Bonfire Summer Kagoshima Hojicha

Bonfire Summer

Kagoshima Hojicha

Type: Roasted Green Tea
Harvest: Fall 2021
Cultivar: Yabukita, Saemidori, Asanoka, Asatsuyu
Elevation: Up to 350m
Location: Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Tasting Notes

Dry Leaf: Twelve Shades of Brown, Molasses, Soy Sauce Rice Cracker.
Wet Leaf: Butterscotch Candies.
Liquor: Dark Gold.
Taste: Cinnamon Bark, Allspice, Dry Roasted Almonds.
Production

Experience the unique taste of Bonfire Summer, a Kagoshima Hojicha, made using a shading technique before harvest for an exceptional flavor. The shading process is an important technique used to enhance the flavor and aroma of Japanese green tea. One of the most well-known teas that uses this technique is Gyokuro, also known as “Jade Dew.” The shading process increases the chlorophyll and caffeine levels in the leaves, which results in a distinct sweet and umami flavor profile.

Our Kagoshima Hojicha is made from a blend of different cultivars, each of which contributes to the tea’s unique flavor profile. Yabukita, the most widely grown cultivar in Japan, furnishes the tea with a sweet and green base. From there, Saemidori provides thick and rich umami with a wholesome and satisfying mouthfeel. Asanoka is rich in amino acids, resulting from crossbreeding with Chinese varieties. Finally, Asatsuyu provides a grassy and warming flavor that is similar to natural gyokuro. These cultivars are carefully selected and blended to create the perfect balance of flavor and aroma in Hojicha.

Terroir

Kirishima’s unique terroir produces exceptional tea. A small city in Kagoshima prefecture, it is shielded by remote mountains from the hustle-bustle of the larger cities. The region is home to several active volcanoes, which gives the soil a unique mineral composition that contributes to the taste of the products grown in the area. The mineral-rich soil and unique microclimate provides ideal growing conditions for a wide range of crops beyond tea, including specialty fruits like the Satsuma Mandarin.