The Official Shincha Review Topic of 2008

[Chip]

Shincha? Is this a new tea I haven't heard about.

Welcome to TeaChat. Try to stop by the TeaDay forum where we share what we are drinking and discuss a daily topic. The guy who does it talks too much, but it is still fun

[olivierco]

First Miyabi session (only 5 days from Japan to my mailbox, faster than EMS: I am still waiting for a parcel sent from Japan the very same day...)

4.5g/5oz (ca 1.40$ per session)
Five steeps 65°C (150°F) to 75°C (165°F), preheated teapot.
60s 15s 30s 60s 120s

Intense vegetal taste. Nice leaves.
Very light astringency: for the next session, I will try somewhat longer steeping times.

[Jack_teachat]

I too have found the Yutaka Midori rather different from last years Sencha. Much of that grilled salmon edge which was very noticeable appears to have gone, the tea also appears to be a touch more astringent and noticably thicker and grassier.

My parameters (without a scale) are... 1 heaped TEAspoon, 250ml water, 65-70 degress centigrade. STEEPS: 1.5 mins, 5-10 secs, 30 secs, 1 min, 1.5 mins, 2 mins.

I have varied the temp in order to try and soften the astringency slightly but without much success, I have also tried Chip's method of adding the leaves to the pot after the water. For my next attempt I'm Going to try a little less leaf.

Jack

I think I have cracked it!

I'm now using a little less leaf (still around a teaspoon) 1st steep 1.5 mins at 70 degrees C, using Chip's suggested method of adding the leaf to the water combined with a nice slow pour. 1st steep is a light, slightly yellow-ish green. The brew produces a nice mild grassiness without all that astringency I was getting before.

Second steep - 70 degrees, 10-15 seconds... Tea pours with a beautiful cloudy olive green colour grassiness is bold and astringency low.

Still very different to last year but much much better than it has been brewing so far!

EDIT: Actually, after subsequent infusions I would probably stick to my usual 2nd steep time of about 5 seconds as I like to get a good 3rd and perhaps 4th out of my leaf!

[olivierco]

I am also curious about Ippodo. I loved their Matcha kit, but most of that wasn't even tea! For a combination of reasons I decided to go with O-Cha, Hibiki-An, Maiko, and Den's, and never ordered anything from Ippodo. I think maybe they didn't have info about their shincha up as early as some of the others.

I have just ordered some. 50g bag and 100gr can.

I don't know what kind of shincha it is. Ippodo's brewing instructions are the following:

- Use 80 C water (last year’s optimum temperature was 90 C).
- The total steeping time should be around 40 seconds for the 1st pot tea (it is shorter than our regular Sencha, because the young leaves for Shincha are so
soft and easy to be unraveled); that means from the first moment the hot water touches the leaves until the last drop has been poured out, so start pouring at around the 30-second mark.
- If you prefer to use water that is a bit below 80 C, lengthen the steeping time slightly to allow for sufficient extraction of the flavor.
- When using the plastic measuring scoop, use 2 heaping scoopfuls for up to about 210 ml of hot water (the amount of water you use will depend on personal taste).

According to their website, 2 heaping scoopfuls are 10gr

[stargazer]

My first Shincha brew.......AMAZING

Uji Kirameki !!!!!
Thanks Bambooforest!!! I used your brewing times...
3 grams per 5 ounces. 165 - 170 F for the first steep. 1:30 to 2 minutes. It's a lighter sencha, 2 minutes may be optimal. 2nd steep 30 seconds at 175 - 180 F. 3rd steep at 60 seconds at around 180 F

OMG...I have SHINCHA FEVER
......i have two unopened hibiki-an traditional & premium..
today i will order miyabi!!!!

[olivierco]

OMG...I have SHINCHA FEVER

No remedy to cure it

[stargazer]

Is it just me??????
Does Kirameki taste buttery ?

[Jack_teachat]

Is it just me??????
Does Kirameki taste buttery ?

I'll tell you in a few days when I open mine!

[Eastree]

OMG...I have SHINCHA FEVER

No remedy to cure it

More cowbell?

[bambooforest]

My first Shincha brew.......AMAZING

Uji Kirameki !!!!!
Thanks Bambooforest!!! I used your brewing times...
3 grams per 5 ounces. 165 - 170 F for the first steep. 1:30 to 2 minutes. It's a lighter

I ended up with 4 grams per 5 ounces with Kirameki. But I may even experiment from here. With lighter tasting Japanese green teas, I often go higher in leaf. But 3 grams per 5 ounces is a very good starting point. Plenty of room for flexibility when it comes to sencha. Enjoy.

[Salsero]

I ended up with 4 grams per 5 ounces with Kirameki. But I may even experiment from here. With lighter tasting Japanese green teas, I often go higher in leaf. But 3 grams per 5 ounces is a very good starting point. Plenty of room for flexibility when it comes to sencha. Enjoy.

That's good, sensible advice for a noob like me who is often afraid to deviate from a rigid brewing pattern. Thanks, Bamboo!

[Jack_teachat]

Is it just me??????
Does Kirameki taste buttery ?

This Tsuen Uji Kirameki is mind blowing! Just when you think you've figured something out, something like this comes along and knocks you off your feet! This is so different from all of the Japanese tea I have consumed hitherto, I didn't know it could taste like this

1st steep: The dry leaf is wonderfully needle like, very little "dust". After brewing, on raising it to my nose the aroma was citrusy and this was also noticable initially in the mouth. Once the flavours had settled it matured into a beautifully smooth buttery/toffeeish, almost slightly nutty palate. The grassiness I would usually expect from sencha was not there, the tea was very smooth, fairly sweet and had virtually no bitterness.

2nd steep: Citrus notes dominated this steep more, was also slightly sweeter than the initial brew.

I feel privaliged to be able to obtain and drink such a tea

[joelbct]

Ito En Shizuoka Shincha Premium is fantastic, perhaps my favorite shincha this year. Absolutely worth it... Bursting with flavor, just perfect.

[Jack_teachat]

Is it just me??????
Does Kirameki taste buttery ?

This Tsuen Uji Kirameki is mind blowing! Just when you think you've figured something out, something like this comes along and knocks you off your feet! This is so different from all of the Japanese tea I have consumed hitherto, I didn't know it could taste like this

1st steep: The dry leaf is wonderfully needle like, very little "dust". After brewing, on raising it to my nose the aroma was citrusy and this was also noticable initially in the mouth. Once the flavours had settled it matured into a beautifully smooth buttery/toffeeish, almost slightly nutty palate. The grassiness I would usually expect from sencha was not there, the tea was very smooth, fairly sweet and had virtually no bitterness.

2nd steep: Citrus notes dominated this steep more, was also slightly sweeter than the initial brew.

I feel privaliged to be able to obtain and drink such a tea

Today I'm getting much more of a citrus flavour from the tea and also noticing a touch of vanilla. The tea retains a lovely lemony finish even in the 4th steep

[bambooforest]

I ended up with 4 grams per 5 ounces with Kirameki. But I may even experiment from here. With lighter tasting Japanese green teas, I often go higher in leaf. But 3 grams per 5 ounces is a very good starting point. Plenty of room for flexibility when it comes to sencha. Enjoy.

That's good, sensible advice for a noob like me who is often afraid to deviate from a rigid brewing pattern. Thanks, Bamboo!

I too am sometimes reluctant to deviate from rigidity when it comes to sencha. It's some sort of self defeating psychosis. I have learned, that sometimes we must empty our cup, in order that we have the best cup possible.

Also, I have started steeping Kirameki, among others at 4 grams per 5 ounces for a whopping 1:40 at around 167 F.

Happy sipping.