Next sample from Yunomi and the first I’ve tried from Nishide. The factory was established in 1860 and is currently run by husband-and-wife team Takashi and Atsuko Nishide. They buy aracha from Uji and surrounding areas of Kyoto and process them in their factory. The cultivar used is Osahiri, which is an early-budding cultivar.
This is the BEST sencha I’ve ever tried, hands down. I believe it is an asamushi based on leaf appearance and flavor. That is fitting, as a high-quality asamushi sencha was the tea that pushed me off the ledge into the deep end of this fascinating world of the leaf. Fukamushi and chumushi senchas are great, but something about the yin-yang interplay of a great asamushi like this with simultaneously reserved flavor followed by intense emotional and visceral responses is what captivates me.
No bitterness or astringency. Very delicate and refined front end followed by an intense umami and sweetness with phenomenal mouthfeel as it tracks to the back of your palate. You feel a soft rubbery object lingering in your mouth even after swallowing. The sweetness is medium-high and the huigan is off the charts. Longevity is 4 infusions. Balance is perfect. The value is amazing at $0.53/g; I would’ve expected this to be > $1/g.
So why 99 and not 100? The flavor falls off pretty steeply between steep 2 and 3. Perhaps it needs somewhat hotter temps at that point? It picks back up again in the 190 F final steep. Other than that, it’s perfect.
Harvest: May 10, 2024
Cultivar: Osahiri
Processing: Asamushi?
Location: Uji, Kyoto
Dry leaf: Umami
Wet leaf: Same
Flavor: Umami, sweet, vegetal, smooth, thick, artichoke, chalk
Flavors: Artichoke, Chalk, Smooth, Sweet, Thick, Umami, Vegetal
That is high praise indeed!