Description
Tosa WaKoucha (Japanese Black Tea from Kochi Prefecture). 2024 1st Harvest. Naturally grown with no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
Origin: Nyugauchi District, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, Shikoku.
Cultivar: Yabukita
This Tosa WaKoucha infuses to a medium amber color, with faint aromas of cherry, plum, spices, caramel, and vanilla. The flavor notes are surprisingly sweet, much like the honey notes of Oriental Beauty Oolong, but with the caramel and vanilla notes of a Black Tea. There is very light astringent finish, but this tea has a good balance of sweetness and tannins. Very smooth and easy to drink straight, hot or iced, but if you prefer your tea with milk and sugar, I'd suggest brewing an additional minute or adding extra leaves, and use the milk and/or sugar very sparingly, since it's not a very "brisk" tea. Brew a bit stronger for iced tea as well, and the natural sweetness really comes without adding any additional sweetener.
This tea comes from a small farm in the hills of the Nyugauchi District in Aki, Kochi Prefecture. The Higashikawa Tea Farm and Factory is managed by Mr. Mitsuyoshi Arisawa, nick-named "Mit'chan". Locally, this is sold under the name "Mit'chan Koucha" (Mit'chan's Black Tea). Arisawa-san developed this tea himself, using the farm's Yabukita varietal, which is the most popular varietal for green tea in Japan. He initially made it just for his daughter, who as an adult developed in intolerance to coffee, of which she was very fond. Her father's black tea, however, completely agreed with her and has become her new daily drink. Word got out to neighbors, and then word of mouth created a new product line for the Higashikawa Farm. An old friend of mine from high school kendo days now lives in the area, so I was fortunate to have a connection and the opportunity to bring this little known tea from a remote area to my own tea community.
Japanese Black Tea, or WaKoucha (literally "red tea,") is not nearly as well-known as Japanese Green Tea, even though black tea has been produced in Japan since the late 1800's as an export item to Europe and the United States.