Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms

1 tsp powder. 6oz batista oat milk. 1 Oz water.
The froth is exceptional! The bubbles are a bit big to call it perfect but it’s quite nice regardless. You could even make latte art. The flavor is quite unique. Almost exactly like a regular wakocha but creamy. Slightly woody with notes of fresh oak and a hint of Palo Santo. Also warm whole milk and cream. Plain cream of wheat. At first I thought it a bit odd in flavor but it has definitely grown on me.

If you read any tasting notes for this one before you drink it you will definitely taste what you read. I accidently read cantaloupe and now I taste it.
The dry leaf is long and incredibly thin. Mostly dark green with hints of light pistachio green. The aroma is filled with umami and grassy notes.
Flavors high in umami. It doesn’t quite taste like zairai to me though so I believe this is one of their conventional gyokuro. This is one of the teas from the Global Japanese Tea Association classes. The mouth feel is incredibly smooth though it is quite a bit astringent if you don’t watch it. Thus far I’ve been able to get 3 full infusions from these leaves. This also makes a great Umami bomb if you use the koridashi (ice brewing style) .
It is pretty simple if you have never brewed that way before. Simply add your leaf and ice cubes to an appropriate size cup and wait till it melts.

Based on reviews and their description I am pretty sure the one I am drinking is Meijiro and not Tsubame but it could also be neither… ^^; This one was part of the Intermeditate Course for the Global Japanese Tea Association.

The best smell in the world is processing tea. It is an aroma that is so fresh and yet so lively. Within each particle of aroma you get a small hint of what is to come. Your brain entices you with different thoughts of distinct teas and what this particular batch will become.
The wet leaf aroma of this kukicha is intoxicating. It reminds me of the Obubu processing facility. Staring out at the tea fields of Wazuka from the second floor. Slightly vegetal notes, hints of green pepper, and the vegetable mix that came with the bento lunch. The kuki are a mix of olive green and luscious jungle green (not quite as vibrant as the Crayola crayon color. Smooth mouth feel.
The flavor is filled with green tea and dirt covered with freshly plucked leaves. Everything about this tea reminds me of Obubu.

Glossy leaves. Dark brown, needle shape. Leaves and some stems.
Liquor color is clear, light amber. With a squash aroma and slight bitter cocoa.
Very smooth. Different squash notes with a bit of sweetness. Almost like a hint of brown sugar.
Slight coffee notes.

Very pretty dry leaf: mix of dark and light green tea with a few stems. This is the bottom of the bag so mostly broken but also some long needle like leaves. One unidentified object. Not a bug. And of course beautiful pink dried Sakura. Flavor is nice. Vegetal, asparagus and green beans. The floral are not strong like in other teas but Sakura to me tastes as a an osmanthus does which is different then other floral. Thus tea is not something I would buy but I do know others who quite enjoy it.
Part of the Global Japanese Tea Association master class.

Mix of glossy dark brown and muted lighter brown leaves. Mix of leaves and kuki actually. This seems to be a darker roast. It leaves quite a charcoal note in one’s mouth. As it does also on the nose. The mouth feel is a bit astringent but more on the charcoal side. Perhaps this batch was just too strong for me

Tasting this as part of our master course here in Kyoto at the Global Japanese Tea Association headquarters. The leaf is flat and slightly glossy. Flat, some are thin but also a few are a good size. Flavor is Cucumber, steamed veggies. A bit of grass. I find the brewed leaf is quite fresh. Reminds me of the smell of leaf when it is processing.

Sipdown 37 – 2024

Didd not expect how reddish brown this steep would be, considering how green the dry leaf is. This smells so unique – spinachy, but also really floral (like lilac). Super umami broth. Like a veggie stew.

This smells super roasty. Like bordering on burnt? But the burnt aroma doesn’t translate as much to the flavor. Definitely more like a traditional hojicha. Nice and toasty, slightly caramelly.

