Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Den’s Tea
Product Description:
As you may know, 99% of the current tea production in Japan is green tea. However, about 130 years ago Japan tried to produce and export black tea as a government policy.
Tea scholar, Mr. Tada (1829-1896), was sent to China and India to acquire black tea manufacturing skills in 1875.
Upon his return, he established a tea farm at Mariko in Shizuoka and since then, Mariko has been a mecca for Japanese black tea. However, black tea never did become a major industry in Japan as some peopled had hoped.One tea farmer in Mariko, Mr. Matsumura, has been manufacturing black tea since the 1950’s as well as growing high quality green tea. Our parent company, Shirakata-Denshiro Shoten, has done business with Mr. Matsumura for a long time. Mr. Matsumura even created the manufacturing machine for black tea and is considered the father of modern black tea production in Shizuoka. His tea is made with the tea species “Beni Fuki”. The cup is mild with very little bitterness and is highly aromatic. Its flavor is different from the black teas made in major Asian and African producing countries.
Tasters Review:
When I think of awesome Green Tea offerings one company I always think of is Den’s Tea. This is one of their Black Teas and I must say it’s pretty darned awesome as well!
Shizuoka Black Tea from Den’s Tea is nice and bold and slightly astringent. The aroma is cakey-crust-like…and I just love it!
I can taste a sencha-like comparison and I think it’s lovely and unique. I didn’t get as much of the oolong comparison they mentioned (in the product description) with the slight fruity notes but it could be because I tend to over infuse the amount of loose leaf too. I like my teas STRONG. I’m not worried or bothered by that because I am very excited about the cups I have been drinking of this and am totally jazzed I was able to try this!
This is nice hot or cold, too, which is GREAT because I’m a HUGE fan of strong, black iced teas as well! YAY!
Award Winning Premium Gyokuro Tea from Den’s Tea
Tea Type: Green Tea
Where To Buy: Den’s Tea
Product Description:
As we announced on January, this year marks our 10th anniversary of serving the North American Tea Market. To celebrate our anniversary and to show our appreciation for your love of green tea, we have prepared several gifts for you through 2010. The second is “Award Winning Premium Gyokuro”.
This Gyokuro was grown on the Omura farm in Asahina, Shizuoka and was harvested in 2009. The Gyokuro grown on the Omura farm won an award at the last Shizuoka Tea Exhibition. In fact this tea is a frequent award winner at the exhibit.
This Gyokuro is obviously one of the best teas manufactured in Shizuoka. Its taste is quite special and is likely a taste you have not experienced. One sip will enrapture you and you’ll wish that the powerful herbaceous and Umami flavor would remain with you just a little longer.
Tasters Review:
Award Winning Premium Gyokuro Tea from Den’s Tea! This is FANTASTIC!
🙂
I received an EXTRA Surprise from Den’s Tea – a while back – one that is NOT FOR SALE!!!! This is a lovely lil gem! It’s an award winner…this 10th Anniversary celebration tea!
It has an oh-so-slight aroma of fresh green fields. The taste is so light and airy, even! It’s VERY clean tasting and thirst quenching with a very small hint of earthiness to it.
I makes me think of sunshine! Which is great because it’s fall with cooler weather and I am not ready to let go of summer!
This is wonderful! In every way! If you ever get a chance to try this – PLEASE DO!
Sencha Fuka-midori from Den’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where To Buy: Den’s Tea
Company Description:
Our best selling Sencha. This tea best represents our precise blending and meticulous manufacturing process. It is rated best when compared with other Senchas in the same price range.
- Origin: Shizuoka
- Harvest: First Flush 2009
- Species: Yabukita
Taster’s Review:
After having tasted several Sencha teas from Den’s Tea, including a delightful Sakura Sencha, I can say that Den’s is a company that really knows Sencha tea. This Sencha is absolutely fantastic!
The dry leaves are very slender spears that are much smaller than most Sencha teas I’ve encountered. But don’t let their size fool you – this is one of the very best Sencha teas I’ve ever tasted.
Because of their smaller size, they do not require a long time to steep – just one minute in 165 degree F water will produce a beautiful celedon green colored liquid that is full of flavor.
It is very rich and silky textured tea – the mouthfeel from this tea is much thicker than most green teas that I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy. It isn’t quite as thick as an Oolong tea – it’s a very smooth feel that coats the palate luxuriously.
And the flavor is marvelous! Vegetative, very sweet, with a satisfying bitterness that cuts through the sweetness just enough so that the cup is not overly sweet. It is a pleasant balance. As I continue to sip, I can also note a slight roasted, nutty quality to the cup which compliments the sweet flavors very well. For an “unflavored” tea – this one sure does yield a lot of flavor!
This is not a tea that I would suggest serving iced. It is one that should be savored with great respect and ceremony. This tea is entirely self-drinking. It needs no sweetener, in fact, that would ruin a perfect cup of tea! A beautiful, delightful, delicious tea!
Sencha (Pyramid Tea Bag) from Den’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Den’s Tea
Company Description:
Den’s Tea best selling tea bag. This is the same great quality Sencha that we offer loose, with the added convenience of a tea bag. The leaves are cut, roasted and blended specifically for our tea bags. We wrap each bag in a foil pouch to insure freshness.
Taster’s Review:
I really like Sencha tea. It is a Japanese green tea that is slightly sweet, with just a hint of bitterness and very pleasantly vegetative, but not so extraordinarily grassy that it is off-putting.
This Sencha from Den’s Tea is one of the best unflavored Sencha teas that I’ve encountered. It surprises even me to say this, since this is in a pyramid tea bag! And, yet, this tea is delightful!
Although Den’s Tea does not specify which of their Sencha teas they put in their gourmet tea bags, I suspect that this is their Sencha Extra Green with Matcha. I not only taste the presence of Matcha in my cup, but, the dry pyramid emitted a slight dusty, green powder when I first opened the package, and when infused, the tea looks like a very thin Matcha tea (imagine putting an itty bitty, tiny pinch of matcha and adding 8 ounces of tea… it would probably look a bit like what is in my teacup now).
This is a light-bodied tea, but, the Matcha gives it just a little more body than it would have without it. The flavor is very bright and fresh-tasting – and as I said before, very vegetative. The vegetal quality tastes more like steamed, buttered vegetables than a grassy taste. This would be absolutely delicious paired with your favorite Asian food.
This is another tea that I received as part of the “Green Tea Novice Sampler” that Den’s Tea offers. Even if you aren’t a green tea novice (I don’t really consider myself to be one) – you should really try this sampler package. It is truly an exceptional value and even better – it’s an excellent opportunity to try some fantastic tea!