Maeda-End 2012 New Crop Shin-Cha Gold

Appearance: dark (almost forest) green broken leaves with some golden yellow pieces. I really like the color of a shincha – it just seems like green tea is supposed to be this green. Liquor: mossy green. The liquor is more green than a lot of Japanese greens – hooray for the freshness (April 2012 harvest). Like most sencha there is some sedimentation, so a good strainer is recommended. Smell: very vegetal, with creamy high notes. Having lived in Japan, the smell of sencha is powerfully nostalgic. Taste: again, very vegetal, like spinach almost, but it’s sweet, creamy, and has nice nutty (chestnut) undertones. The aftertaste is grassy but only mildly astringent. I like the grassiness of a Japanese green, and this is a great example. Overall I’m really happy I was in Japantown recently to see this one. 9/10.

This is an excellent new crop tea. I wish I had more, highly recommended. I enjoy my green teas somewhat strong so steep longer than most. Also, for the past year I’ve chosen to enjoy almost exclusively quality Japanese Senchas.

1st Brew ; A light delicate very young green flavor. It has a mellow slightly earthy sweetness, with upper palate flavor and very slight bitter after taste (if brewed strong). Color of the brew is lime to mossy green depending on strength. The tea is very fine and young so leaves settles at the bottom of the vessel nicely.

2nd Brew; lighter but nicely green and sweet. Leaves a desire for greater depth, but has nice green after taste on upper palate. Sweetness in mouth. Still lime green color.