Sencha, Sakamoto Koshun

Floral, melon, umami. A smooth Japanese green tea with a long finish.

Mitsuo Sakamoto is a third-generation tea farmer in Haruno-cho, Shizuoka, at 500 meters. The cool, misty conditions concentrate flavor. Koshun is the cultivar. This is the first spring harvest, lightly steamed and then wilted, a step that brings up the floral and fruity aroma.

Brew it hot at 181 °F, well below boiling, or cold brew it in the fridge. Water that is too hot is the usual reason green tea tastes bitter.

Details

• Tasting notes: floral, melon, umami
• Type: sencha, green tea
• Origin: Haruno-cho, Shizuoka, Japan; 500 m
• Producer: Mitsuo Sakamoto
• Cultivar: Koshun; first spring harvest
• Brew hot: 4 g to 400 g water at 181 °F, 5 minutes
• Cold brew: 5 g to 200 g water
• Sizes: 75 g or 225 g loose leaf
• From Methodical Coffee in Greenville, South Carolina