Organic Aged Bo Hojicha (3Yrs) | 有機三年番茶 – 90g
$20.00
Enticed by a coffee-like aroma, warmed by gentle sweetness.
This is our most distinctive tea, known for its bold aroma that calls to mind coffee or dark chocolate. With just one sniff, you might not believe it’s Japanese tea.
Its unique character comes not only from the ingredients—naturally sweet, floral stems and twigs—and expert roasting, but also from the aging process.
While aging is rare in the world of standard Japanese green tea, where freshness is prized (especially in shincha), it’s a respected tradition in the world of matcha.
In the kuchikiri (口切り) method, tea leaves are aged for months before milling, which helps mellow bitterness and deepen flavor. In a similar way, this tea’s inherent sweetness is gently enhanced over three years. It’s not showy—rather, it’s humble and natural, slowly unfolding as you brew.
Another benefit: this tea is extremely low in caffeine—just 0.004g per 100g, far less than the 0.02g typically found in sencha. So while it has a bold, coffee-like aroma, the tea itself is mild, soothing, and easy to enjoy any time of day. If you’re looking for a coffee alternative, this tea is well worth a try.
For a more aromatic, elegant take on stem hojicha, try our Bo Hojicha. For the artisanal hand-roasted version, see Hand Roasted Bo Hojicha.
Tea Profile
Category: Hojicha
Roasting Method: Machine roasting
Blend Status: Blended
● Multi-cultivar
● Single-origin
Cultivar 1 (Primary): Yabukita / やぶきた
Cultivar 2 (Secondary): Various cultivars
Origin: Fujieda, Shizuoka, Japan
Crafted using Yabukita from Fujieda (a sub-region of Shizuoka Prefecture) as the primary base, with other cultivars from the same region blended in to fine-tune the flavor.
Harvest:
Aging Method:
Cultivation Method: Certified organic (JAS – Japan’s official standard for organic agriculture)
Sourcing Information
This tea is sourced from a tea refiner in Shizuoka.
The refiner procures crude tea (Aracha / 荒茶) either through the tea market or directly from farmers.
What is a tea refiner?
A tea refiner is a company led by seasoned tea professionals—often referred to as tea masters, or Chashi (茶師) in Japanese—who possess deep, hands-on knowledge of both tea farming and consumer preferences. With finely tuned senses and a discerning palate developed through years of experience, they tirelessly seek out and procure high-quality teas, whether directly from farmers or through tea markets.
Tea refiners, especially those based in production regions like Shizuoka, actively build relationships with local growers and often work closely with them. Through processes such as final firing, sorting, and blending, refiners enhance the flavor, aroma, and overall quality of the tea—bringing out its full potential.
While they may appear to be just wholesalers, each tea refiner has a unique philosophy, a preferred flavor profile, and distinct strengths. These differences are reflected in the final taste of the tea, adding another layer of uniqueness on top of the tea’s original characteristics, such as cultivar and terroir.
Brewing Instructions
Hot Brew
Tea / Water Ratio: 3g / 100ml
Temperature: 195°F (90°C)
Steeping Time: 30 seconds – 1 minute
1 review for Organic Aged Bo Hojicha (3Yrs) | 有機三年番茶 – 90g
| 5 star | 100% | |
| 4 star | 0% | |
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| 1 star | 0% |
Organic Aged Bo Hojicha (3Yrs) | 有機三年番茶 - 90g
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Very good, primary scents are pine wood, coffee, molasses, maple syrup. Primary tastes are tree sap, coffee, maple water, wood and chocolate. We like it brewed strong since these are all quite subtle flavors.