Gyokuro From Tsunashimaen

[Tead Off]

Someone I know just returned from Japan and gave me some of this expensive Gyokuro. Very nice gift.

Being a complete novice with Gyokuro, I read the brewing parameters on some of the threads here on Teachat. My 1st session, 5g into 140ml banko kyusu. 75c temp for 2 minutes. An all out explosion took place in my mouth. All I could say was wow! What a powerful and complex flavor from a greenie. No nausea!! The 2nd and 3rd brews I brewed with less time as I wanted to tame this flavor a bit.

My 2nd session, I used the same amount with same gear except 60c temp for 2 minutes. Also very good but the higher temp brought out more of the tea, IMO.

This is a great discovery. Has anyone else tried this Gyokuro from Tsunashimaen? Since I have nothing to compare it with in my experience, I don't even know if this is considered good Gyokuro. If it gets better than this, it would be extraordinary.

[olivierco]

75°C seems to be too hot for a gyokuro (because it would bring out some bitterness).

Do you have any picture of the leaves or of the package or a link for this gyokuro?

[Tead Off]

Olivier, here is the snap of the label. Can you translate?

[Oni]

This is the review of maiko`s shincha gyokuro, this year they have introduced a shuppin version, but it was too expencieve, and just like hibiki-an stated although gyokuro is enjoyed after 6 moth of the harvest, some people enjoy it fresh and unmatured, and some people love kuradashi gyokuro that is the total oposite of shincha, that is very soft and sweet.
This is the tea

So this is how I brew it, first pour hot freshly boiled water to the houhin, I wait 3 minutes uncovered so it cools a bit so the yuzamashi wont be to hot to handle>

After that I transfer the water to the water cooling vessel, and wait another minute there

Now I transfer the water to the cups and measure the temperature until it reaches 55 C, that is how I brew it but anything between 40 - 60 C is ok


I pour the water from the cups and brew for 2 minutes

2 minutes after I pour it in the yuzamashi, I don`t want to spil any so I do not transfer from houhin directly to the cups but I use the yuzamashi as a faircup

Now to the cups

The taste was just as expected it didn`t have time to mellow out and become that clear full bodied taste, insted it is a heavy grassy sweet and astringent taste, vibrant, to strong, not as clear and sweet as hibiki-an super premium when it is fresh, that is strong too but more like honey, less bitter, but that is twice as expencieve hand picked tea, but this tea would be a great gyokuro after it looses it`s sharpness, it cuts in your tongue as a knife, in a sencha this would be appreciated but in a gyokuro one looks for an etheral full bodied sweet green tea with lingerin aftertaste that any oolong might envy
This is the tortured remain of the tea, after all life is sqeezed out of it
,

I copied this from my shincha review, this is the traditional way of brewing gyokuro, you can use more leaf an lesser temperature, but no less than what I used, but know this that unfortunately many companies sell kabusencha as gyokuro, this super concentrated brewing method works with traditional plantation, hand picked real, Hon Gyokuro, experienceing it can redefine our perception about the strenght of green tea.

[olivierco]

I am not skilled enough to translate.
It is indeed gyokuro but I wasn't able to locate it on their webstore

http://www.bay-net.jp/~tsunashimaen/tee.htm

[TokyoB]

There isn't much valuable info there. First line says gyokuro - 2 dark characters on right. Next sections says ingredients - green tea (second dark line on right in second box, under that it says ingredient production region - domestic. Then 80g, expiration date. Then preparation method - hot water, (can't read this too well), be careful of something about the fragrance. Last box is just the company name and address.

Sorry - my Japanese reading is kind of basic. However I don't think you're missing much here.

[xuancheng]

...Can you translate?...

It just says
Gyokuro
Green tea
Made in Japan
80g
Finish by May 20, 2010
Keep in a cool dry place
Then it has the company name, address and telephone number.

[Tead Off]

Olivier, they said it was their premium stuff. About $60 for 80g. Out of the bag, the leaves are incredibly thin, but, not long.

Oni, I'm not sure if your post was in relation to mine. Are any of the teas mentioned by you the same as the one that I have? Or, were you just trying to show the brewing method?

On another Gyokuro thread, Susana from Rishi talked about brewing the tea at 75c and extracting much more complexity out of it. She is right. I know that the traditional way is much lower temp but you should at least give this a try to see what the result is. Both ways produce a delicious brew.

[olivierco]

This is the review of maiko`s shincha gyokuro,

Nice and interesting review. There seem to be some broken leaves.

Did Maiko sell shincha gyokuro last year?

[olivierco]

On another Gyokuro thread, Susana from Rishi talked about brewing the tea at 75c and extracting much more complexity out of it. She is right. I know that the traditional way is much lower temp but you should at least give this a try to see what the result is. Both ways produce a delicious brew.

I tried it but didn't like the result too much. I usually use more leaves by the way which yields all the complexity I need. The important thing is that you like the tea the way you brew it.

[Tead Off]

Olivier, you are correct. But, I needed a reference point to get started and will still experiment with the temp and time. With this tea, there is no astringency but a powerful blast of flavor. However, it does not last successfully for more than 3 brews, with the 2nd brew already much less powerful. Is this a common element of this tea?

[olivierco]

Olivier, you are correct. But, I needed a reference point to get started and will still experiment with the temp and time. With this tea, there is no astringency but a powerful blast of flavor. However, it does not last successfully for more than 3 brews, with the 2nd brew already much less powerful. Is this a common element of this tea?

Not really but I have already experienced this with Tsuen top gyokuro Yume no Ukihashi which gives a excellent first steep.

Congratulations for your first gyokuro!

[Tead Off]

Yes, I am hooked.

[Oni]

The method shown by my pictures is the general gyokuro brewing, as I mentioned those were the minimum amount to be used (10 grams for 120 ml, higher quality tea you can use even more), generally the higher the quality the more concentrated you can drink it, but do not go to 75 C because it extracts too much at the first infusion, second infusion only use slightly hotter water 58-60C water and only 30 seconds infusion time, next 1 minute, 1.30, 2, 3.
And shincha gyokuro has more astringency so that is why I didn`t use a higher concentration, when I tried Kame no Yowai from Horaido I used much more leaves, because it was aged 6 month, and it had no astringency so I used the hardcore concentration.

[Oni]

http://www.maiko.ne.jp/english/gyokuro.htm ,
http://www.marukyu-koyamaen.co.jp/engli ... okuro.html ,
These are the two sites that thought me how to brew it right, although I do not agree with marukyu`s third infusion procedure.