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I had a hard time reading the name on this sample at first, but glad to have finally figured it out. 5g in 200ml gaiwan. Nice, deep red liquor and the first steep is smooth and light, but has a clear, earthy richness.

Starting with the second steep, this shou becomes super smooth, rich and has a nice sweetness to it that lasts through the next couple of hours of steeping. No qi, but this this is easy to drink with a gentle, but rich flavor.

Holly at Chiki Tea sent a sample of this along with the samples for the research, so thanks Holly! I haven’t tried this tea from them yet. As soon as I start steeping these leaves I’m greeted with a nice, rich, umami vegetal aroma that I know and love from their selection of green teas. The first sip does not disappoint. The liquor is the color of a sencha, but it is is so much more flavorful than what I would typically expect! Umami up front with a spinach body and a nice sweet finish. Very smooth and creamy texture. The fact that his producer is known for his hon gyokuro is very apparent in this one.

Second step comes out a vivid green and continues to bring the umami with even more creaminess. Got two more good steeps out of this one, as well. Definitely a good one!

This is the third and last of the three samples I am tasting for the Shizuoka Tea Research Institute, as facilitated by Chiki tea. Each one is a sencha provided in a tea bag with specific steeping instructions.

The name of the Sayamakaori makes me think of the first place I lived in Japan…Sayama-shi! The dry leaves of this tea smell quite vegetal, and this aroma strengthens once the leaves have been steeped. The liquor smells vegetal and umami, slightly creamy, and steeps out to a very pale yellow green. I would say this one has the palest liquor of the three. The taste of this one is also the gentlest of the three. I am getting an asparagus vegetal flavor up front with an umami body and a bit of a sweet and creamy finish, but it is quite subtle. This one is extremely smooth, definitely the smoothest textured overall. It’s got a bit of viscosity to it, as well. Overall, this one is kind of brothy and very comforting. This tastes the most like a standard sencha of the three. I don’t think I would pick up on any florals in this one if I didn’t know to look for them—even moreso than with the Yabukita. A bit of astringency comes in at the very end of the cup, but not much.

The packaging rated the flavors for this one as follows:

Floral: 5/5
Sweet: 3/5
Vegetal: 2/5
Umami: 3/5

I would rate them as follows:
Floral: 0.5/5
Sweet: 3/5
Vegetal: 4/5
Umami: 3/5

Got a lovely handwritten note from LP with tips on brewing this to AMAZING status. 6g/100ml 20s @ 95C.

AMAZING. This is so good. It smells very roasty, but steeps out such a light gold that is just instantly sweet and creamy.

Second steep comes out a bit deeper in color and is like the slightly darker bit of cornbread that rhinkle makes. Not quite burnt, but just more well-done enough for the honey to carmelize.

The longer I go on with this one, the more the roasted notes emerge. Smooth, creamy roast. This deliciousness has carried me through the afternoon.

This is the second of the three samples I am tasting for the Shizuoka Tea Research Institute, as facilitated by Chiki tea. Each one is a sencha provided in a tea bag with specific steeping instructions.

The Koushun steeps out to a very clear, light yellowish green. I find it to be more transparent than the Yabukita was. The leaves have a roasty aroma and the liquor itself does smell distinctly floral and sweet. Again, I would say creamy and chestnut are up front in this one, but the floral is up there with it. Body is a beany vegetal, a bit like edamame, and there isn’t much umami in this one. It tastes a bit like sipping a usucha (thin matcha), one that is stronger on the sweet and creamy notes and not bitter. It’s also got some characteristics I would expect more from an oolong. I’m not getting as much astringency on the finish with this one as I did with the Yabukita. The texture is thick and fluffy.

Of the two I’ve tried, so far I like this one better and find it to be more distinct and unique.

The packaging rated the flavors for this one as follows:

Floral: 3/5
Sweet: 5/5
Vegetal: 3/5
Umami: 2/5

I would rate them as follows:
Floral: 4/5
Sweet: 4/5
Vegetal: 3/5
Umami: 1/5

Today has been one of those days, so I am in need of something engaging for a while. Let’s do this.

5g in 100ml gaiwan. Leaves smell a bit dusty. Quick rinse, flash steep. I get a reddish golden liquor. I feel like I smell a bit of mushroom, which catches me by surprise. First sip is creamy and viscous with just a bit of a drying sensation.

In the second steep I start to get the tobacco aroma and flavor accompanying the creaminess. As I go on, I start getting fluffy maltiness, a nice earth-like depth and a building cha qi that is very much appreciated on this particular afternoon.

Work day is coming to an end, so I will save these leaves to continue with tomorrow!

This is the first of the three samples I am tasting for the Shizuoka Tea Research Institute, as facilitated by Chiki tea. Each one is a sencha provided in a tea bag with specific steeping instructions.

Very excited to get going with tasting these teas this morning! It’s kind of weird dealing with teabags, now, but this tea was developed to be easy to steep properly for anyone, not just those accustomed to dealing with non-bagged tea, so here we go.

The Yabukita steeps out to a very yellow-green, almost gold-green. The steeped leaves have a light vegetal aroma and the liquor itself is also very light in aroma. Vegetal and chestnutty with just a faint hint of florals. The taste itself is also quite light. Creamy with chestnut up front, vegetal, lightly umami body and a bit of an astringent finish.

The Shizuoka Tea Research Institute is aiming to produce more fragrant teas with sweet, floral aromas to help revitalize the industry in Japan, which is struggling.

Overall, this tea did seem to stray a bit from what I would typically expect out of a sencha, with more sweetness and creaminess up front and very light florals. It’s got some very light oolong qualities to it, but they are /very/ light in this one, at least in my opinion.

The packaging rated the flavors for this one as follows:

Floral: 3/5
Sweet: 3/5
Vegetal: 2/5
Umami: 3/5

I would rate them as follows:
Floral: 1/5
Sweet: 4/5
Vegetal: 3/5
Umami: 2/5