Tea: Japanese Black

Grower: The Kinezuka Family

Origin: Nakayama Village in Fujieda: Shizuoka, Japan

Elevation: 350m (1150ft)

Cultivation: Natural (Organic, but no certification)

Harvest Date: Summer 2021

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Japanese Black is a black tea from Shizuoka, Japan. Its production is a project by the Kinezuka Family's daughter and lead teamaker, Ayumi Kinezuka, after she traveled to Sri Lanka to study black tea. Her name for this tea is "Setoya Momiji", or "Red Maple. It is unusual to find black teas from Japan, as the country is known for its famous green teas.

The tea serves as an excellent study of terroir. Unlike classic black teas from India and Sri Lanka, which are malty and robust, Japanese black teas are smooth and earthy, with woodsy, marine, and tart notes.

The tea is grown using the Yabukita cultivar. It is just one of the diverse teas produced by the Kinezuka Family, who are pioneers in Japan for their all-natural tea production and quality teas.

Learn about the people behind this tea: NaturaliTea (The Kinezuka Family)

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Recommended Brewing Instructions: Use 1.5tsp (~4g) of leaves per 4oz (250ml) of water.
Brew for 1-2 minutes.

- 195F for a soft, smooth profile with sweeter flavors

- 205F for a more robust, full-bodied profile.