Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Thés du Japon
Tea Description:
A futsumushi sencha from Hon.yama, in the mountains north of Shizuoka, grown under difficult conditions at an altitude of 740 meters (2400 feet). Yet, the difficult conditions are also the secret to a very high-quality natural tea: abundant rain, the slope of the garden, morning mists, significant temperature differences. In order to bring out the qualities of these leaves, the producer, Nakamura Toshiaki, is careful to steam them as little as possible and to keep their shape. The tea obtained in this way rewards us with a beautiful clear golden liquor that releases a deep fragrance of sugar and peat. The liquor is very airy while at the same time very sweet, rich and somehow voluptuous, and it is especially long in the mouth. This special sweetness is carried through several infusions, and there is almost no astringency.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A really lovely Japanese Sencha! It’s been a while since I’ve had my last Japanese Sencha, in fact, as I sit here, contemplating this tea, I try to recall the last time I’ve had a Japanese Sencha, and I can’t do it. I’ve had a lot of Matcha lately, and even flavored Sencha, but, not so many pure Japanese Sencha. It’s very refreshing to have this cup now.
The aroma of the dry leaf initially reminded me of kelp, but after the package had breathed for a moment or two, it smelled more like freshly cut grass. Very clean and spring-like! A very nice fragrance to experience during these cold, wet, autumn-y days! Once brewed, the tea smells more like vegetables than of grass, somewhere between steamed spinach and steamed broccoli.
The flavor is sweet, crisp and has a fresh, invigorating quality to the flavor. The flavor is very clean and smooth from beginning to finish, with very little astringency toward the finish – just a hint of a tangy note – and a gently sweet aftertaste that is reminiscent of dew drops.
Overall, I find this to be a remarkable Japanese Sencha – sweeter and milder than most I’ve tried. Very pleasant to sip!
