Shincha 2024
Milky
Umami★★★☆ / Astringency★☆☆☆
Body★★☆☆ / Firing★★★☆

Shôju is a very rare cultivar that was selected on Tanegashima Island by the same producer who makes this tea. The cultivar comes from a lusus—a chance genetic mutation—of the Kurita-wase cultivar and was registered in 1996. It is a very early variety that is well adapted to the mild climate of this small island off the coast of Kagoshima.
This fine shaded sencha has a sweet roasted fragrance, fruity nuances and a mineral sensation.
In the mouth, the Shôju is very round, velvety, but also rather robust. The umami is pronounced without being overwhelming. Reminiscent of the tea’s Shôju and Kurita-wase lineages, it has milky, vanilla aromas with peach, apricot nuances. It has a powerful, persistent aftertaste that is initially sweet and becomes more vegetal.
Despite this sencha’s roundness and initial sweetness, this tea from Tanegashima delivers a lot of robustness that is particularly notable in subsequent infusions.

Type of tea: Futsumushi sencha (regular-steamed sencha)
Origin: Nishinoomote City, Kagoshima Prefecture
Cultivar: Shôju
Shading: 10 days (direct covering)
Harvest: March 20th & 25th, 2024