Description: A welcome treat - the very first of 2021 Shincha - Harvested April 8th. You can think of it as the Beaujolais nouveau of Tea - the first release and a celebration of the season ahead. This Shincha is coveted for higher levels of aromatic compounds - specifically plant alcohols and Esters that provide an incredibly rich and grassy aroma.
What is so special about this tea? Kagoshima is poised to become the largest tea producing region in Japan - it will overtake Shizuoka in just a few more years. While it is true that there are quite a lot of commercial-grade teas produced for the mass market, there remains a dedicated group of artisan producers crafting wonderful teas. Chiran Sencha is one of those teas. We can safely categorize Kagoshima as an area that produces deeply green, fragrant Sencha. The brewed color of tea is considered of high importance in this region - so tea makers avoid any processes that could affect that. Less "hiire" firing keeps a wonderfully fresh aroma and bright green color while deeper steaming intensifies the thickness of the brew without sacrificing fragrance. Chiran is considered one of the most important areas of production within Kagoshima and focuses on both the Yutaka Midori and Saemidori cultivar. Naturally, We gravitate towards the profile of Saemidori as it is sweet, rich and generally a very easy brewing cultivar. We absolutely love this version of 100% Saemidori Chiran Sencha and know you will too.
Recommended for: A sweet and fragrant best in class deep steamed Sencha.
