Tea Review: Tanegashima Single Cultivar Sencha - Yutaka Midori (Yunomi/Iba Yu Tea Garden)

Tanegashima Single Cultivar Sencha - Yutaka Midori

Iba Yu Tea Garden/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture, Tanegashima Island
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 160° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 30-60 seconds

The dry leaves have an aroma of sweet grass and nuts.

The pale yellow-green liquor has a sharp green and nutty aroma.  The taste has notes of nuts and sweet green grass.

For the purpose of this review, the first steeping was 1 minute, the second was 30 seconds, and the third was 1 minute.  This tea had a fresh green flavor and aroma that reminded me of the first warm days of springtime. 

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Gobocha/Burdock Root Tea (Yunomi/Yamane-en)

Gobocha/Burdock Root Tea

Yamane-en/Yunomi
Type: Herbal
Origin: Japan, Miyazaki & Kagoshima Prefectures
Product Description:

Burdock Root Tea (or Gobocha in Japanese) is a caffeine-free Japanese tea made with burdock roots. The tea has recently gained popularity in Japan due to its potential health benefits that it is now common to come across this tisane in stores. The roots of burdock are often utilized  in Japanese cuisine and have a sweet flavor filled with woodiness. If you are familiar with sunchokes, burdock roots are similar in earthiness (although they are quite different in shape) but a bit more fibrous. 

Yamane-en's burdock root tea is also a bit unique as the burdock is cut in small pieces. That means that you can even eat the burdock as you drink your tea. If you prefer not to, you can enjoy the burdock later in your miso soup or as a rice topping, kind of like how you would repurpose used Japanese tea leaves.

Production involved deep steaming the root, then roasting it with a heat source that generates far infrared waves penetrating deep and roasting thoroughly.

Temperature: 194° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry tisane has an aroma of nuts and root vegetables, specifically gobo.

The liquor is bright orange with a rich aroma of gobo and nuts.  The taste has notes of nuts, gobo, and potato skin.

I cook with gobo occasionally, so I'm pleased to say that this tisane tasted as good and probably better thanks to the roasting.  This was flavorful throughout 3 infusions with an interesting peppery note popping in by the third.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Hong Cha South Korean Red Tea (Roots and Rituals)

Hong Cha South Korean Red Tea

Roots and Rituals
Type: Black
Origin: South Korea, Boseong
Product Description:

Hong Cha, South Korea’s exquisite interpretation of black tea, is produced in small batches from handpicked summer leaves. This premium tea undergoes an oxidation process that deepens its color and develops its rich, complex flavor. Grown on a sustainable farm in Boseong, Hong Cha embodies a unique terroir influenced by misty mountains and ancient tea trees. The result is a smooth, full-bodied tea with layered notes of dark fruit, cocoa, and warm spices.

Temperature: 194° F

Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has notes of fruit, nut shell, aged wood, and dark bread.

The liquor is copper red with a baked fruit aroma and a taste of baked fruit with a hint of honey and no astringency.  

The best and fullest flavor is in the first two infusions with aroma notes that reminded me of dark fruit cake.  While I was delighted by the results from 2 minute infusions in 194° F water, this is a flexible black tea and handles higher water temperatures nicely for those who prefer something stronger.  

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Mountain-Grown Second Flush Wakocha Yabukita Black Tea (Yunomi/Murakami Tea Garden)

Mountain-Grown Second Flush Wakocha Yabukita Black Tea/和紅茶やぶきた
Murakami Tea Garden/Yunomi
Type: Black
Origin: Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture, Yoshiwara
Product Description:

The Yabukita cultivar is the standard in Japan representing 75% of Japanese tea fields. The bitterness in this cultivar makes for a balanced black tea.

Temperature: 203° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has notes of sweet oats and muscat.

The dark red liquor has an aroma of baked fruit, squash, and green vine.  The taste has notes of baked fruit and cooked grains.

This was a solidly enjoyable black tea with the fullest flavor in the first two infusions.  While I found the ideal balance for my taste with 3 minute infusions, a higher water temperature and longer steeping time will have bolder results for those who prefer it.

This tea was purchased by me.

Mui-an Teahouse at Hōgon-in Temple

While visiting Arashiyama in 2024, I had the opportunity to enjoy tea at Mui-an (無畏庵), a teahouse located inside the Lion's Roar Garden (Shishiku no Niwa/獅子吼の庭) on the grounds of Hōgon-in temple (宝厳院). 

Mui-an exterior viewed from outside the tea garden.

The garden is only open to the public for special viewing events, usually in spring and autumn.  During these events, tea can be enjoyed at the teahouse for a small fee paid separately from the entry fee.

Signs point to the garden entrance for the special autumn viewing.

Mui-an is a sukiya-style chashitsu (teahouse) with sliding doors, tatami mats, and a tokonoma alcove.  One side of the tea room is open so you can enjoy an uninterrupted view of the garden. 

Mui-an interior with tatami mats, hanging wall scroll, and floral arrangement.

Tea and sweets with a view of the garden.

Guests are provided with a bowl of matcha and a rakugan sweet from Kyoto confectionery Kogetsu (鼓月), pressed with a maple leaf image specific to Hogon-in.

