Cultivar and technical information
The Benihomare variety was selected from seeds from “Tada-inzatsu” tea trees, varietals Tada Motokichi brought from India in 1877. In Japan, it was the first tea cultivar officially registered, in 1956, and it was the very first Japanese black tea variety. Very well-known during the postwar era for its high quality as a black tea, it nonetheless almost disappeared and is now very rare. Benihomare has been crossed with other varieties to create other cultivars, including famous ones such as Benifûki and Izumi.
Kameyama, in Mie Prefecture, not far from Yokkaichi, land of banko-yaki, was one of the areas chosen for experiments with a number of cultivars in the 1930s, including Benihomare which was then still known as C8. After the war, this zone became known for its black tea, notably Benihomare. In the 1970s, production of this tea ceased after the liberalization of Japan’s international tea trade.

The nose
This Benihomare black tea delivers an elegant lightly spicy fragrance. It also has lemony aromas and nuances of peaches and roses.

The mouth
On the palate, this tea has refined tannins and the wonderful sensation of a classic black tea. We find again the lemon aromas and floral nuances, but also a woody sensation. Despite it being very aromatic, this Benihomare also has sufficient body, so much so that it is also excellent with a touch of milk.
In the mouth, there remains a light astringency that progressively develops into a sweet sensation.

Summary
Benihomare lives up to its reputation as an excellent black tea cultivar. Without any extravagant aromas, it instead delivers the more general sensations of a first-rate black tea; it is closer to a foreign tea. This tea from Kameyama has a strong aging potential; it is notably better a few weeks after the package is opened.

Technical description
Type of tea : Black tea
Origin : Henbôji, Kameyama city, Mie Prefecture
Cultivar : Benihomare
Harvest : May 6th, 2026