Sencha Zuiko

Tea type
Green Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Kale, Peanut, Spinach, Umami, Fruity, Grass, Nutty
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Not available
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Jason
Average preparation
165 °F / 73 °C 1 min, 30 sec 4 g 7 oz / 203 ml

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13 Tasting Notes View all

  • “This is a remarkable Sencha – very full-flavored … brothy! Very smooth and vegetative. Grassy … like a savory grassy flavor with hints of sweet. Not a bitter savory, although there are some...” Read full tasting note
    89
  • “I wanted to experiment, and brew this the way a Chinese tea is done in a gaiwan, so instead of the traditional 140 or 160 for 1-2 minutes, I did near-boiling water for 15 seconds. It came out only...” Read full tasting note
    95
  • “This is a sweet, vegetal sencha I’m drinking to start the day. Alternating it with the Sencha Shin-ryoku, it might have a bit more umami, but really hard to be sure. They’re very similar, and I...” Read full tasting note
    75
  • “There is just the slightest tinge of bitterness to this tea. I suspect that I over-steeped it by a few seconds. Nonetheless it is still quite nice. It smells buttery and vegetal with just the...” Read full tasting note
    89

From Den's Tea

A top-tier Sencha grown at a high elevation. All Zuiko comes from a single tea garden where it is grown under the most meticulous and pampered conditions.

Origin: Honyama, Shizuoka
Harvest: First Flush 2009
Species: Yabukita

Tasting Profile:
This is a strong, thick full-bodied cup with an intense flavor of fresh green vegetables.

Den’s Preferred Brewing:
Water: 2oz @ 160F
Leaves: 2 grams or 1 rounded teaspoon
Steep: 90 sec
2nd Cup: Water @ 180F; Steep 30 sec

About Den's Tea View company

Company description not available.

13 Tasting Notes

89
4843 tasting notes

This is a remarkable Sencha – very full-flavored … brothy! Very smooth and vegetative. Grassy … like a savory grassy flavor with hints of sweet. Not a bitter savory, although there are some bitter notes in there, but it is more of a well-rounded savory kind of experience for the palate. Very nice.

ScottTeaMan

I really enjoy Senchas with that brothy character…….sounds delicious! :))

Stephanie

“Brothy”—yes that’s it exactly! Perfect description. :)

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95
280 tasting notes

I wanted to experiment, and brew this the way a Chinese tea is done in a gaiwan, so instead of the traditional 140 or 160 for 1-2 minutes, I did near-boiling water for 15 seconds.

It came out only sweet, delicious, and just what I would expect from a high quality sencha! I re-steeped it the same, again, just for 15 seconds each time. 4 good steepings all came out, and very little to no bitterness; it really surprised me and I’m going to use this method more often as it seems easier not to do (much less to measure or mess up when I don’t have to check the temperature and I can simply count, rather than using a timer!).

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec
Cofftea

LOL I do the opposite- steep Chinese sencha’s the Japanese way:)

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75
311 tasting notes

This is a sweet, vegetal sencha I’m drinking to start the day. Alternating it with the Sencha Shin-ryoku, it might have a bit more umami, but really hard to be sure. They’re very similar, and I prefer both to the Fukamushi sencha maki I bought previously from Den’s.

I’m still pretty new to the Japanese greens, first tried them just six months ago, so have only had half a dozen different senchas, mostly small samples, to compare this to.

Shinobi_cha

Now you’ve had a ‘lot’ more experience with Japanese greens, have you tried it again to see what you think?

Interestingly, the first time I had this, I enjoyed it enough to buy more, but it wasn’t until I had been drinking it for a while, and then tried a few other senchas, that I really appreciated it.

Any senchas (other than from Den’s Tea) that you recommend?

(I’m new to Japanese greens as of just one year ago now, all because of Den’s Tea $3 sampler!)

teaddict

Haven’t tried it again yet. I have tried enough other senchas to be clear that I have a strong preference for teas with less umami, so the sweetness shines through more, but this year I ordered some teas straight from a couple of different suppliers, and haven’t drunk through them yet. I probably will be ordering from Dens again within a few months, but not sure what I’ll order.

So many lovely teas to explore, and so little time! For sencha particularly, I really love it as my morning tea, but I rarely have the time to give it the proper attention later in the day—and sencha is touchy enough that I definitely have to give it time. So I go through my senchas slowly.

From last year’s harvests, I particularly enjoyed Sayamakaori and Honyama senchas from Yuuki Cha, and another Honyama from Norbu (the ‘Zairai’ varietal).

….just checked Den’s pages again, and guess what? The Shin-ryoku is from Honyama. I think there is a pattern developing here!

Shinobi_cha

That makes sense about the sweetness; I’m pretty sure the Zuiko is more umami than sweet. This last fall, Den’s came out with a ‘Kuradashi’ (aged) sencha; it was the same tea as the Shin-ryoku or Zuiko, but aged 6 months. That was somewhat sweeter and very citrusy, compared to the regular Zuiko — my favorite sencha this year so far.

Yes, I think the Zuiko and Shin-ryoku are from the same exact tea garden. I don’t know what the processing difference is to make the former more expensive than the latter though.
Interesting; I’ve noticed a few from Yuuki Cha and I may check them out someday. Once I’ve drunk through what I have in my cupboard (which is full right now), I want to try Hojo Tea and O-cha. Hojo has a Zairai sencha also from Honyama I believe. I read (I think on Hojo’s website) that Honyama is one of the oldest high-quality tea growing regions.

teaddict

When I next order from Den’s, I’ll probably stick to the Shin-ryoku, because the Zuiko was more strongly vegetal, with higher umami, which is not what I prefer. The only clear productions differences in the listings is a note that the Zuiko comes from a single garden, and is ‘scissor picked’ rather than machine harvested or hand picked.

