Category: Oolong Tea (blue tea)
Origin: JAPAN, Shizuoka Prefecture, Kawane Town.
Cultivar: Sae Akari
Quantity: 30g per pack
Harvest: Spring (May)
Location:
Kawane-cho 川根町 is an old town located on the Oi River and is one of the most famous prestigious location for the production of high-quality mountain teas, mostly Sencha.
The road to Kawane is picturesque and beautiful. Located just south of the splendid mountains of the Japanese Southern Alps, the mountains climate provides high rainfall, cool nights and fog. The soil is porous and aerated. The tea plantations in question have a slight slope, providing a good irrigation.
Description:
Japanese Oolong teas are quite a rarity and were never purposely developed even in old times. Japan has always been focused on making green teas, with Matcha being the most iconic of all.
Even red teas (called black in occident) were made at the end of the 19th century but were exclusively for export to Russia, Europe and North America. As such Oolong teas are almost inexistent in Japan and the few that were developed in the last 30 years are known only by specialists.
Some talented and perseverent tea producers have been working diligently to create a Japanese Oolong tea which is not trying to imitate other notorious Oolong teas from China or Taiwan and can have their own character.
This craft was made for the first time using the Sae Akari cultivar. Sae Akari is a rarity, obtained from breeding Sae Midori (created in Kagoshima) with another rare unregistered cultivar called Z1. It is usually used to make high end gyokuro but it delivers even better in its Oolong form (partially oxidized).
The leaves are dark green/brown and look a bit like they were pan-fired.
This tea has a deep yellow colour, rich taste with flavour reminding of straw and comes with sweetness. The subsequent brews do not fade easily and the taste remains consistent.
Preparation:
4g (0.14oz) of leaves per serving
80-100ml of water at 90°C (194°F) per serving
First brew: 50 seconds
Subsequent brews: 60 to 80 seconds
Cold brew:
10g of leaves for 1L of cold water. Brew for 12-15 hours in the fridge at 5°C. Filter the liquor in another bottle and keep it in the fridge. You may re-brew the spent leaves a second time as you like.
