Sencha Tsuyu Hikari

The mountainous part of the Yame region is called Oku-Yame. Its elevation and inverted climate means it is prone to fog, which acts like a veil over the tea fields that grow there. This natural protection causes the tea plants to store nutrients in their leaves, eventually resulting in a tea rich in an umami flavor.

Kakuda Seicha is a tea farming family in Kamyo-cho of Yame City in Fukuoka, in Oku-yame. Three generations previous to him, his ancestors built a small tea factory with the intention of producing genuine Oku-Yame tea that reflects the virtues of this mountainous terroir. Kakuda's relationship with this region, and the practice of farming and crafting tea there, runs very deep.

This sencha is made from a single varietal that is said to be the most compatible with Yame's soil. Its thick, robust leaves require advanced processing techniques to craft into tea, making this sencha a real signature of its craftsman.

Tsuyu Hikari is known for its gentle aroma, strong flavor and concentrated sweetness. Its liquor has a silky mouthfeel, with pleasing vegetal notes that give way to the taste of dissolved rock sugar. Its rich taste is balanced between low, dense green notes and airy, forested top notes that create a spacious architecture. We feel the mountain air blowing through this tea.