As promised, I am providing more detailed information about the Sencha teas we are about to taste:

These teas are grown in Kagoshima, Japan. The altitude where these Japanese teas are grown is about 350 meters from sea level. With Japan being more northern than other tea producing countries, the height of the mountains where tea bushes grow is not as important a factor as it is for teas in China or India for instance. India and China being more southern, they need to have higher altitudes in the mountains to cultivate tea. In addition, the organic tea garden is also close to a river which gets fog in the area which means more moisture appreciated by the tea plants.

These organic, half shaded teas (KABUSE CHA) are processed by covering the tea plants a few weeks prior to picking which allows only 50% of the sun’s rays to reach the plant creating almost an identical environment as the wild tea bushes. The shading of tea plants has a long tradition in Japan. It is a practice to create an environment similar to the one in which the wild tea plant grows. One could say that the traditional shading, allowing only 5% of the sun’s rays to get to the tea plant, is the old tradition as they used bamboo to cover the tea plants. The more modern way to grow half shaded tea is by covering the tea plants with special nets allowing only 50% of the sun’s rays to reach the plants. This comes even closer to the natural light conditions of the wild tea plant. As a result, the half shaded tea develops more active substances and a distinctive fresh and highly aromatic scent. It also serves to increase the levels of certain amino acids which decrease tannins and increase sweetness in the tea leaves. The half shaded tea also contains a much higher percentage of Vitamin C compared, for instance, to Chinese Gunpowder tea.

When the early picking starts in April, the temperature, even though varying from year to year, is still cold but warm enough to have some fresh small tea leaves develop. The size of those leaves are about 1 cm. In May and June when the rain starts, those leaves could sometimes become 5 times bigger. Those small leaves that grow slowly contain very rich substances such as vitamin (C), volatile oils and amino acids that are known to be specifically good for the brain cells.

Tenbu Fuka and Tenbu teas are the best selection from the very 1st picking. Only the very best selection of those fresh, small tea leaves from that first April picking contribute to the Tenbu Fuka and Tenbu tea stock: Less quantity, higher quality.

Everyone knows about Gyokuro and that it is shaded from 95% of sunlight for the last 20 days before harvest, but the finest Gyokuro is never exported out of Japan, only the lesser quality of Gyokuro is meant for export. Unlike Gyokuro, these Tenbu Fuka and Tenbu teas are produced in organic tea gardens and reserved for tea connoisseurs around the world.

The best kept secret of the high quality and exquisite taste of Tenbu Fuka and Tenbu is half from the soil, climate, environment and the other half is in the knowledge and expertise of the tea makers. The matt green color of Tenbu Fuka and Tenbu and not shiny green is a sign of the deep steaming process expertise that allows optimum opening of the tea leaves surface for richer aromas and substances to be extracted during the tea infusion. The all organic steaming facility being right next to the tea garden is another major advantage for all of these half shaded teas. Time being of essence to avoid the tea leaves oxidation following the picking, the steaming facility location is one of the many criterions that helps differentiate these high quality teas from all other Senchas.

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As soon as I receive the new shipment of samples, I will send them out first to all of the tasters who live out of the country. After giving them a few days to get on their way, I will then ship out the rest. At that time I will email everyone with a copy of the tasting guidelines that Phyll Sheng was kind enough to create for the last tasting, as well as the brewing guidelines for these unique teas that, frankly, caught me a little by surprise.