NEW
Nuts, woody, vegetal
Umami★★★☆ / Astringency★☆☆☆
Body★★★☆ / Firing★★★☆

Higashi-Sonogi is the town where most tea is produced in Nagasaki Prefecture, and almost all of Higashi-Sonomi’s tea is tamaryokucha (steamed), also known as guri-cha. Its development dates back to the 1950s, when tea from Sonogi was used to support tea production in Ureshino, located just on the other side of the mountains, in Saga Prefecture. In Ureshino, the volume produced is small, but of long date, even though Sonogi, overlooking the Bay of Ômura, enjoys a gentler climate, with earlier harvests.
This shaded tamaryokuch, made with the Yabukita cultivar, offers a powerful fragrance evoking grilled hazelnuts, praline, vanilla, and dried herbs.
On the palate, we find very present umami and no astringency. In terms of aromas, we remain within the flavour profile of nuts and dried wood. The vegetal flavour also returns to beautifully contrast the rest of the experience. Overall, the experience is rich, is velvety, and is without heaviness despite the shading.
Subsequent infusions give way to the vegetal characteristics and the woody, conifer notes. This tamaryokucha showcases once again the strength and richness of Yabukita, in the form of a sweet, warm, very textured tea.

Type of tea : mushisei tamaryokucha
Origin : Hitotsuishi-gô, Higashi-Sonogi municipality, Higashi-Sonogi District, Nagasaki Prefecture
Cultivar : Yabukita
Shading: 8 days (direct covering)
Harvest : April 24th, 2025