This unique sencha is crafted from Tsukigase's spring tea and undergoes an extended withering process to enhance its flavor profile. The result is a delicate floral aroma reminiscent of Taiwan’s high mountain oolongs—those lightly fermented teas known for their refreshing, spring-like floral notes. It carries a subtle hint of sweet nuttiness and offers a smooth, lasting experience across multiple brews.

What is the Withering Process?

The withering process aims to remove moisture from fresh tea leaves. This dehydration triggers enzymes that promote moderate oxidation of polyphenols. There are two primary methods for withering tea:

1. Mechanical Ventilation: This method involves using a withering bath to blow air over the leaves, commonly employed in black tea production.

2. Natural Withering: In this method, tea leaves are spread out on trays in a well-ventilated area. If a withering bath is used, it can lead to intense fermentation, resulting in a strong fruity flavor and yellow or orange edges on the leaves.

For my green tea, which aims to capture both floral and sencha characteristics, I opted for the natural method. I spread the fresh tea leaves in a very thin layer on a tray and placed it in a forested area for a day to allow for gentle withering.

Floral Flavor That Lingers After Drinking

Tsukigase Withered Sencha features refreshing floral notes reminiscent of orchids. Its taste includes subtle hints of Taiwan's Wen Shan Bao Zhong Oolong, while still allowing you to appreciate the classic sencha flavor. Personally, I love the way the floral fragrance returns to the palate after each sip, creating a delightful experience.

In Japan, tea manufacturers typically remove stems from tea leaves, believing that their presence makes the leaves look unattractive. However, the stems are actually quite important for flavor, as they contain calcium, which is less abundant in the leaves. Calcium contributes significantly to the overall body of the tea. In fact, other types of tea—such as oolong, black, white, and Pu-erh—also include stems. Therefore, we intentionally retain the tea stems in our product.

Ideal Brewing Method

Japanese tea is often brewed at lower temperatures (around 70-80°C) to minimize bitterness, which primarily comes from caffeine that is rarely extracted below 80°C.

However, for this particular sencha, we recommend using boiling water, as the tea itself is naturally less bitter. Additionally, the long withering process enriches its polyphenol content, resulting in a bolder flavor.

To brew, heat the teapot with boiling water for about 10 seconds, then steep the tea with boiling water. The ideal brewing time is around 30 seconds. If you're using a larger teapot or prefer a stronger brew, you can steep for longer or use more tea leaves. For the second infusion, a steeping time of just a few seconds is sufficient.