My last loose-leaf sample from Tiffany – thank you so much! This is perhaps the most unusual tea of the bunch. It’s a heicha from Japan called Goishicha after the black stones used in the game go. Otoyo town seems to be the stronghold of goishicha producers. The tea undergoes a bipartite fermentation, with an initial fermentation by mold and a subsequent bacterial fermentation and pickling (by juice from the tea leaves themselves).
Fairly sweet from the get-go, with a nice sour note pervading the steeps. Lower leaf:water ratio is preferable: 1 g : 30 mL is fine with boiling. Mouthfeel is a bit slimy. Aftertaste is fairly long-lasting.
Flavors: Fruity, Pleasantly Sour, Raspberry, Salt, Sweet