This smells more like a bancha with a hint of sencha. I started with a minute steep time but decided to begin the pouring at 55 seconds. It definitely has that metallic tint on the palate like a bancha. But the mouth feel is very smooth. It also probably wasn’t the best choice to consume after waffles. This is also called Summer Sencha on the packet so this one might have been produced a bit differently, at a different time during the summer, and or many other factors. This sample came from the Global Japanese Tea Association intermediate course.

Tasted as part of one of the Gloral Japanese Tea Association courses. Long dark green leaf. Glossy and gorgeous with vegetal notes and a nice fresh tone. The wet aroma is full of umami, butter, cream, and grass. It is smooth on the palate. Strangely, I can’t get that thought of udon noodles out of my head. That is what my palate tastes for the most part along with some umami and grassy notes. It is smooth with a touch of astringency.

Tasted as part of one of the Gloral Japanese Tea Association courses. Zairai is an interesting cultivar. When we did a side-by-side comparison you can definitely see the differences and this is true too for the taste. The dry leaf is mostly flat, like a dragonwell but there is a mix of big and smaller leaf. Not quite the uniformity that you see with dragonwell. It is long with dark green and some light green. The aroma is woody and natural. The wet aroma turns to grassy, vegetal, and fresh notes. The mouthfeel is soft. The flavor has a bit of umami, grassiness, and hay.

Tasted during one of the Gloral Japanese Tea Association courses. The dry leaf is long, dark green, and glossy. It is herbaceous with a surrounding tone of summer florals. After brewing the leaves retain the herby note with a pronounced umami and floral tones. There is a slight astringency but nothing to crinkle the nose at. The flavor is slight grassy with some unique vegetal notes and a lovely umami. The mouthfeel is smooth.

DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar – Day 22

So Obubu has one field where they’ve started following organic practices, not using any pesticides or fertilizers, etc. But they haven’t gotten an organic certification (and I’m not sure they plan to), so they refer to these teas as “natural”, such as this one.

All that being said, this is a lovely tea. It’s so mellow and smooth, with sweet warm hay notes and crisp, dry summer grass. There’s a natural sweetness to it as well, and a gentle mineral quality. It doesn’t have any of the vegetal or umami qualities (perhaps a hint here) of a sencha, but it’s such a comforting and soft green tea, perfect for the evening.

I should really drink bancha more often…

DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar – Day 15

Just yum. This is actually less intense than I was expecting – it’s so fresh and green. It’s like newly sprouted grass poking out of the ground in the spring. So mellow and sweet, and light yet full of flavor. The texture is silky and viscous, but not too heavy on the tongue. Light, creamy vegetal notes bring to mind edamame and freshly shelled peas.

It’s just… The essence of all things light green. Freshly sprouted tea! :)

DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar – Day 14

Yassssssss! Who needs genmaicha when you can have just the genmai? :P

So delicious. Toasty, nutty, buttery, so satisfying… Reminds me of a cross between popcorn and brown rice, with such a nice balance of rich nuttiness and cozy roasty notes.

Perfect evening tea… :D

DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 9

This is such an unusual and interesting tea. It’s roasted, but the sencha leaves are still dark green in color. But then when you steep it, it has the brownish color of a hojicha.

It has a smooth and lightly toasty flavor, but there is still some umami presence underneath. The roasted sakura is difficult to describe… I do still taste that savory floral note with a hint of cherry, but then there’s a deep, toasty note layered over the top.

Just lovely… Fresh and cozy at the same time, and an interesting intersection of spring and autumn.

Ooh I wish I had thought to blend this with the Java Momma Green Daydream, both from the Strange VariaTea TTB! It has an almost chocolate-y roast, which might go really well with the vanilla of that tea. I might add some Daydream to the resteep. 

ETA: I did try that, but it didn’t really live up to my hopes – possibly the ratio was off? The houjicha overwhelmed the marshmallow vanilla of the Daydream.

DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar – Day 10

Not gonna lie, I ate some pickled okra right before this, and the briny taste is lingering at the back of my throat and making it difficult to taste this tea ha ha… ^^’

This is an unshaded spring sencha. I never remember which of Obubu’s sencha is which, as they have so many and for some of them, the only difference is the cultivar. This is saemidori apparently, not that that means anything to me in terms of the flavor ha ha.

Since it’s not shaded, the flavor remains somewhat light but still smooth and rich. It’s quite mineral (makes sense given the name) with notes of cruciferous vegetables, specifically kale and broccoli. The texture is silky but not heavy, and there’s an underlying umami note that lingers into the finish. Definitely on the savory side, without much sweetness to it at all. Tiny touch of balancing bitterness near the end of the sip.

Really a lovely everyday kind of sencha, with classic flavors but perhaps a touch more refined. I think this might be one of their more expensive ones? I always get my teas through their subscription, so I don’t have a good grasp on the shop pricing he he. :P

Random tea of the day!

Really need to get back into drinking my Obubu teas daily, otherwise I end up buried in a pile of subscription teas ha ha! Plus I just love having a bit of sencha in the afternoon, I guess I just forget about it… :P

Not really tasting a lot of specific flavor notes today, maybe my tongue is just feeling as burnt out as I am. But this is a smooth and silky cup of brothy goodness, and it’s giving me life. A bit of spinach but also plenty of cruciferous vegetables, maybe kale and cauliflower and some other deep green, subtly bitter veggie like chard. A touch of dry grassiness sprinkled over the top. Not super umami-forward, but still has a savoriness to it that makes it feel like a light meal.

Also, the name is super pretty. I will say this doesn’t remind me of a gushing brook though. :P

#SVTTB Round Two – Tea 24/24

Gongfu Sipdown (2317)!

I thought I’d finished tasting through all of the teas I’d grabbed from the SVTTB but I’d forgotten about this one tea I’d set aside to bring with me on vacation, so NOW I’m done tasting through all of them…

I slept most of the day, so now I’m enjoying an early evening tea session! It’s smooth and toasty with a medium roast that brings out plenty of nuttiness. I would say the most prominent note is roasted chestnut, though I do get a slight undertone of deep, jammy red fruits which is quite interesting – almost like the slight fruitiness you get in a very dark maple syrup. Though it’s lighter in taste compared to the overall mix of toasted grains and nuts, it’s probably the most captivating element of this session!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvQnuq6ui35/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVV40LtJLRg

Sipdown! (11 | 140)

Wakoucha is never my favorite, for some reason it smells and tastes a bit skunky to me (at least, Obubu’s does). But the roast helps with that here. I still get the skunky smell when it’s steeping, which isn’t ideal, but not so much in the taste.

It tastes quite savory, and lightly toasty, but it still has some grassy notes to it as well. Almost a touch barnyardy even? I dunno, it’s difficult to explain ha ha. There are some dried fruit notes as well.

It’ll never be a favorite, but still an unusual and enjoyable tea.

DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar – Day 3

Ooh another hojicha today! Not complaining, roasted teas are so perfect for this time of year.

Interestingly, I’m actually getting a cardboardy note from this today. Not in a bad way, it’s just a gentle woodiness that leans toward papery and comes out tasting like cardboard. And then of course, there’s the toastiness, those classic crisp autumn leaf notes, and a light savory flavor. I do get a bit of a charcoal minerality as well. It’s interesting that the description mentions citrus, I guess I could see that but I would never have picked it out on my own.

Yummy tea, as always!

Sipdown! (40 | 238)

So this tea… It smells a bit, shall we say, skunky LOL. It has a very distinct aroma when it’s steeping and when the mug is still hot.

Thankfully, it doesn’t taste the way it smells. It actually reminds me a bit of a Fujian black tea, it has some of those same caraway-esque savory notes to it. And then there’s a mellow toasty note from the roast. Very smooth overall with a nice thick texture to it.

I’m not a big fan of wakoucha for whatever reason, but I think I prefer this roasted version to Obubu’s regular offering. The toastiness helps even out some of the sharper notes and gives it some nice cozy vibes.