The 2021 vintages continue to arrive, faster and faster, so dealing with everything, even briefly, on this blog is not that simple … but let’s go!
Sencha from Fujieda, cultivar Fuji-kaori
Rarer than Sôfû, this other inzatsu type cultivar that is Fuji-kaori is nevertheless very interesting. It comes from the crossbreed Inzatsu 131 X Yabukita, when Sôfû comes from Yabukita X Inzatsu 131 (as a reminder, crosses are noted “flower” X “pollen”). It is unfortunately very little (and badly) exploited in sencha, most of good Fuji-kaori that we find are kama-iri cha. And in Fujieda homeland of Fuji-kaori, with Mr. Yamamoto’s retirement three years ago, only Mr. Yamanaka remains to make a good sencha. Last year, because of a really failed refining, I had to do without. This year I took the initiative and asked a wholesaler in Fujieda in advance to secure a little for me to make a quality refinement. Good for me, this sencha is a real treat, with the unique robustness of inzatsu cultivars, and the typical jasmine scent of Fuji-kaori!
Sencha from Wazuka, cultivar Goko
At the risk of repeating myself, in Kyôto, true unshaded sencha are not so common, especially when it comes to a gyokuro cultivar as famous as Gokô. Yet even unshaded it has superb fruity scents. Here again this year is one of my favorites, sourced directly as aracha and then refined for me.
Sencha from Tenryû, cultivar Shizu-7132
Fans must had been looking foreward for it, cultivar Shizu-7132 and its extraordinary aromas of sakura-mochi (Japanese pickled cherry leaf pastry). The first this year comes from the mountains of Tenryû. A little infusion tip: the molecule responsible for this very special scent, coumarin, tends to smell more with a little oxidation and as it cools down, so for more fragrance, pour gently and from a high enough point in your cup.
Sencha from Tenryû, cultivar Kôshun
This other sencha from Tenryû has in a strong and obvious way the aromas of almonds and aromatic herbs of the cultivar Kôshun. One of the nice little surprises of this year, since 2018 I had not presented this tea …
Kama-iri cha from Amakusa, cultivar Yabukita
A beautiful kama-iri, very typical despite the slight shading. A safe bet for lovers of this type of tea.
Kabuse-cha of Wazuka, Gokô and Uji-midori
Here are two kabuse-cha from Uji, Wazuka. The first is the famous Gokô, very dense, full of umami, super fruity (20 days direct shading).
The second, the Uji-midori cultivar, is a little less famous, yet I personally find it also very interesting because it has very particular aromas, milky and floral. This one is lighter than the Gokô, more balanced with a very light touch of astringency (direct shading of 14 days).
Categories: Reviews
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