I am just finishing a session of Fukamushi Supreme from O-Cha!TimeforTea wrote:I vote for spamware, as I love viewing all the teaware porn!
Have a GREAT time at the expo!!! Don't gamble away any expensive tea!!!Chip, make sure to share what fabulous restaurants you go to as well!!
This morning, I brewed fukamushi sencha in my Den's kyusu. The aroma of the dry leaves is amazing!!! I really want to like this tea. I must be missing something here, because it just tastes too darn astringent and grass-like. These are the parameters another teachatter used with success that I used:
1st - 1 teaspoon, 4 ounces, 175 degrees, 45 seconds
2nd - 20-30 seconds
3rd - 1 minute
I think you mentioned previously this was O-Cha's? Shizuoka leaf seems to like cooler temp. If you are preheating your pot, then I go with 5.25 or more grrams per 6.8 ounces (.80 ratio) So for 4 ounces, 3.2 ish grams. Get out your scale to see what that looks like...you have one, don't be too proud to use it.

Honestly, Fukamushi Supreme when brewed properly is one of the smoothest sencha I have had. And sweet! Some grassiness, but not overly.
Preheated pot, leaf in, 160-165* water (if you do not preheat your pot, then hotter water, 168-172*) for 1-1.5 minute. POUR SLOWLY allowing the water to pass over the settled leaf!!!!!!!!! This prevents too much astringency.
2nd steep...hotter, 175* for 15 sec and begin another SLOW pour.
3rd...hotter, 180* for 30-40 sec...slow pour.
4th if you chose...190*ish for 2 minutes...pouring no longer a critical issue.
5th if you are tea crazed like me...pour boiling water over leaf for at least 10 min.
The second and 3rd steeps are crazy soylent green color. The color of sencha liquor is mostly due to suspended leaf particles. I gently swirl these in my cup if I want to keep them in suspension, or I will allow them to settle...if I do this, the last drops wll be quite astringent...so I will save the the particles on the bottom for the next steep.