Shinobi_cha

I’ve sampled the Shin-ryoku before, but I need to get try it again; the fact that you say it is sweeter or whatever makes me think I would like it. Perhaps the Kuradashi is actually their Shin-ryoku, and that explains why I liked it more than the Zuiko. I email and ask them what the difference is between the two, since I know it is the same family that produces both.

teaddict

How do you know it is the same family that produces both?

Just curious, because I don’t see that level of detail in the descriptions.

BTW, what I am referring to as ‘sweeter’ here should be translated to, more apparent sweetness due to lighter flavor with less umami to obscure the honey-sweet flavors.

Shinobi_cha

Den wrote this article on the 2009 shincha harvest, long before I had ever heard of their company. However, they re-printed it last April or May again, because a lot of the information was still relevant. I found it to be fascinating! And it explains a lot about their farm where Zuiko and Shin-ryoku come from: http://www.denstea.com/index.php?main_page=shincha_report

Thanks for clarifying about sweeter; that makes sense!

Shinobi_cha

With regards to the link, the article is long, so scroll down to ‘Nakamura Tea Farm’ for the relevant info.

teaddict

Thanks for the excellent link. Now more eager for their kunpu shincha…

Shinobi_cha

No problem! Yeah, I want to try it as well as the “108th night shincha”

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89
236 tasting notes

There is just the slightest tinge of bitterness to this tea. I suspect that I over-steeped it by a few seconds. Nonetheless it is still quite nice. It smells buttery and vegetal with just the slightest hint of flowers. My beloved says that it smells like a meadow and I can sense that as well. The taste is warm and calming with the same buttered vegetal promised by the fragrance.

Preparation
155 °F / 68 °C 1 min, 30 sec
Cofftea

Green vegetables? Yum!

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77
102 tasting notes

Vegetal. Mild. Out of all the Den’s senchas I’ve tried, this one is the closest to being bitter. When I brewed it the suggested way, it was both weak and a tad bitter. So I experimented with brew temps and times, and found I got the best flavor when I brewed it for 2 min. 15 sec. at 150 F. When I brewed it this way, it was not bitter, and the grassy flavor stood out. The liquor is pale green in color. It’s a better quality sencha than many I’ve tried; however, it does not have the umami and depth of savory flavors I get from some other senchas, such as Den’s Fukamushi Sencha Yame.

Preparation
150 °F / 65 °C 2 min, 15 sec

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88
6768 tasting notes

Semi sweet and semi vegetal – it’s a tad sooth – and quite memorable! I like this!

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99
27 tasting notes

Just got some of this since it’s on sale. First brew, used about 3oz water to 2.4g tea, for 90 seconds at 150F. The color is light yellow and very clean, almost no “dust”. The taste is…similar to a Chinese tea, like a good Dragonwell. There is just the right amount of bitterness and plenty of umami. Not as vegetal as some…this is a little more on the floral side. Overall, a very good tea, but a little expensive at it’s regular price.

Oh and as always, the extras Den puts in the order make it just that much better. Got a free sample of Mugicha (barley tea) that I’ve always wanted to try.

Preparation
150 °F / 65 °C 1 min, 30 sec

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79
2036 tasting notes

Sipdown no. 14 of 2017 (no. 295 total).

Goodbye, you very interesting kale and peanut combo!

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75
485 tasting notes

Very nice tea I got a sample of as part of Den’s starter kit or whatever. I used the brewing instructions that came with this sample and they worked quite well. The leaf smelled grassy and nutty, like many sencha. The first steep was grassy with a bit of a fruity undertone and slight bitterness. The second and third steeps were a bit more vegetal with a spinach note, little to no bitterness, and a more rounded flavor. The last steep was slightly more watery, but still had some sweet, green flavor going on with it.

Flavors: Fruity, Grass, Nutty, Spinach

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 30 sec 3 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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371 tasting notes

A sample of this came from my order. Thank you, Den’s Tea!

Brewed in a tokoname kyusu. This review is based on my tweaked brewing parameters. I tried the recommended parameters, but the increase from 160 to 185 for the second infusion was too much and produced an infusion not to my taste, so I kept the temperature a constant 160. Steeping times: 90, 60, 90, 105, 120.

I haven’t properly evaluated Japanese greens for at least two years. With this sencha, I was brought back to the fact that I have a hard time picking out varying distinctive notes the aroma and liquor. Actually, I’m even pretty bad at evaluating Chinese greens too. It’s a bit frustrating since I love green tea…

The dry leaf smells like, well, sencha. In a more evocative sense: mid-summer leaf sap scent carried by a warm wind. The leaf in the heated kyusu and the wet leaf aroma has a buttery note of zucchini.

The liquor is thick, full, and rounded with strong flavor. The first infusion has a vegetal bitterness, but in the second infusion and onward, this bitterness disappears and the liquor tastes sweeter, retaining the vegetal note. Gradually, the body lightens in flavor and thins in texture. Feels uplifting both in mood and energy.

I had this session outside. Fantastic day!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BElngedwNmG/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BElr6NaQNjd/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BElsF3uQNkC/

This might be last year’s harvest (2015), but it still tastes fresh. However, this may be the void in my experience with Japanese greens. I’m happy to be on track with my first love.

Preparation
165 °F / 73 °C 4 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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