This is the third batch of Traditional Yame Hon Gyokuro that we selected from Oishi San (Yame) in 2020.
This tea is a blend of yabukita and okuyutaka cultivars; the leaves are slightly chunkier than our previous selections from Oishi San, the price is very approachable (for Traditional Yame Hon Gyokuro), and the flavour is very pleasant.
We recommend steeping this tea with water under 55 Celsius. Although the umami in this tea is very pleasant, it is not as rich as in Oishi San's #2 yabukita batch from 2020; however, the fresh, long lasting aftertaste, reminiscent of lemon arugula, is a highlight of this tea.
Oishi San produced this tea following the rules for Traditional Yame Hon Gyokuro (Geographical Indication), which include: covering the tea trees with a canopy of straw for at least 16 days, picking exclusively by hand and using no artificial fertilizers or pesticides.
Oishi San's tea factory was established in 1940, a very turbulent period in Japan's history. The company has flourished; Oishi San owns tea fields in the region, but also sources leaves from a wide diversity of micro-farmers, finishing the tea at his facility in Yame.
