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The weather has really changed here in Belgium and we finally have temperatures of more than 20°C. These temperatures call for refreshing green teas and the Gyukuro Saemidori Cha Meijin from Nio Teas seemed to be the perfect tea for today.
Tokoname Kyusu Fukamushi Teapot
This is the kyusu I always use when brewing Japanese green tea. It’s specifically designed for teas that consist of smaller leaves because it has a built-in metal strainer to avoid clogging.
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Gyokuro Saemidori Cha Meijin
The Gyokuro Saemidori Cha Meijin is an organic gyokuro from Mr. Sakamoto and comes from Kagoshima. More specifically, the tea was grown on a farm in Shibushi, which has a warm subtropical climate and volcanic soil.
Don’t know where to buy tea online? I made a list of over 300 online tea shops and I keep updating it regularly. You can check it over here
As you can tell from the name of this tea, it was made using the saemidori cultivar. It’s supposed to be a premium cultivar reserved for more premium teas.
Tea tasting
- 5g for a 150-200ml Tokoname Kyusu
- 60-70°C water
The leaves have a uniform dark green color and they seem relatively consistent in size. Most of them are medium-sized with some longer ones here and there. You can immediately see the typical needle shape of Japanese green tea. The aroma is really nutty and sweet. It smells like roasted soybeans.
Infusion 1 (60 sec): the color of the infusion is a really light green with a yellow hue. It has a strong umami taste to it. Taking a small sip immediately fills my whole mouth with umami juiciness. There is also a slight vegetal note at the start. The finish feels sweeter and the sweetness comes through in the aftertaste. The aftertaste feels like I have just eaten some candy. It’s a fruity sweetness that sticks to my throat. This is a great infusion that leaves you wanting more!
Infusion 2 (20 sec): there is less umami at the start it feels like the sweetness is right there. From this initial sweetness, it evolves into a slightly grassy brew with a nutty finish. The sweetness isn’t as intense in the middle, but it returns in the finish and just like the previous infusion, the aftertaste has a long-lasting sweetness to it. Again a pleasant and gentle infusion.
Infusion 3 (30 sec): the sweetness is still there at the start but it feels more vegetal as well. The sweetness is dominant and carries you through the infusion well into the aftertaste. From the finish onwards, the sweetness lingers and keeps on giving until it slowly disappears long after swallowing the final drop of tea.
Conclusion
This is truly a magnificent Gyokuro! It was insanely sweet throughout the session with some vegetal notes here and there. It was dominated by a nutty sweetness that was present long after taking a sip.
I feel this tea is perfect on a hot spring day to experience a gentle breeze. Weird as it may sound, drinking this tea feels just like that. This reminds me of another Gyokuro I drank several years ago. I had the exact same feeling drinking that tea.
This is how tea should be; intense, but not too intense. It feels just right!
Gyokuro Saemidori Cha Meijin
The gyokuro saemidori cha meijin is a light and sweet gyokuro made by the legendary gyokuro farmer Mr. Sakamoto in Shibushi. This tea has a warm sweetness, with notes of caramel and brown sugar.
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