[Grown using organic methods]
Blackcurrant, woody, old leather
Oxidation: ★★★ / Intensity: ★★★
Astringency (tannins): ★☆☆

Karabeni is a black tea cultivar that was selected in 1956 at the Shizuoka Prefecture research centre from tea tree seeds brought to Japan from Hubei Province in China. It was never officially registered, and is very rare today. Yet, it has very interesting aromatic characteristics, very different from other Japanese black tea cultivars, which are of Indian origin.
What first stands out the most is the fragrance of this black tea. There is nothing quite like it in other Japanese black teas. The scents are reminiscent of dry wood and leather. There is also a strong tendency for fruity scents, which evoke both blackcurrant and raspberry jams. Of course, this makes it not only very different from other black teas made with green tea cultivars, but also very different from other Japanese black tea cultivars.
Karabeni’s aromas resemble those of black teas from mainland China.
In the mouth, it has discrete, refined tannins and a light, fluid attack. This black tea develops strong, sweet aromatic richness. There are initially notes of aged wood and then fruity notes evoking blackcurrants appear strongly in retro-olfaction.
This black tea has a lot of aromatic richness is very balanced, but has no heaviness. More than anything else, it is a very rare Japanese black tea with aromas that standouts far apart from the rest of the natural production of black teas. A must have for fans of black tea who want to discover something very different.

Type of tea : Black tea
Origin : Nearai, Kita Borough, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Cultivar : Karabeni
Harvest : June 21th, 2018