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“I am sipping the last of this one, and I am sorry that it’s almost gone. When I first purchased this in David’s the sales person said that the longer you brew this one the sweeter it gets. I...” Read full tasting note
“I’ll admit, i’m pleasantly surprised. I have been very dissatisfied with Davids teas this summer, due to the large amount of mango in them. I was going to chapter’s today for some new reads, and it...” Read full tasting note
“Dry Leaf Nose: A warm green tea note laden with both creamery and chestnuts notes. Liquor: The liquor sports a very fresh and excptionally sweet tea oil aroma which includes a dairy fresh cream...” Read full tasting note
“I have to admit getting home to Victoria just in time for the second of the “Garden to Cup” series release was fantastic. The tea leaves smell refreshing and look so bright and green in their dry...” Read full tasting note
Nestled in Japan’s famed Shimiza district, scattered among forests and bamboo groves, are a series of small, quiet tea gardens growing some seriously mind-blowing sencha. Warm days, cool nights and the area’s renowned pure and delicious water combine to create the ideal conditions for growing great green tea. And we’re offering you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to taste their exceptional Sencha Yabukita, just days after the pluck. Tea this young retains a uniquely sweet “tea oil” aroma and a smooth, buttery taste with hints of roasted chestnut. It’s as fresh as tea gets, and it’s yours to taste for a very short time. Limited edition!
Steamed green tea leaves from Shimizu district, Shizuoka prefecture Japan.
DavidsTea is a Canadian specialty tea and tea accessory retailer based in Montreal, Quebec. It is the largest Canadian-based specialty tea boutique in the country, with its first store having opened in 2008.
I am sipping the last of this one, and I am sorry that it’s almost gone. When I first purchased this in David’s the sales person said that the longer you brew this one the sweeter it gets. I actually didn’t find that to be the case.
What I did find was that with proper brewing temperature and time this tea was oh so buttery. When I read other people’s reviews on green tea’s being buttery, I never really understood; because I never really got a strong butter flavour. Vegetables, yes, but not butter. Until this tea. This is the first green tea that had a pronounced butter flavour, and I am going to miss that.
Now I have to search for a replacement buttery green tea.
I’ll admit, i’m pleasantly surprised. I have been very dissatisfied with Davids teas this summer, due to the large amount of mango in them. I was going to chapter’s today for some new reads, and it was hot out.. and I got sunburned.. this store had a tiny bit left.. enough for an iced cup and a small 25g bag… i’m sad that was all they had (although, I think the freshness is what really makes this sencha outstanding) because it is wonderful! .. its a nice green, steeps up almost a lime colour, which was surprising.. and tastes very buttery and pure… now that I’ve had this good experience, I think i’m going to try the next ‘from garden to cup’ that is launched!
Dry Leaf Nose: A warm green tea note laden with both creamery and chestnuts notes.
Liquor: The liquor sports a very fresh and excptionally sweet tea oil aroma which includes a dairy fresh cream note, with a hint of roasted chestnuts and warm butter.
Flavour: First and most striking is the smooth quality of the liquor which is augmented by the silky sweet nose of the cup. The fresh green tea notes are equally balanced by fresh cream and slight roasted chestnut nuances. The tea is excellent in both the first and second steeps – the second being extremely smooth and subtle.
I have to admit getting home to Victoria just in time for the second of the “Garden to Cup” series release was fantastic. The tea leaves smell refreshing and look so bright and green in their dry form. I can only imagine what it would be like to visit Shizuoka to see these leaves in person. This is the next best thing.
The flavor when brewed is smooth and very buttery to the taste buds. Yet the scent is very soothing to the spirits perfect for an evening stargaze. It is a worthwhile treat and priced just right for a fresh green tea such as this. Truly en par with the Gyokuro varieties that are available. Delish!
Welcome back to Victoria! Next time we have a Victoria meet-up, y
ou should come!
Thanks for the welcome home. :) It was nice going away for a little while but it’s always nice to be back. I’d love to come to one of those meet-up sessions, please do leave me a message when the next one is. <3
I’ll message you some info.
What a sencha!! The freshness of this tea is worth the effort and extra expense — I was blown away by the full flavour profile, and the smooth, slightly buttery taste. The leaves themselves are beautifully long, and the aroma will blow you away. I’m thrilled that DAVIDsTEA is bringing this “Garden to Cup” series in; being able to try teas that have just been harvested like this is a true treat that I’ve only ever seen at the pricier, high-end tea shops before.
The name is curious…Yabu-kita…“ruined north”? Is it giving a nod to the 2011 disaster? I wish I knew!
If you’re a sencha-lover, do yourself a favour and go pick up a bag before this sells out!
Yabukita is actually the name of a cultivar of tea plant popular in Japan for making sencha. It’s about 70-80% of the plants grown there. Supposed to have a great flavor when handled well.
Have you tried their other sencha? I want to know how this compares.
Wow! Thanks for the info on the name; I’m really impressed that someone knew.
As for comparing it with other DAVIDsTEA senchas, I’m afraid I can’t be of much help. I’ve never bought sencha from DAVIDsTEA before, preferring to buy my straight teas from tea shops that had a better selection and actually specialized in selecting and selling straight teas (Camellia Sinensis in Quebec is my go-to).
However, I can compare this sencha with others that I’ve bought from places like Camellia Sinensis, or in person while traveling in Kyoto prefecture, and I can truly say that I enjoyed this one very much as a high-quality tea, and wasn’t disappointed in the least. I was impressed with the quality of the leaves, and over the course of four kyusu teapot infusions, appreciated the smooth mouthfeel and rounded taste profile. It’s not an astringent tea, but it’s by no means bland. I’m still not sure I’ll invest in other senchas from DAVIDsTEA (a sencha simply called “Japanese Sencha” is not particularly interesting to me), but this one is worth trying.
Good to hear! I haven’t tried anything from Camellia Sinensis yet since the prices on their website can be intimidating, but I’ve heard that their tea is high quality as a rule from this site. If this stands up to that metric, I might have to dig up $12.50 somewhere. They’ll probably run out before I get a chance, though, since I just bought some and am holding off at least until I finish some of my other stuff.
I had this as a tea to go today, and maybe it was because I had agave in it instead of sugar, or maybe because I was not in the right mood, I found this to be good, but not amazing. It could be the reasons above or my unrefined palate for green tea. That said, I prefer Japanese to Chinese.
I did get a fresh taste from the infusion, and it was light and green and not bitter at all. I will probably but a small amount to try at home at some point, but if it sells out before I get it, I won’t be heartbroken.
Thanks again to Janelle for some of this one. I’m sure it tasted better when it was as fresh as the description says, but it was still a pretty good tea. Buttery green tea, a bit nutty. Vegetal and delicious. I can only imagine how it was previously. Probably one of the first plain senchas I’ve really enjoyed.
