Horiuti Gyokuro Yamanami, Japanese green tea

Mr. Horiuti set this Gyokuro tea aside and stored it in airtight containers for a year before putting it up for sale - this is an old school practice (often called kuradashi) that was the standard for hundreds of years before modern high tech machinery. The tea settles over time and the aromatics become more complex, there's less of a quick burst and explosion of flavour in first cup and less emphasis on umami flavour, often the focal point of the modern Japanese tea market. Using Yamanami cultivar for Gyokuro is quite unusual, it is mostly used for pan-fried green tea, kamairicha. The tea was harvested during first spring harvest of 2023 from plants that were shaded for 25 days. Kagoshima, Japan.

Brewing tips: 6 grams of tea per 150ml of 55-60C water, 1st steeping 2 min, 2nd steeping 3min, 3rd steeping 4min.