Tea Review: Sugimoto Reserve Homare Sencha (Sugimoto Tea)

Sugimoto Reserve Homare Sencha
Sugimoto Tea
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture
Product Description:

Experience the luxury of the Sugimoto Reserve collection, and the difference that authenticity makes. Homare Sencha is the highest quality sencha currently offered by Sugimoto Tea Company, our pride and joy. This is evident even in the name, which Hiroyuki Sugimoto gave to the tea: “homare” meaning “pride.” It’s made from the best of the best Yakibuta tea leaves from the spring harvest, carefully selected and blended together to ensure the highest quality.

This unique fukamushi style sencha is reminiscent of green beans and edamame, rich and brothy with a striking spring sweetness. Given our signature high heat final roast, this tea leaves a rich lingering finish.

Temperature: 175° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 30 seconds-1 minute

The dry leaf aroma is deeply savory with notes of freshly ground nuts.

The liquor is bright green and semi-opaque with a refreshing green, savory, and nutty aroma.  The taste is savory with umami, nutty, and mildly astringent with a hint of citrus and a long sweet green finish.

While I quite enjoyed the results from an initial 1 minute steeping, a slightly lower temperature and slightly shorter initial steeping time produces even more savory results.  Steeping the second infusion for 30 seconds and the third for 45 seconds brought out sweet, savory, and buttery notes and a long, sweet green, mouthwatering finish. 

This tea was purchased by me.