The previous Japanese green tea from The Japanese Tea Hub amazed me in multiple ways so I wanted to try another one. For today’s session, I picked the Watanabe Shimadori Kabusecha. If this one is even half as good as the Miuori Kirishima Sencha, it will be a good session.
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Watanabe Shimadori Kabusecha
The Watanabe Shimadori Kabusecha is a first flush kabusecha from the Watanabe family in Yakushima. The island of Yakushima is located in the Kagoshima Prefecture and if you google it, you see pictures of numerous wild and green forests. After seeing this, you know why it’s described as the ’emerald island’. Such a unique environment has to have a particular effect on the tea. Time to find out!
The dry leaves have a relatively dark green colour with some lighter tints. I see medium-sized leaves that are needle-shaped, so fairly standard shape. The aroma has grassy notes to it.
The aroma of the wet leaves is so good! It’s a candy-like sweetness with a dominant roasted nuttiness. The colour is green and I see medium-sized leaves once the leaves have opened.
Tea Tasting
- Water 70°C
- 3g for a 150ml Tokoname Kyusu
- 4 infusions
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Infusions
Infusion 1 (60 sec): this one has a real umami punch at the start. It’s also a bit sweet, but I’m mainly getting the oily and greasy umami flavours. There are also some greener notes, but not that much. The finish and aftertaste are soft, silky and also really sweet. It’s almost as if I’ve eaten candy.
Infusion 2 (30 sec): the colour of this one is a bit greener and more vibrant. I’m not getting as much umami as before, but there are more sweet notes in combination with light grass. There is also a light punch and the aftertaste is still amazingly sweet.
Infusion 3 (45 sec): right from the start, I notice that the flavours are not as prominent anymore. It’s still a bit sweet, there is also a hint of umami and the aftertaste is silky smooth. This is a really gentle, but pleasant infusion.
Infusion 4 (long): the flavours during this one have changed quite a bit. It’s not really sweet anymore and it reminds me of the sea. The punch is stronger and it’s also astringent after swallowing.
Conclusion
The flavours I experienced during this session were fantastic. The first infusion was all about umami. There was also a sweetness during the first three infusions and especially the aftertaste was really sweet. It was almost the flavour you get after eating candy. The final infusion was totally different because the flavours reminded me of a trip to the sea on a sunny day. In general, this was a really good session. Teas like this one make me want to drink a Japanese green tea every day!
If you want to buy this tea, you can do so over here.
