Shincha Autumn Kuchikiri

秋の口切り新茶

Harvest
May 2023, crafted in October 2023

Origin
Yamue, Fukuoka

This tea is a special, limited release sencha from Hoshino in Yame, Fukuoka. It is specifically intended to be enjoyed in the autumn, and has been crafted to suit the body during colder days.

The tea leaves – a combination of the finest varietals, Saemidori, Okumidori, Tsuyuhikari and Okuyutaka – were harvested in late April to early May. The best leaves were carefully selected by tea masters at Hoshino and then  immediately frozen at 30 degrees below celsius to preserve their freshness. In October the tea was taken out from the freezer and crafted into this special sencha for autumn.

We taste this tea with great curiosity, to note the impact the freezing has had on the leaves. Dry, they look dark and oily and smell quite powerful. The sencha brews a slightly cloudy, yellow liquor that sits softly in the mouth for the first infusion. The wet leaves smell warm and acrid, a bit like fallen leaves.

We agree with the producer’s assessment, that this is a sencha for autumn: it feels less cooling to the body, and tastes warmer as well. Its low, soothing notes makes this sencha feel like something between categories, as though its stepping towards the warm, roasty character of oolong.

Later infusions brew an increasingly greener liquor with a taste that becomes gradually saltier and grassier. This is a delicious and beautiful gradient progression to go through. 

Net weight 100g

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Brewing guide