Gyokuro Hon vs. Kame

[Chip]

Would 2009 Gyokuro purchased now from a vendor like O-Cha have the benefits of aging that you describe? I have my eye on his Yame Gyokuro as a good gyokuro for a beginner.

You should contact them and confirm it is 2009 if that is important to you. I know some of their gyo is 2010.

I prefer the slightly aged gyo, but tbh am not too familiar with "fresh" gyo. So, every time I think I know something, I find out I have more to learn.

[britt]

I've never tried "shincha gyokuro" either, as my understanding was that gyokuro should be aged for 6 months. I would also try it if given to me, but I doubt I would ever purchase it.

I typically use 1/2 tablespoon of gyo leaf per 1.5 ounces of water and brew all 3 infusion for 3 minutes. This can get very expensive, but fortunately I much prefer sencha over gyokuro.

[thediminished5th]

Do you all increase your temperatures over the various steeps like sencha or do you keep a constant temperature and just adjust the time?

[Chip]

Do you all increase your temperatures over the various steeps like sencha or do you keep a constant temperature and just adjust the time?

Adjust, or I do anyway. I increase temp about 10* F each steeping, except sometimes not on the second steep.

[JRS22]

I have no expectations about this, just curiosity. Anyway, I decided to go ahead and order the yame now. It's on it's way to NJ as I type this. If I still have some left when the 2010 is available I'll do a comparison.

Would 2009 Gyokuro purchased now from a vendor like O-Cha have the benefits of aging that you describe? I have my eye on his Yame Gyokuro as a good gyokuro for a beginner.

You should contact them and confirm it is 2009 if that is important to you. I know some of their gyo is 2010.

I prefer the slightly aged gyo, but tbh am not too familiar with "fresh" gyo. So, every time I think I know something, I find out I have more to learn.

[thediminished5th]

I tried O-Cha's Kame today for the first time, using my brand new ho-hin. My brewing parameters were 4 oz of tea and 2 oz of water, steeped for 2 minutes at 130 degrees.

Frankly, I felt like I had been punched in the mouth. The flavor was bold and overwhelming. This may be my first real experience with pure umami.

I do wonder if I oversteeped and was detecting some bitterness. If this is the case, it is a bitterness that differs from poorly brewed sencha.

[Chip]

... you can try cutting back on the time a bit ... I think I go 90 seconds for this ratio and the Kame.

[chingwa]

I tried Ocha's Kame gyokuro for the first time this morning, and I'd like to get a little advice as I have been significantly underwhelmed... My first session I used way to much water... usually for a lesser quality gyokuro I would use 2 yunomi's (approx 250ml) to 2.5 tbsp of leaf at 130* for 90 seconds. which is what I did here. result=off-white water with a slight after taste to it ^_^

My second session I cut the water back and upped the leaf a touch... 3 level tbsp of leaf and 1 yunomi of water (125ml) at 130* for 85 seconds. While this was definitely better it simply does not have the roundness of flavor I was expecting and have experienced with lesser quality gyokuro in the past.

The flavor is not strong, and there is a bit of a sharp note that lingers on the tongue. I also detect a twinge of something I cannot put my finger on that I have experienced before with shincha gyokuro. This IS shincha gyokuro and as Britt said above I wonder if this is really too premature to drink... and should have been aged at the farm before selling. ...or maybe I'm just not using enough leaf? opinions?

[olivierco]

My second session I cut the water back and upped the leaf a touch... 3 level tbsp of leaf and 1 yunomi of water (125ml) at 130* for 85 seconds. .

...or maybe I'm just not using enough leaf? opinions?

How many grams are your 3 level tbsp of leaf?

I use 7-8g for 80-100ml

[Chip]

I don't think I have ever had Shincha Gyokuro. Perhaps just a natural progression for me since I am all about sencha from Shincha til deep into the Fall or Winter.

I remain curious about this topic however, but I will not likely be experiencing it anytime soon.

[chingwa]

unfortunately the only scale I have is a small postal scale and is not nearly sensitive enough or accurate enough in it's display to measure tea with. Britt or chip do you have a ballpark figure I could use when measuring the Kame out by volume (normal American Tablespoon increments) instead of weight?

The package says 1 TBSP is equal to about 4 grams, and says to use 1 gram for every 30oz of water. If I use 125 oz of water (1 yunomi), then I should use 4 grams of tea, which is 1 tbsp. or 1.25 tbsp. These amounts are certainly not giving me a good flavorful gyokuro... and as I said above, even twice these amounts are not giving me what I would expect.

(this sounds like one of those old written math problems in elementary school... and for the record I've been using level tablespoon measurements, not heaping-almost-falling-off-the-spoon measurements )

[Chip]

OK, the very bottom of a bag of Kame, so it might be a bit more dense than a new bag, plus this is 2009.

Moderately rounded place setting teaspoon is 2 grams.

I go exactly 2 grams per ounce water for this Gyokuro which comes out really nice and rich.

Note we are using metric for the leaf and ounces for the water ... but it comes out to a really simple ratio that is easy to remember.

Are you mixing up your water volumes??? So say 6 grams per 3 ounces water (90 ml). You seem to be using huge amounts of water, instead of 125 ounces, that is 125 ml or 4 ounces.

Remember to PREHEAT everything when making Gyokuro at the lower temps of 135ish* F.

I hope that helps.

[chingwa]

OK, Now we are getting somewhere!

In following your advice Chip I think I got a really good gyokuro out of this Kame for the first time. It certainly had a nice strong flavor, yet it wasn't overpowerful... it has a balanced and rounded mellowness that I haven't exactly experienced before. Other gyokuro's I've had were certainly good, but sometimes they have too much intensity... bordering on a fish-like brininess. This Kame however had all the impact but none of those sour notes. It even has a hint of sweetness, but it's a sweetness that comes from the back or sides of the tongue rather than the front... (sigh)It's nearly impossible to accurately describe what this type of flavor is like....

I used 4 level tbsp of tea, to 125 ml (yes, thanks for the correction! I had meant ml, or cc all along but was saying oz by mistake) water at 135* for exactly 90 seconds. then poured that first steeping very thoughtfully ^_^.

I'm heading toward my 5th steeping now and it still has a pleasant flavor... certainly removed from the strength of the first, it is really floral and has a nice perfumed after-taste

This is more leaf to water ratio than I've ever used for any other tea. because of this I can't see myself drinking this very often (I'm almost down to the end of my bag all ready). I will be very curious though to re-order this in the late-fall or winter to see what kind of difference the aging process has on this tea.

Thanks for the advice!

[Chip]

EXCELLENT. Life is grand when the TeaBell rings due to a refined brewing that makes a good tea really sing!