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“The leaves have a nice smell to them – a bit like fresh moss, pine, and sweet grass, may something citrusy mixed in there. The wet leaf is floral with that moss-forest-y vibe. The floral and grassy...” Read full tasting note
“May 9/14, 2021 harvest, grown without pesticides It’s been a few weeks since I finished this free sample (thank you to Thés du Japon). I suppose this tea didn’t capture my attention as much as the...” Read full tasting note
[Grown without pesticide]
Fruity, woody
Umami★★☆☆ / Astringency★★☆☆
Body★★☆☆ / Firing★☆☆☆
Umegashima is one of the most remote zones of the Hon.yama tea-producing region in Shizuoka. Mr. Koizumi produced this sencha without chemical pesticides or fertilizer in Nyûshima, in a garden along a riverbank at 400 metres (1300 feet) in altitude.
It is a garden where Yabukita cultivar tea trees grow alongside old indigenous “zairai” tea trees.
While “zairai” tea leaves are often harvested later in the season to turn them into teas similar to banchas, Mr. Koizumi agreed to Thés du Japon’s request and harvested young leaves to make a fine sencha, despite all the difficulty involved in processing this type of leaf. This has enhanced the sometimes forgotten qualities of “zairai” plants, which are different from those of cultivars.
Its light fragrance is subtly sweet and fruity. With more or less astringency in the mouth, this sencha first seems light and fluid before developing umami and sweetness. The delicate flavours that fill both the palate and the throat are also strong and long lasting. The liquor is also velvety and, with all its sweetness, still manages to be very robust.
Despite being only lightly roasted (made in Sayama on a hot “hoiro” paper surface), this sencha is in no way raw or vegetal. The aromas are much more reminiscent of fruit, caramel and woodiness, but always in a way that is subtle and light. The scents give way to a long, powerful sweet aftertaste. The notes are not very distinct, but that is characteristic of zarai teas, which are made from the leaves of many different tea trees. This zarai sencha from Umegashima is a great success: rich, robust, velvety and sweet.
Type of tea: Futsumushi sencha (normal-steamed sencha)
Origin: Nyûjima, Umegashima area, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Cultivar: “zairai” indigenous species
Harvest: May 9 & 14th, 2021
Steeping method
Quantity of leaves: 4 g / 1.3 tsp Quantity of water: 70 ml / 1/4 cup Water temperature : 80°C / 176°F Steeping time : 60 secondsSencha from Hon.yama, Umegashima, Tomochi, Yabukita cultivar
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Hojo TeaThe leaves have a nice smell to them – a bit like fresh moss, pine, and sweet grass, may something citrusy mixed in there. The wet leaf is floral with that moss-forest-y vibe. The floral and grassy notes are transferred into the infusions. I’d say this tea is quite stable with each infusion being similar to previous ones. Perhaps the 2nd infusion has the most pronounced floral character and has the most body. ‘Zairai’ senchas tend to remind me of Chinese green teas and this is no exception. There is a sharpness that is almost gasoline-like that reminds me of very fresh sheng pu’er tea. If you have a sensative stomach, you might find this tea slightly unpleasant during the initial steeps, but I was fine. There’s a balance that’s struck by the thick, soft body of the second and 3rd infusions and the moss-like vibe in the. nose that counters the sharp grassy/gasoline-y-ness. It’s a unique tea for sure.
May 9/14, 2021 harvest, grown without pesticides
It’s been a few weeks since I finished this free sample (thank you to Thés du Japon). I suppose this tea didn’t capture my attention as much as the sample of a sencha also from Hon.yama, Umegashima, that made it into the parcel – https://steepster.com/teas/thes-du-japon/98173-sencha-from-hon-dot-yama-umegashima-tomochi-yabukita-cultivar
I recall this evoking a sensation of the image of vibrant green oxalis growing in damp evergreen forest understory. Sweet, muddled in structure and taste, drying. Heavy in the stomach with a bit of turning, meaning food was needed beforehand.
Is it worth buying a bag to pay more attention to? Maybe if I want to explore Zairai, or indigenous, teas but not at this time. For my tastes, this tea needs to be experimented with.
