Tea Review: Miyazaki Native Kamairicha (The Tea Crane)

Miyazaki Native Kamairicha
The Tea Crane

Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Miyazaki Prefecture, Gokase
Product Description: 

Organic seed-grown native cultivar kamairicha from Miyazaki, Gokase, Spring 2020.  Although green tea, in comparison to sencha it presents a much stronger fragrance due to it being parched instead of steamed during the first stage of manufacturing.

Temperature: 175° F-208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 30 seconds-2 minutes

The dry leaves have a savory, toasty, and green aroma.

The liquor is pale green and clear and the aroma is savory with buttery, nutty, and sweet green notes.  The taste is savory, nutty and green with light astringency and a long, refreshing green finish.

This had the pleasant toasty and savory notes I look for in kamairicha, while the flavor had a more bold sencha-like greenness than in other examples I've encountered, providing a unique tasting experience.  Steeping for 2 minutes at 175° F had full-flavored results with the beginnings of astringency and a slightly shorter steeping time of 1.5 minutes maintains the flavor while reducing the astringency.  I especially enjoyed the results when steeping at 208° F for 20-30 seconds which produced full flavor, increased the toastiness, and almost no astringency.

This tea was received as a backer reward for The Tea Crane's flagship tea shop Kickstarter campaign.