Sencha “Hatsuzumi April 21”

Maruro-en is a very small, family-operated tea farm in Hatsukura Shizuoka, on the eastern edge of the Makinohara Plateau, overlooking the Oi River. Makinohara is Japan’s largest tea plateau, while Hatsukura sits on its quieter, higher-elevation ridge. This area has long hours of sun, fog after rain, and cool mornings, even throughout summer. The tea fields that thrive here span two distinct soil types: red clay and kuroboku, (a dark volcanic soil found in parts of Japan). 

The relatively long hours of sunlight here cause tea plants to develop particularly thick, dense leaves, which dictates how they must be steamed and processed. Maruro-en focuses on minimally processed teas with the intention of preserving the characteristics of both the varietal and terroir, much like an unfined and unfiltered wine. Their philosophy for tea making is centered around “asking the tea,” which means honouring each field, season, leaf, and what each particular harvest is asking of them.

Sencha Hatsuzumi is made from tender, young Yabukita 極ミル芽 shoots picked on the first day of the harvest season, which fell on April 21st this year. They come from a single tea garden, 権現 (Gongen).

It is deep-steamed aracha-style, meaning it is minimally refined. This emphasizes the sweetness and body of the tender Yabukita while deliberately retaining some of the refreshing astringency characteristic of open-field tea.

Maruro does not rely on shading to chase and accentuate this varietal’s umami notes. As per their philosophy of tea making, they embrace the characteristics of tea grown in open-field and under direct sunlight. Here, Yabukita’s innate sweetness, umami, and astringency are all meant to happily coexist.

The dry, very fine cut leaves smell forested and green in a warm gaiwan. They brew a glowing liquor and a first infusion that has an incredibly soft mouthfeel, without any astringency. Yabukita’s characteristics articulate themselves and clarify through infusions, and the body of the tea increases in weight as they do, continuing to hold the flavour and the feel together as the tea develops.

There is nothing savoury here. We get floral notes as it passes over the palate, and a smooth, grassy impression after it is swallowed. This tea’s unique clarity makes sense: it is from one small garden, of one single cultivar, made by the hand of one attentive person, from leaves picked on one single day.