Senryu Fukamushi Sencha

As I finish off the last teaspoon and prepare to say goodbye to this tea, I can’t help but wonder whether I tapped into its full potential. It usually takes a while to dial in Japanese greens. That tends to happen when I’m halfway through a 100g bag. For whatever reason, it didn’t happen here.

The tea has an intensely sweet forestry and floral aroma. Beautiful, bright green color typical of deep steamed sencha. The first sip is brothy then wet grass and umami as it cools. Upon resteep, the color deepens and the tea becomes cleaner and more buttery. Fairly enjoyable but nothing showstopping. This is when the tea was at its best. Other times it tasted bland, sulfuric, or a little salty.

Overall this was a respectable fukamushi with fleeting glimpses of brilliance however I just couldn’t get in the cup what I smelled. Can’t tell if I’m to blame here or the tea.

This sencha is a real treat. Having brewed it in my unglazed Tokoname kyusu several times, I can safely report that it is uncommonly rich and sweet, even for fukamushicha.

The first steep blankets the whole mouth in thick, buttery-sweet goodness. The aroma of the hot tea is indulgently umami-forward and superbly nutty. The color is deep green, and, as is typical with fukamushi sencha, numerous flavorful tea particles permeate the cup in every steep. The second infusion is more delicate, with more prominent fresh, floral notes. The third infusion is light and refreshing, thinner, and well-balanced with a subtle apple flavor. Nutty, buttery flavors persist throughout the brewing span of the tea. A solid fourth infusion is sometimes possible with a gentler approach to the first three (chiefly through shorter steep times).

This tea is distinctive ambrosia. It will be one for me to remember and purchase again and again.