2011 Official Shincha Review Topic!

[Chip]

has anyone tried one of hibiki-an's shinchas?

i placed an order for the fukamushi shincha..

I was a bit *yawn* bored with them last year. Seems they used to be better ... did the 2 LE shincha, tradtional and fuka. Although it has been suggested that other vendors have moved forward while H-A has stood still.

I've finally gotten it right for Kaburagien's ``88 nights'':
* 5 gr in 5oz at 160F for 60 secs

I am brewing in a preheated kyusu with the lid off. Brewing with the lid off was the final key .

Very interesting. I have been playing around with lid off for gyokuro brewing with interesting, though not yet conclusive positive results.

It is always interesting when there is a challenging tea, a shincha ... and one has to experiment, think out of the box. A few years ago, I had a YM from O-C that was giving me fits, then I finally tried pouring the leaf into the water versus the other way around ... sort of Bi Lo Chun style. This shocking the leaves seemed to make the tea flavor pop. Though in hindsight, I wonder if all I needed to do was up the temp, hm.

[sebpassion]

I was a bit *yawn* bored with them last year. Seems they used to be better ... did the 2 LE shincha, tradtional and fuka. Although it has been suggested that other vendors have moved forward while H-A has stood still.

after only 5 days my order from hibiki-an arrived and thats the fastest delivery i ever received very good!

i had a sae-midori shincha session so far and it produces a very smooth and delicate infusion.

compared to yuuki's sae midori its much weaker in flavor, but i'll try to get more out of it the next time.
its the typical vegetal sae midori taste, that i really like.
just a bit too soft.
it makes me feel very relaxed and calm!

[Oni]

Has somebody recently ordered from Horaido teashop?

[fnord]

Has somebody recently ordered from Horaido teashop?

i have,but i'm still waiting for a reply.

[Oni]

They did not reply my emails, that is what worries me, but no transaction has been made.

[fnord]

They did not reply my emails, that is what worries me, but no transaction has been made.

it's quite a busy time of the year for them right now i think.i remember from last year that my order arround this time of the year was also a bit slow-paced.

[Chip]

First shincha tastings, very late for me. I will clearly blame all the turmoil in Japan for this. I purchased a lot of 2010 tea very late, hedging my sencha/shincha position. In fact, still have some 2010 in the TeaFridge.

Prelim tastings of two shincha in preparation for group tastings. Aoi asamushi and Yutaka Midori, both from O-Cha.

First attempt of Aoi, I brewed small steeps, strong, and it was incredibly reminiscent of gyokuro. But more rounded.

First attempt of the new YM, I may have been a bit conservative in time, and maybe the amount of leaf. I upped the time and leaf for the second attempt and hit the sweet spot.

Shincha = Happy

[debunix]

Finally finished off the last of a 2010 packet of sencha, and have now started my first 2011 shincha:

4.5 grams of Tsuen Uji Asamushi Sencha "Aoi" from O-Cha

Very deep green leaves, most fairly small pieces, sweet rich scent

between 5 and 6 oz water, 160 degrees in my Petr Novak kyusu, about 45 seconds first infusion

sweet, nutty, vegetal, lightly grassy, and delicate green color but can't judge that well against the blue glaze of the teacup

2nd infusion, 20 seconds, 160 degrees, very similar, some grassiness a little more prominent towards the end of the infusion

3rd infusion, 170 degrees, 30-45 seconds, sweet, vegetal, a little less nutty, sugar snap peas rather than asparagus

4th infusion, 170 degrees, 1 minute, sweet, light, astringency absent

There was a 5th, but I was too distracted to note much--it was 180 degrees, for about a minute, quite light and tasty.

Addendum: 2nd series of infusions, about the same setup, except I started lower, 145 degrees, working up to 180 at the sixth, still all delicious, perhaps even a little moore so than the first time. Nice that it's so flexible.

One sad note: my packet is 100 grams, so given my 2-4 times weekly sencha habit, it may not all be drunk while still 'shincha fresh'. And that would be sad.

[David R.]

One sad note: my packet is 100 grams, so given my 2-4 times weekly sencha habit, it may not all be drunk while still 'shincha fresh'. And that would be sad.

Here's what you need. Add a deoxydizer, and you are sure to have 0.01% oxygen max.

[debunix]

I do have a food sealer, but not a vacuum version. For now I'll just try to be more regular with my morning sencha.

[Nenugal]

First attempt of Aoi, I brewed small steeps, strong, and it was incredibly reminiscent of gyokuro. But more rounded.

4.5 grams of Tsuen Uji Asamushi Sencha "Aoi" from O-Cha
...
Addendum: 2nd series of infusions, about the same setup, except I started lower, 145 degrees, working up to 180 at the sixth, still all delicious, perhaps even a little moore so than the first time. Nice that it's so flexible.

Flexible, yes! I've now twice had the same accident with this one, where I was distracted during the second infusion and ended up with not 30 seconds but rather something like 10-15 minutes. And that was both times with gyokuro-like leaf ratio! It was VERY strong and grassy and a bit astringent, but not deadly, even still completely drinkable.

[Drax]

So I've got one portion of Kagoshima Yutaka Midori left, with a packet of Sae Midori waiting in the wings.

Any recommendations on next-picks? I suppose I could wait for Chip's Shin-OTTI announcement, but I think I can handle it...

[tortoise]

Got my Maiko package today. Within, some shincha Kinari.
I've been through one session and it really hit the spot. Slightly floral, super Green tasting, thin, but solid. The leaf is solidly shaped when dry and once steeped, you can tell they are robust, high quality flora. They retain their color without blanching out quickly like some other shincha I've had recently. Seems to be edging out all the other asamushi I experienced this year, but we'll see.

Really excited about the nan-zen gyo too. But that belongs elsewhere.

[Stentor]

Having O-Cha's Sae Midori shincha for the first time. brewed 3.2 g / 4 oz water / 70-75° C. Turned out very mild. Very much more so than last years sencha version.
It's good, though. I'll just try a little more leaf next time.

[brlarson]

Hibiki-an's Farmers' Shincha is very pleasant tea. It some grassy tones and crisp acidity and a touch of bite from the stems. It is simple and has a lovely balance and it is inexpensive.

EDIT: I must have written this after drinking a third or fourth infusion. These are core flavors. First infusions have a round body that is light sweet and very tender. It dissipates very quickly leaving the qualities that I described above. I have found every aspect of this tea to be unassuming and appealing.
End of Edit

I am half finished with one 80g bag and I've put the other in my TeaFridge so I can enjoy it later this year.

I've been putting either 5 or 6 grams of leaf into 6 ounces of water at 170F for 60 seconds (generic sencha settings). 6 grams seems to be the right amount but 5 grams is just as satisfying if you're trying to stretch your tea.