The first shincha of 2021! I picked this up with my new Gyokko shiboridashi from Sazen Tea recently. Had been eyeing it for a long time and in the end, just couldn’t manage to convince myself that I didn’t need a 4th shibo hehe. It turned out to be a good move though as its an elegant and shapely vessel that’s beautiful in its sheer simplicity. The only negative is that it’s unglazed because I want to steep everything in it!
Back to the tea at hand. This medium steamed sencha is what I broke in the new teapot with. Saemidori is one of the better Japanese green tea cultivars out there and this one was no exception. Out of the bag, it had an intensely sweet aroma of umami and grass. First steep was light and fresh. Rich umami mingled with gentle grass and a touch of sea air. Second infusion was greener, as it usually is, both in color and taste. Notes of spinach and wet meadow grass. Third and final steep is mellower with vegetal tones and a more generic sencha taste.
My only knock on this tea is that it loses its potency rapidly. It was amazing when I first received it but a few weeks after opening it, the flavor isn’t quite the same. Still good but the freshness has evaporated. Hence why I’m lowering my rating slightly.
Instagram pictures of the tea and shibo:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPGvLGlgZ0S/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO_b4Ceg67l/
Flavors: Garden Peas, Grass, Ocean Air, Spinach, Umami
Sazen always looked like it had some great teas, both japanese and taiwanese…just pricey. The Yuzu Cha oolong is on my list personally.