Tea: Sencha of the Spring Sun

Grower: Akihiro Kita, known as "Akky-san"

Origin: Wazuka, in Kyoto, Japan

Cultivation: Conventional, Eco-Farmer for reduced pesticide use

Harvest Date: May 2014

• • •

With soft floral fragrances and balanced bittersweet flavors, this is the shincha of our 2014 collection that most embodies springtime. Grown by Akky-san in fields that receive the most exposure to the sun during the season.

Akky began his life in tea as a farmer's apprentice, and is now a well-respected grower in the area. He is the founder of Kyoto Obubu Farms. He grows with the popular Japanese tea cultivar, Yabukita.

The profile of this tea includes sweet, grassy flavors with soft, earthy-savory undertones and a touch of bitterness, like fresh kale. Fragrant and lasting.

This sencha is from the 2014 harvest of shincha, literally "new tea", the prized first flush of green tea in Japan. After a long winter of hibernation, the tea plants have stocked up lots of nutrients. In the spring, their first growth of leaves is vibrant, energetic, and full of flavor.

• • •

Recommended Brewing Instructions: Use 1tsp (~2g) per 4oz (250ml) of water. Brew for 1-2 minutes.

- 150F for a light but very delicate, smooth tea with a sweeter, slightly creamy profile.

- 160F for a sweet grassy profile with the refined bitterness of kale.

- 175F for a fuller range of sweet, savory, and earthy flavors, with more umami notes and a sharper texture.

This tea can be rebrewed up to 4 times, with hotter water and longer infusions.