Tea Review: Minami-sayaka First Flush Black Tea from Takachiho (Thés du Japon)

Minami-sayaka First Flush Black Tea from Takachiho

Thés du Japon
Type: Black
Origin: Japan, Miyazaki Prefecture, Takachiho
Product Description: 

In one of the mountainous regions of Miyazaki Prefecture, Takachiho and neighboring Gokase are production areas almost exclusively dedicated to the rare kama-iri cha. The tea we are offering, however, is a black tea.

This surprising tea was made from the local Minami-Sayaka variety, which was developed in Miyazaki. Minami-Sayaka’s “ancestors” include varieties native to Assam and Caucasia. It is a black tea with rich, atypical aromas. In the nose, it has warm fragrances of sweet citrus fruits, and also peaches, with a creamy impression.

It the mouth, it starts light, without any notable astringency. Then, this tea’s creamy notes come through clearly, before the palate is filled with fruity aromas, primarily of peaches and apricots.

It ends with beautiful fruity and spicy length in the mouth, but, unlike a green tea, it is not sweet. From beginning to end, this is a superb, very well made black tea that showcases Minami-Sayaka’s characteristics.

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

The dry leaf aroma is light with notes of nuts, berries, and grains.

The bright orange liquor aroma is savory, buttery, and nutty with notes of baked squash.  The taste is almost savory with a hint of sweetness as well as notes of grains and vine followed by a lingering sweetness in the finish.

While the flavor of this black tea was ideal for my preference when steeped for 3 minutes, it can be steeped longer with good results.  I particularly enjoyed the baked squash with butter notes in the aroma  The best flavor was in the first infusion, though the second infusion is quite nice after a longer steeping.

This tea was received as a gift from a third party.