Sample 3 from Yunomi. I think I’ll reserve final judgement on this until I alter my brewing style. They don’t say on their website, but this one also appears to be a chumushi, though the flavor is more intense than #2.
The first two steeps were fairly bitter (more than the other two) but it was tolerable. No sweetness. The third and final steep was actually my favorite, so I will decrease the amount of tea to 3g/100 mL next time and see how it goes.
EDIT: This tea LOVES a cooler brew. Dropping temps from 156 to 140 F and quantity from 4.5 g to 3 g did wonders. Changing rating from 72 to 94. I mean, this thing is so beautiful now! Will make the same change on Chiyo #2 and report back. This is one of the things I love about Japanese Greens – they require finesse. I hope someday to be enough of a tea master as to be able to tell by looking at and smelling dry leaves what brewing parameters they desire.
This is now free of bitterness and LOADED with sweetness. Goes 5 infusions: 140 × 60, 140 × 25, 156 × 60, 190 × 60, 190 × 90 and still had good intensity. About the same price as Kurihara’s #24 at $0.33/g.
Harvest: May 2024
Cultivar: Yabukita
Location: Yabe Village, Yame, Fukuoka
Altitude: 600 m
Flavors: Artichoke, Asparagus, Chalk, Seaweed, Sweet, Umami, Vegetables
