5g, ~90-100ml water
I received this tea from Chiki with a recommended drink-by date of November 16, so I expect to do a lot of experimentation with it between now and then. For this first try, I’m going to follow Yunomi’s kabusecha brewing guide and brew for 90 seconds on the first steep. I’ll be using my gaiwan with the lid off and pouring into a preheated cup.
These leaves probably have the greatest sense of delicacy of anything I’ve brewed recently. The dry leaves are a deep green with a potent vegetal aroma.
The aroma of the first steep is mouthwateringly strong and the flavor does not disappoint. Green and umami. It’s like a savory veggie medley. Despite drinking green tea for years and even living in Japan, this is actually my first time having a kabusecha. I am blown away. The moutfeel is, indeed, dense, but smooth. I can’t help but think this tea would make an unbelievable bowl of ochazuke. As I get closer to the sediment at the bottom, a bit of bitterness is hitting the back of my tongue. Just the right amount, in my opinion, paired with just a bit of astringency. The wet leaves look just like steamed greens, which I suppose makes perfect sense!
The second steep has the perfect easy drinking flavor. If the first steep was like a treat to be enjoyed in moderation, the second is something that I could continue to drink all day, which I suppose is illustrated by the fact that I drank it down pretty quickly.
The strong aroma is still present, but that overwhelming flavor is giving way to something more mellow and sweet in the third steep. I’m loving the lingering sensation that’s left in my throat. I feel like I probably could have gotten a bit more flavor out of this steep, so in the future I’ll try letting it go a bit longer.
In the fourth steep the aroma still continues to linger and the flavor continues to mellow out, so I think I’ll call it done for now. Next time I try this, I may try hotter water for the 3rd and 4th steeps to see how that turns out.
Steep details:
1st: 70C, 90 seconds
2nd: 80C, 10 seconds
3rd: 80C, 30 seconds
4th: 80C, 60 seconds
Edit: So, the brewing guide I used threw out the idea of eating steeped out kabusecha leaves, so I mixed it into my lunch (rice and veggies). That was a very, very good idea. Definitely will do it again.
Flavors: Green, Smooth, Umami
