gyokuro & sencha: umami vs sweetness

[Tead Off]

Debunix, I would not characterize any Japanese tea as sweet or at least I have never had one that is sweet. The Southeast Asian greens, Burma, Laos, Thai green teas are sweeter in character. The Korean greens are also sweeter than japanese greens. For me, it's the unusual flavor of Japanese sencha and gyokuro that interest me.

[debunix]

I have found a sweetness in my senchas before I was able to find the same sweetness in chinese green teas. I read a phrase in the Harney & Sons guide to tea that puzzled me, referring to the japanese teas as not having 'the honeyed sweetness of chinese green teas'. Since I'd finally gotten a nice sweet brew from my senchas, it made no sense.

Now it does.

I do appreciate the extra deep vegetal flavors of the senchas, but not quite as strongly as they come across in the gyokuro. This morning I did get some extra sweetness out of my gyokuro by infusing it hotter and shorter (160°F and 30 seconds for the first infusion), which was pleasing, but as you point out, that's really missing the point of this tea.

So now I want to explore some more senchas but not necessarily those with the strongest vegetal/umami flavors. I'll save that for when my palate starts craving more from my green teas.

[blairswhitaker]

I find I can get a great, sweet taste out of asamushi sencha if I use a heavy amount of leaf to water, such as one gram per one ounce of water or even heavier on the leaf. I then brew in a very iron rich pot, with a water temperature on the lower end, around 158°F or 70°C. The second and third steep is where the "sweet" taste comes out. This combines with the briny umami to make for an amazing cup of green. As far as umami vs. sweetness I don't necessarily find making this distinction so helpful. Words alone make it rather challenging to neatly sum up a complex flavor like umami in the context of tea. For me, umami typically has a briny note, a savory note, a slight sweet note and something that strongly reminds me of boullion/stock with a very round presence. I have heard many tea patrons describe umami as a "thick tea liquor with a broth like mouth feel"; however, I don't agree with the idea that thick equals umami in a green.

[debunix]

I then brew in a very iron rich pot, with a water temperature on the lower end, around 158°F or 70°C. The second and third steep is where the "sweet" taste comes out.

This is interesting. I think I've only tried one deep steamed 'fukamushi' sencha, so don't know how this would fit with the asamushi, but I do these temps, in my kyusu, with steeps as short as 30 seconds to start. And that's how I got a little more emphasis on the sweet with the gyokuro today. How long are your steeps?

[blairswhitaker]

yes many people love fukamushi for it's over the top umami and lack of bitterness, but I feel it lacks the depth of asamushi ( I may be in a very small minority here) while smooth and sweet, I don't find the briny characters I like in a japanese green. Asamushi, to me, is a more nuanced and balanced cup. The initial attack of briny/umami, vegetal with a perfect balance of sweet/bitter, and sea vegetable lends its self to a nose and attack that I prefer. The finish seems to leave a rich lingering sweetness that does not cloy and a great cooling in the throat. I love fukamushi as well, although at times I find the finish to be cloying and the attack to be exaggerated.

When I talk about Iron rich clay I am going further than most banko or tokoname. I am using a clay blend from death valley that has the most iorn content of any clay I have yet to come across. It may be hearsay, but I prefer it over japanese clays for sencha.

my steep times are as follows: 1 min for the first and a very slow pour, 10 seconds for the second again a very slow pour, and 1 min for the third, slow pour. I also use a very clean filtered water that I store in a crock that contains bamboo charcoal and yixing clay pieces.

I have not touched on gyokuro, but it is the "king" of teas and I also prefer the asamushi version. I would have to do some serious writing to put it into words. I do concur that mastering (well grasping) sencha first then "graduating" gyokuro is a wise procedure.