Toasted almond, bitter almond, floral
Umami★★☆☆ / Astringency★★☆☆
Body★★★☆ / Firing★★☆☆

Mariko is a small production region west of Shizuoka City that is renowned for its very early tea. Mariko is also known for being where Tada Motokichi set up his tea operation. Of note, Tada Motokichi brought the first specimens of Indian tea trees to Japan in the 19th century. These specimens would later be crossed with other varieties. Nowadays, Mariko is—perhaps a bit excessively—considered the heartland of Japanese black tea. This particular sencha from Mariko was made using the Kôshun cultivar, which is very popular with connoisseurs.
In the nose, the sencha has an initial very sweet roasting fragrance, sweet almond and grilled almond notes, but also a lightly floral flavour.
The infusion is rich in the mouth, is sweet, has umami, yet is also slightly astringent. This richness is also reflected in the mouth with an exceptional sweet length and notes of summer peaches and apricots. But the aromas are not to be undone. Kôshun’s distinct characteristics in the fragrance reappear on the palate, including notes of sweet almond, small yellow flowers, and toast.
This is an aromatic, savory, extremely rich and robust Kôshun.

Type of tea : Futsumushi (normal-steamed) sencha
Origin : Mariko, Suruga Borough, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Cultivar : Kôshun
Harvest : April 26, 2025