buyers specifically purchase this Temple of Heaven gunpowder tea for homebrewing. The bold, strong flavor makes it a good candidate for adding green tea character to beer, particularly in lighter styles like wheat beers, saisons, or green tea IPAs. The large 17.64 oz bag is practical for brewing since you typically need more tea for a batch of beer than for a cup of tea. Since the tea is being used as one flavor component among many, the batch-to-batch consistency issues that bother straight tea drinkers matter less in a brewing context.

For this Temple of Heaven gunpowder tea, use water around 175–185°F (80–85°C) — not boiling, as that will make it bitter. Use about one teaspoon of the rolled pellets per cup and steep for 2–3 minutes. Since reviewers note this tea has a bold, strong flavor, start with a shorter steep and adjust to your taste. If you're making Moroccan mint tea (one of this tea's strong suits), you can brew it a bit stronger since the mint and sugar will balance out the intensity. The pellets should unfurl nicely during steeping — if they don't and the tea looks more like dust or powder, that's a sign you may have received a lower-quality batch.

For iced tea with this Temple of Heaven gunpowder green tea, brew it hot but stronger than usual — use about 2 teaspoons per cup of 180°F water and steep for 3 minutes. The bold character of this gunpowder tea holds up well over ice without becoming watery and flavorless, which is a real advantage. Pour the concentrated brew over a full glass of ice. For a Moroccan-style iced tea (which plays to this tea's strengths), add fresh mint leaves and a touch of honey or sugar before pouring over ice. Alternatively, you can cold brew overnight for an even smoother result.

Gunpowder green tea gets its name from the way the leaves are rolled into small, tight pellets that resemble old-fashioned gunpowder. This rolling process helps preserve freshness longer than flat-leaf green teas and produces a bolder, more concentrated flavor when brewed. Regular green teas like sencha or dragonwell use flat or loosely twisted leaves and tend to be lighter and more delicate. This Temple of Heaven version leans into the bold end of the gunpowder spectrum — reviewers describe it as strong and flavorful, which is characteristic of the style.

Cold brewing works nicely with gunpowder green tea. Add about 1.5 teaspoons of this Temple of Heaven tea per cup of cold or room-temperature water, place it in the refrigerator, and let it steep for 6–8 hours (or overnight). Cold brewing produces a smoother, less bitter cup than hot brewing and brings out different flavor notes. Given that this tea is described as bold and strong, cold brewing can actually mellow it out into a very pleasant, refreshing drink. This method also extracts less caffeine than hot brewing, which is a bonus if you're sensitive to it.

Gunpowder green tea tends to have more caffeine than many other green teas because of its tightly rolled leaves and bold brewing character. If you're sensitive to caffeine, drinking it late in the day could affect your sleep. On an empty stomach, the strong flavor and tannins might cause mild nausea or stomach discomfort for some people. With this particular product, some buyers have also reported an unpleasant or mildewed smell in certain batches, so if your tea smells off when you open it, trust your nose — that's not a normal side effect of gunpowder tea, it's a quality issue.

The biggest mistake is using boiling water — green tea, including this gunpowder variety, turns bitter and harsh when brewed too hot. Aim for 175–185°F. Over-steeping is another common error; 2–3 minutes is plenty for gunpowder tea. With this particular product, there's an additional consideration: check the tea before brewing. If it looks brown, dusty, or smells off, you may have received a stale batch, and no amount of careful brewing will fix old tea. When the tea is fresh, proper temperature and timing will bring out its characteristically bold, clean gunpowder flavor.

For loose leaf gunpowder tea like this Temple of Heaven G603, measure about one teaspoon of rolled pellets per 8 oz cup. Heat your water to 175–185°F — if you don't have a thermometer, bring water to a boil and let it cool for about 2–3 minutes. Pour the water over the leaves and steep for 2–3 minutes. The rolled pellets will slowly unfurl during steeping, which is part of what makes gunpowder tea interesting to watch. You can re-steep gunpowder leaves 2–3 times, though each subsequent steep will be lighter. This tea brews bold, so if you prefer a gentler cup, use slightly less tea or steep for a shorter time.

Drinking a cup of green tea daily is generally considered beneficial — it provides antioxidants, a moderate caffeine boost, and has been linked to various health benefits over time. With this Temple of Heaven gunpowder tea, you'd get a bolder cup than most green teas, so the flavor experience is more robust. The 17.64 oz bag would last you quite a while with daily use since a little goes a long way. Just make sure your batch looks and smells fresh — the leaves should be green, tightly rolled, and have a clean tea aroma, not brown or musty.

Yes, it can be, especially with a bolder variety like this Temple of Heaven gunpowder tea. Gunpowder green tea has more caffeine than delicate green teas like sencha, and reviewers note its strong, concentrated flavor — which typically correlates with higher caffeine extraction. If you're caffeine-sensitive, avoid drinking it within 4–6 hours of bedtime. For most people, a cup in the morning or early afternoon provides a nice alert focus without the crash that coffee sometimes brings.

Green tea has moderate caffeine — generally 25–50 mg per cup compared to coffee's 95–200 mg. Gunpowder green tea like this Temple of Heaven variety tends to sit at the higher end of the green tea caffeine range because the tightly rolled leaves and bold brewing character extract more caffeine. You'll definitely get a noticeable energy boost, but it's gentler and more sustained than coffee. It's enough to help with focus without the jitteriness most people associate with strong coffee.

Most research supports daily green tea consumption as beneficial — it's rich in antioxidants, may support heart health, and provides a gentler caffeine source than coffee. With this Temple of Heaven gunpowder tea specifically, the bold flavor and large 17.64 oz bag make it practical for daily drinkers. The one caveat with this particular product is quality consistency — multiple reviewers report receiving batches that are stale or degraded, so check your tea when it arrives and make sure it's fresh before committing to drinking it daily.

Common side effects of green tea include caffeine-related effects like insomnia, jitteriness, or stomach upset if consumed in excess or on an empty stomach. Tannins in green tea can also interfere with iron absorption, so avoid drinking it with iron-rich meals. This Temple of Heaven gunpowder tea is on the stronger side, so these effects may be more noticeable than with milder green teas. Specific to this product, some reviewers have reported receiving batches with an off or mildewed smell — if your tea doesn't smell clean and fresh, don't drink it.

Regular green tea drinkers often report improved energy and focus (from the caffeine and L-theanine combination), better digestion, and a general sense of well-being. Research links daily green tea to heart health benefits and antioxidant protection. With this Temple of Heaven gunpowder tea, you'd be getting a bolder daily cup than most green teas, which means more flavor intensity and potentially slightly more caffeine per serving. The large 17.64 oz bag is sized for daily drinking — a teaspoon per day would last you months.

The top five research-backed benefits of green tea are: (1) antioxidant protection from catechins like EGCG, (2) improved mental alertness from the caffeine-L-theanine combination, (3) potential heart health support through cholesterol and blood pressure effects, (4) metabolic support that may aid weight management, and (5) anti-inflammatory properties. This Temple of Heaven gunpowder tea delivers these benefits with a characteristically bold flavor — gunpowder teas are among the stronger green teas, so you may get a more concentrated dose of these compounds per cup.