Yame Gyokuro "Sen"

Yame is a special place. It is defined by dramatic mountains and cascading waterfalls. It is also known to produce the best Gyokuro in Japan, making it home to the traditional craftsmanship for this kind of tea. Over 100 years of experience making Gyokuro lives in Yame and thus, the tea that comes from here has set the standard for Gyokuro around the world for a very long time.

Gyokuro depends on shade, and the best ones are grown in the valleys of mountains where there is little direct sunlight. The narrow river valleys of the Yame region create the ideal conditions for these tea trees, and they are able to flourish naturally, without much human intervention.

Dry, the tea leaves smell warm, like fresh popcorn. They brew quite an opaque liquor, leaving pale green, lettuce-looking leaves in the gaiwan after the first infusion. A slight bitterness gives the first and second infusions a sencha like profile, offset by this tea's unique, slick mouthfeel. This is a grassy and vibrant gyokuro with a hint of astringency that lifts it upwards. It gets sweeter, and even a bit tropical, through infusions.