Organic Kirishima Miumori Yoru no Ka Shincha, 2025 harvest

Description

The Hayashi family tea garden, run by Shutaro Hayashi, his brother Kenji and their father Osamu, is nestled in the misty mountains of Kirishima in Kagoshima Prefecture on Kyushu, the southern island of Japan. The whole family is involved in the business: Shutaro, his brother and father oversee cultivation and production, while his mother and sister run the farm shop and office.

Yoru No Ka Shincha is a vibrant and expressive green tea that captures the essence of early spring. Crafted from the popular Yabukita cultivar, it offers a fine balance of delicate astringency and refined umami, creating a flavour profile that is both lively and nuanced. The dry leaf carries a surprising berry-like aroma, while the infusion reveals floral and fresh-vegetal notes, accompanied by a subtle savouriness. Its creamy mouthfeel and elegant interplay of richness and lightness make for a truly memorable cup. The aftertaste is long-lasting, refreshing, and gently invigorating.

This exceptional Shincha comes from a small Yabukita plot in the Hayashi tea garden, almost completely surrounded by forest. This natural enclosure creates a favourable microclimate, giving the tea bushes a consistent head start in spring growth. Observing this early budding, producer Shutaro Hayashi was inspired to develop a new Shincha using these unshaded (roji) leaves.

To draw out the full character of this unique harvest, Shutaro employs a special processing technique: the tea is picked in the afternoon and then gently withered overnight for about 18 hours under controlled airflow. This rest period lends the tea greater presence and aromatic depth. After withering, the leaves are lightly steamed in the asamushi style, preserving their clarity and subtle structure.

The 2025 harvest was picked on April 27th, just ahead of the Asanoka used in the Kirishima Miumori Sencha. The result is a beautifully floral, fresh, and multi-layered tea that from Yabukita cultivar, perfect for those seeking the full benefits of fresh green tea.

DE-ÖKO-006 Non-EU Agriculture

From controlled organic cultivation