Miyazaki White Oolong

Gokase lies in the Takachiho highlands, a mountainous region that covers the northwest of Miyazaki. At roughly 600 to 700 metres elevation, the terrain here is steep and the air is cool. Gokase is one of the few places in Japan where the traditional pan-firing method of crafting tea has remained alive, even as steamed tea became the common method for crafting Japanese green teas.

Miyazaki Sabo grow and process all of their own teas and have been a pesticide-free organic farm since 1983. They produce over thirty types of tea, varying across kamairicha, oolong, black tea, and bancha, all from leaves they grow in their own tea gardens.

This organic oolong is made from spring-picked leaves that are processed in a Taiwan-inspired, lightly oxidized style. It is a blend of primarily Minamisayaka and Takachiho leaves, two Miyazaki cultivars prized for their aromatic character. The withering process draws out Minamisayaka's pronounced jasmine and gardenia-like floral notes, while Takachiho contributes a fresh, sweet character and crisp finish. Withering and light oxidation produce a particularly floral tea. The producer likens its fragrance to gardenia flowers (クチナシの花を思わせる), with their gentle and refreshing clarity.

We also find a powerful lily scent in this tea’s bouquet of aromatics. Submerged in water, the delicate leaves instantly turn bright green, appearing like a forest in the summer against their dark brown stems. As intoxicating as these aromatics are, we find the florality in this tea to be very grounded. As we drink it through infusions it doesn’t move upwards, into our heads; instead it floods the palate downwards. The liquor is gentle and extremely pretty, making this a very easy-drinking oolong that seems to soften its own edges, and in turn, ours.