Matcha with rakugan sweet

Hōgon-in (宝厳院) was established in 1461 and later became a sub-temple of Tenryū-ji temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Lion's Roar Garden, named for the metaphor for Buddhist teachings, was created by Zen monk Sakugen Shūryō during the Muromachi period in the latter 16th century. The garden style is shakkei or borrowed scenery, which means that the existing landscape of Arashiyama was incorporated into the garden's design.

A tree-lined path through Shishiku no Niwa

A moss-covered area in Shishiku no Niwa

Tea Review: Houjicha (Yamanashi Shouten)

Houjicha/ほうじ茶

Yamanashi Shouten/山梨商店
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture
Product Description: 

This hojicha (roasted green tea) has a soft sweetness and fragrant flavor, achieved through short-time, high-temperature roasting.

Temperature: 194° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has notes of roasted nuts, salt, and a hint of smoke.

The orange-amber infusion has a savory flavor and aroma of roasted vegetables and roasted nuts with a lightly sweet and nutty finish.  

This houjicha was offered to guests alongside the tea they selected at the Momijiyama Garden teahouse in Shizuoka City.  I enjoyed it so much that I bought a package to bring home.  The flavor notes that reminded me just a little of roasted kabocha were particularly interesting.  The fullest flavor was in the first two infusions.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Limited Edition Chiran Shincha Kaoru (Yunomi/JA Kagoshima Chagyo)

Limited Edition Chiran Shincha Kaoru
JA Kagoshima Chagyo/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture, Chiran Village
Product Description: 

A blend of 100% Kagoshima-grown first flush green tea leaves. It has a simple flavor but rich, deep aroma.

Temperature: 160° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 30-60 seconds

The dry leaf aroma is savory with nutty, marine green, and edamame-like notes.

The aroma of the light yellow-green infusion is rich, buttery, and nutty with notes of green grass and edamame.  The taste has nutty and spring green notes.

As with most fukamushi (deep-steamed) teas, the first infusion was lighter in flavor with a clear broth while the second and third infusions brewed thick, opaque, and bright green with bolder flavor notes.  A 1 minute initial infusion followed by 30 second infusions worked well to get the most from this tea.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Premium Lapsang Souchong (Experience Tea)

Premium Lapsang Souchong

Experience Tea
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: China
Product Description: 

One of the first black teas ever made for export to Europe–the Chinese made this tea in the WuYi Mountains where they only had pine to heat for their tea processing. The taste of the pine fire permeated the tea and the rest is history! Prepare this tea and add hot steamed milk and sugar, agave or whatever sweetener suits you–it is a wonderful, sweet campfire in your mouth.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves have a heavy aroma of pine smoke.

The coppery orange infusion has an aroma of pine smoke.  The taste is smoky, lightly sweet, and smooth with a smoky-sweet finish.  

I was pleasantly surprised by the smoothness of this tea as I often come across more astringent variations.  The first two infusions had the best and fullest flavor.  While I was very happy with the results from a 3 minute steep, a little more leaf and a longer steeping time would work well for those who prefer a bolder brew.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Premium Blend Gyokuro (Charaku)

Premium Blend Gyokuro

Charaku
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture, Okabe, Asahina Valley
Product Description: 

This special blend of cultivars infuses from a light green on the first infusion and opens up to deeper greens on latter infusions. Full mouthfeel and texture on multiple infusions. Initial aromas and tastes are mildly grassy with a hint of salinity. Plenty of amami (sweetness) as characteristic with most Gyokuro with just a hint of shibumi (astringency) at the finish. Later infusions continue smooth with umami richness and a fine balance of amami (sweetness) and shibumi (astringency). 

Good Gyokuro is often compared to a fine dashi (broth) and this tea is full in the mouth with an herbaceous, sweet, and slight marine flavors. A low temperature is needed to bring out the "amami," or sweetness, and low astringency for which gyokuro is known. 

Temperature: 160° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 30 seconds - 2 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of nuts, sweet oats, and a hint of marine green.

The aroma of the light jade green liquor is savory and sweet with buttery notes of nuts and cooked edamame.  The taste is savory, nutty and lightly buttery with edamame notes and a sweet green and nutty finish.

For the purpose of this review, I followed the brewing recommendations on the package, steeping the first infusion for 2 minutes, the second for 1 minute, and the third for 30 seconds.  The umami was most pronounced in the first infusion while the sweet green and nutty finish became notably lengthier by the second.  

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Uji Gyokuro Houjicha (Tsujiri Honten)

Uji Gyokuro Houjicha/宇治玉楼ほうじ茶
Tsujirihei Honten/辻利兵衛本店
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kyoto Prefecture, Uji
Product Description:  Not provided.

Temperature: 194° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1-3 minutes

The dry leaf aroma is rich with notes of roasted chestnuts and a hint of smoke.

The dark reddish-brown infusion has an aroma and flavor reminiscent of roasted chestnuts and cocoa with a long, rich, roasty finish.

This is a particularly lovely version of karigane houjicha with the rich cocoa-like notes that I most look forward to.  I began by steeping the tea for 1 minute and found that the flavor carried forward by adding 1 minute to each subsequent infusion.  While the best flavor was in the first two infusions, the third was only slightly less nuanced and quite enjoyable.

This tea was purchased in-person at the main store in Uji.  It is sold online through Rakuten.

This tea was purchased by me.