| Character | Simultaneously sweet and delicately bitter, fruity, stimulating, rich in amino acids |
| Tea Garden | Niikawa Seicha |
| Terroir | Ukiha, Fukuoka (prefecture), Japan |
| Harvest | 1st harvest (ichibancha), beginning of May, 2022 |
| Cultivar | Asanoka (100%) |
| Elevation | 4400m above sea level |
| Steaming | Deep (fukamushi, 100 seconds) |
| Organic Cert. | EU certified organic, JAS organic since 1973 |
| Laboratory Tests | Radioactivity (08/2018) |
| Grade | 97/100 p. (sencha category); Super Premium |
The tea farm is led in its 3rd generation by Yūhachirō Higuchi, a respected master of tea and judge of various tea tasting competitions. The strict organic guidelines at the farm follow the principle of being one with nature. Due to the difficult terrain, only absolutely necessary mechanical equipment is used for farming. The tea farm produces its own fertiliser according to an old family formula that has been adapted over the years.
This tea offers a blend of valuable and amino acid-rich stems (karigane) as well as leaves of the rare asanoka cultivar. This tea possesses a captivating scent, and its many complex aromas can lift the mood. The flavour is simultaneously sweet and bitter, and has stimulating fruity notes.
Consistent blend of delicate stems and green needles
Deep, attractive yellow typical of sencha
Sencha is by far the most widely grown green tea in Japan and forms the backbone of the Japanese tea tradition. The leaves are traditionally steamed for 10 - 60 seconds after harvesting, dried with hot air, shaken and then rolled into small flat needles. The flavour profile of Sencha is versatile, ranging from sweet, fresh, grassy notes on the one hand, to strong, tart, noble, bitter notes on the other, depending on the region of cultivation.
The tea farm is located in the picturesque, yet difficult to traverse mountains of Ukiha, in Fukuoka. The region has been listed as having some of the best water quality in all of Japan. The teas from this region are typically deeply steamed to produce a deep and clear flavour that is minimally astringent.
This tea is exclusively sourced from the above mentioned tea farm in Ukiha. Sourced directly from the tea farmers.
3 heaped tsp per 100-300ml (60°C) water. Steep for 2 minutes. Suitable for several infusions.
High quality, airtight, resealable standing zipper pouch with 9 protective layers to preserve flavour and protect against oxidation and contamination.
The ideal teapot for sencha is a red tokoname kyusu with a fine ceramic strainer, which can best bring out the taste of sencha. Alternatively, a black tokoname kyusu can be used, which is a good all-rounder for preparing green teas.
Ideally store in a quality tea caddy made from cherry tree bark (wooden, kabazaiku chazutsu) or an airtight, double-coated metal tin.
