Expect the unexpected. Top notes of roast grain, a clear liquor reminiscent of kamairicha and a sweet aftertaste.
This most unorthodox sencha is made with heirloom ('zairai') tea plants that descend directly from those that the first generation of Hayashi growers brought to Kirishima.
The leaves were harvested in autumn (October 2022) and cellared (Kurahashi) over one year. This results in a well rounded, mellow tea.
Origin: Kirishima, Kagoshima, Japan
GPS:31.7ºN 130.8ºE
Grower: Hayashi Family
THE GROWER
The Hayashi family are 5th generation farmers. Over 100 years ago, the first Hayashi brought tea seeds from Shizuoka Prefecture 静岡県 - the major green tea producer of Japan. Those trees are still alive now! And they make Zairai Fukamushi. In the 1950's, the Kirishima growers were pioneers in the use of pesticides. In the 1980's, they were the first farm in the region to go organic, and have remained so since. Having inherited a historical culture of tea cultivation and production, the current generation growers are nonetheless innovative and unorthodox. They experiment with non-traditional tea production, such as various single-cultivar sencha; matcha made of special samidori leaves; and green tea paste that tastes awesome in nitro.
