Shincha Hoshi no Yu

新茶・ほしの優

Harvest
May 2023

Origin
Yamue, Fukuoka

Yame, Fukuoka is a tea producing region famous for gyokuro 玉露.  It is located on the southernmost Japanese island of Kyushu. The tea comes from what was once a small village named Hoshino, before it merged with neighbouring villages to form the city of Yame. Yame spans a mountainous area, with the Hoshino River flowing through it from East to West.

The land here is very fertile and, at a higher altitude, the air is continually moist and foggy. Tea trees grow steadily and slowly in these conditions, which gives both their tea’s sweetness and its savory “umami” flavors depth and complexity.

This is our first year receiving shincha (fresh new sencha) from Hoshino. Their senchas are produced in the same style as their famous gyokuro, offering us a rich and savoury green tea that lies somewhere between categories.

The name “Yu” translates as “excellent.” This tea was named this way on account of its excellent presentation of umami. It is crafted from only the young, tender leaves from the trees and is valued highly for its gentleness.

Its dark green, finely shredded leaves brew a liquor that glows green even after one infusion. We feel its relationship with gyokuro in its vegetal characteristics,  but this tea ultimately reads sencha, finishing with a burst of passionfruit that lingers on the palate. Both the acidity and astringency are well balanced in this tea, giving structure to the wealth of interesting flavours it references. 

Net weight 100g

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Brewing guide