Sencha Sayama Kaori


$ 5.00




This delicious sencha is made with the Sayama Kaori cultivar. Sayama Kaori means “Aroma of Sayama” and the farmers use a light asamushi steaming to bring out the aroma of the mountains. The cultivar has large, thick leaves that help the plant thrive in frost conditions that are common in the northern tea regions of Japan. The farmers of the collective concentrate on bushes with fewer branches so that more flavor and nutrients are concentrated in the leaves. This cultivar is also particularly high in catechins.

 

One of the things I’m passionate about with tea, and food in general, is unique and heirloom varietals or cultivars. So I am very excited to find single cultivar senchas NOT made with the ubiquitous Yabukita cultivar. Of course there are fabulous senchas made with Yabukita but I’m all about preserving and encouraging diversity in specialty tea. The region of Kagoshima where this tea was grown has a high temperature difference between day and night which helps bring out a strong aroma in the finished tea.

 

Provenance:

  • Origin: Kawane, Shizuoka, Japan
  • Grower/Teamaster: Kawane Koumi Farm Collective
  • Elevation: 300m/1000ft
  • Harvest Date: Spring 2022
  • Cultivar: Sayama Kaori
  • Cultivation: Conventional with reduced inputs this cultivar is know for  
  • Plucking Standard: Machine harvested
  • Processing Notes:  Asamushi (light) steamed to bring out the “flavor of the mountains”
  • Nickname: . Sayama Kaori means “Aroma of Sayama”

History/Pedigree: A cultivar often used in the more northern regions of Japan for its hardiness against frost and colder temperature differentials.

 

Brewing Suggestions1:

  • Water: 170-180˚F
  • Tea: 4g per 4oz of water (about a level 2 tsp2)
  • Infusion: 30-60 seconds

Tasting Notes:

  • Asamushi, or light steaming, brings out the flavor and aroma of the mountains of Sayama. Strong floral aroma notes with a hint of shortbread. a bright refreshing flavor. Bright and refreshing flavor; floral, grassy, with hint of carrot. Medium astringency.

1 Brewing suggestions are just that. Try it the suggested way then experiment. In this case I suggest first experimenting with the quantity of tea per oz of water. I use 4g (instead of my usual 2g for most teas) per 4oz of water as I like the stronger flavor of a higher tea to water ratio. For temperature, 160˚ gives a grassy, sweet, fresh balanced profile while 175˚ brings out fuller flavors with more pronounced notes. For a sweet, light delicate profile, you can try it as low as 140˚. Some tea drinkers like to use slightly hotter and longer times for each subsequent steeping.

2 Weighing your tea is always the best way to control your dosage. I provide approximate volume measures for convenience but they can be problematic due to the variance in tea leaf shape and size.


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