SENCHA SHOGUN 50g

• style: Kuradashi – aged sencha
• steaming: Fukamushi – deep steaming
• cultivar: Yabukita
• harvest: Ichibancha – the first spring flush
• region: Fujieda, Shizuoka
• altitude: 400 meters
• plantation: Kinezuka family farm

Sencha Shogun Aged Midori is made from ichibancha, the very first spring harvest. Right after processing the leaves are sealed in special containers and left to mature in a cool place for a year. The aging removes the astringency and brings out the roundness that is valued in Japan so highly that these teas have a name of their own – kuradashi. The warlord Hideyoshi was among their admirers.

Deep steaming breaks the leaves into fine particles that pass into the infusion. That is why it is thick, opaque and dark emerald in colour. The taste is pleasantly sweet and round, and the brewing forgives small inaccuracies, so Shogun suits everyday drinking.

The tea comes exclusively from the naturally managed plantations of the Kinezuka family in Fujieda, who have been practising natural farming since 1967. If you have not tasted kuradashi yet, Shogun is a good place to start.