Kabuse Yabukita Sasama | 被せやぶきた 笹間

Gyokuro lovers, this is the one

A textbook example of ooika (覆い香) — the nori-like aroma that develops when tea bushes are shaded before harvest. If you love gyokuro, this is your tea. The umami is rich, concentrated, and unmistakably in the gyokuro family.

But what sets this one apart is how it finishes. Gyokuro-style teas can sometimes feel heavy — almost too much umami to drink comfortably. This one doesn’t do that. It’s strikingly fruity and refreshingly clear, with an elegance that keeps every sip light and clean. The umami is all there, but it never weighs you down.

Lightly steamed (asamushi) to preserve the natural character of the leaf. Brewed at low temperature, it drinks like gyokuro — thick with sweetness and umami. Brewed a little warmer, it opens up into a bright, clean sencha.

Grown by Miyama-en in Sasama, Shizuoka — the same farm behind our Koshun Black Tea and Koshun Oolong.