Tea Review: 2022 First Flush Yutaka Midori Fukamushicha (Yunomi/Yamane-en)

2022 First Flush Yutaka Midori Fukamushicha

Yunomi/Yamane-en
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture, Ibusuki District, Ei Village
Product Description: 

Delicious fukamushicha, or deep-steamed tea, from the Village of Ei in Kagoshima Prefecture. Together with the Villages of Chiran and Kawabe, the entire region is known as the Chiran region producing world famous Chirancha (Tea from Chiran). The first flush tends to be characterised by an excellent balance between delicate flavor and reasonable pricing, a gem hiding quietly waiting to be discovered. 

About the cultivar: Yutaka Midori (ゆたかみどり) means abundant green in Japanese. It is a cultivar that is mostly found in Kagoshima prefecture (30% cultivated area) as it is a cultivar that is suitable for warm weather. This cultivar ranks second after the Yabukita cultivar with respect to cultivation area and popularity in Japan. While producers often mix the Yutaka Midori with other cultivars, a single cultivar tea will give a deep green color with a balanced astringency and sweetness and pleasant fragrance.  

Temperature: 160° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1 minute

The dry leaf aroma has sweet, nutty, and light marine green notes.

The bright green liquor is slightly cloudy with a savory, nutty, and edamame aroma.  The taste is thick, savory, and nutty with edamame and light grass notes and a long savory, nutty, and sweet green finish.

For the purposes of this review, I followed the brewing instructions on the package, steeping for 1 minute with a water temperature of 160° F.  Due to the deep steaming process (fukamushi), there was a fair amount of sediment at the bottom of the cup which seemed to add a bit of extra flavor to each sip.  The first two infusions were filled with delicious umami with an underlying sweetness in flavor and aroma that moved to the front with the third infusion.  

This tea was purchased by me.