This is the last tea from my 2019 Shincha order. Since I stored it mostly in the fridge and only opened now, I am hoping it retained at least part of its freshness. After opening I notice that the leaves are quite broken up, I will need to be careful not to overbrew this one.
In the preheated pot, I get an early spring aroma of freshly ploughed soil, sprouting grass and mild flowers. It’s pleasant, but not too pronounced. After the leaves have been infused, the scent is mostly vegetal and kind of nondescript.
After drinking I can say that, just like the dry leaf aroma, the taste profile is well balanced and pleasant, but not very pungent. This tea lacks the umami known from shaded teas. Instead, it has more of a creamy vegetal character with a soft sweetness, crisp tartness, and a bitter backbone to balance it out. One of the vegetables that it reminds me of is okra.
In all fairness, the flavours are not what caught my attention first when drinking the tea. I was just taken aback by the incredibly thick and creamy texture.
The aftertaste is at first mostly grassy and astringent, but later develops a long-lasting sweetness in the throat. There are some notes of onion as well as hyacinth.
This would be a good tea for those who don’t like the profile of gyokuro and prioritize mouthfeel and huigan in their teas. It can also wake you up just like any other good Japanese green tea – these are still my favourites as far as getting my mind in working mode is concerned.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Creamy, Flowers, Freshly Cut Grass, Grass, Green, Sweet, Tart, Thick, Vegetables, Vegetal, Wet Earth
