Description
Asanoka Kabuse Sencha - 2024 Shincha (New Harvest Tea)
Origin: Takaoka Town, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu. Naturally grown with no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
Cultivar: Asanoka
Kabuse (literally "covered") teas represent a growing technique where the tea plants are shaded for a period prior to harvest. This includes Gyokuro, but Gyokuro is shaded longer (3-4 weeks,) and more completely than a Kabuse Sencha, which might be shaded for a week or two at most, allowing it to occupy a space between Sencha and Gyokuro. This Asanoka Kabuse Sencha infuses to a golden-green hue with a faint grassy aroma. The first infusion is slightly buttery and full-bodied, but lightly flavored with good amami (sweetness). The second infusion thins out a bit but the shibumi (astringency) becomes more forward with sweetness at the finish. The third infusion sees astringency diminshed and a good balance of amami and shibumi.
Takaoka is technically no longer a municipality, as it was merged with the small towns of Sadowara and Tano into an expanded Miyazaki City in 2006. However, small town names still survive among locals, especially when connected to agricultural products. Miyazaki City is the capital of Miyazaki Prefecture and is located on the eastern coast of Kyushu Island facing out to the Huuga Sea, with the large Ooyodo River running through it. It has a subtropical climate and tea cultivation has long been a part of the economy in the rural areas in and surrounding Miyazaki City. Miyazaki Prefecture ranks sixth in Japanese tea production volume; after Shizuoka, Kagoshima (Miyazaki's neighboring prefecture), Mie, Uji, and Fukuoka.