2009 Shincha Review Topic

[Chip]

that is my conception of great sencha, last year`s kirameki was closer to this image of great sencha, and I like lightsteamed sencha best.

Ahhh, asamushicha it is not, it is fuka. I would have a hard time even comparing this to an asamushi, completely different animals.

[Cinnamon Kitty]

These are the notes from my second attempt at the Fukamushi Sencha Supreme from O-cha. The first attempt was weak and mediocre due to lack of leaf so for the second attempt, I added a bit more and it is awesome.

The dry leaves are a lovely deep green and smell vibrant and sweet. I think if the color green had a scent, this would be it. I used a heaping teaspoon in my 5oz kyusu, filled almost to the top. I tried a level teaspoon at first, but it lacked the spunk I expected from a fukamushi shincha.

First steep: 160*F for 1 minute. The color of the tea liquid is a vibrant slightly cloudy green. It tasted tangy, yet sweet like a preview for good things to come in the second and third steeps.

Second steep: 175*F for 30 seconds. The tea liquid is a deeper, murky olive. It is sweeter and tangier than the first steep, full bodied and rich. It reminds me of fresh greens with hints of fruitiness. The aftertaste is lingering and sweet.

Third steep: 195*F for 1 minute. This steep is tangy, sharp, and bold, but smooth with a more prominent sweet aftertaste. It is not quite as rich as the second steep, but still full flavored.

Fourth steep: 205*F for 3 minutes. In the fourth steep, I can tell that it is starting to lose the vivaciousness of the previous three steeps. It is mild, still sweet, but not nearly as bold or as tangy as it was before.

Fifth steep: 212*F for a few minutes. Sweet tea water with subtle hints of the previous steeps.

In all, it is a delicious tea, especially if you like a bold sencha. I was surprised by the lack of astringency though. There was a little bit in each steep, but not as much as I expected there to be. For the next attempt, I think it would be good to add a little more leaf to push it further, which will hopefully give it more of the bite that it is currently lacking.

[Chip]

In all, it is a delicious tea, especially if you like a bold sencha. I was surprised by the lack of astringency though. There was a little bit in each steep, but not as much as I expected there to be. For the next attempt, I think it would be good to add a little more leaf to push it further, which will hopefully give it more of the bite that it is currently lacking.

If last year repeats, the big 3 shincha Fukamushi: O-Cha, Den's, Hibiki-an. H-A Limited edition shincha was almost too sweet and completely devoid of any astringency (I guess due to its Saemidori breed?).
Den's shincha Houryoku exhibited the most astringency, but not too much.
O-Cha shincha Fukamushi Supreme fell right in the middle and was just right IMHO.

[heatwaves]

OK, my Temomi arrived yesterday (all 10 grams!) and this thread has convinced me that I have to order Farmer's Shincha from Hibiki (and threw in Shincha Traditional) as well as the Zencha Yame Premium Sencha Takumi ... the latter, a direct result of reading heatwaves review.

I'm curious to hear your take on the Yame Takumi, Salsero. I've been enjoying it for a week now and I highly recommend it. I'm also begining to think that it performs better using water with a high mineral content. I tried it again today using bottled spring water (lower mineral count than I typically use) and it was disappointing. The tea seemed flat and a little more astringent, even though all my other parameters remained the same. In any event, I'd like to hear your thoughts when you try it.

[bcos]

For the past few days I've been enjoying O-Cha's Fukamushi Supreme. I wouldn't quite call this a review, as much as I would call it a first impression + brewing tips.




Parameters: 5.5g/200mL

Steeps: 1min@160F, 30sec@165F, 1min@185F

The first steep for this tea is hard to mess up. Really mellow green color, and a flavor reminiscent of the 2008 YM. I won't go as in detailed to the specific flavor profile right now (as I am wiped!), but that will come with the review.

The second steep is that deep green fukamushi style, and is where I had the most problems in terms of getting the flavor to shine. If you stay too close to 160, then you get a very unpleasant bitterness/sourness. Also, it definitely needs to be 30s or less or the sour flavor comes out. Too hot, and you're getting lightly flavored water. I think 165 is a little on the low side, but for about 30s I'm getting some good results. With some tweaking I think it will end up at about 170/20-25s. What you'll end up with is a really pleasant sweetness, with a very "tangy" finish that is amazing.

The third steep (pictured) presents an even darker green color. I haven't really had a chance to take it past three steeps the first couple of sessions because of finals. However, from what I've seen I think this tea has about 4-5 good steeps in it. I went at about 185, but I think that might change a bit. The flavor starts to dissipate, but you get a bit of a grassier note coming out.

Well, those are my impressions for now. Very great tea for my first fukamushi . Also, now that I'm home I've dug up the old soda fridge, and man does it work great as a TeaFridge

[iannon]

hmm..based on Oni's pics and review I may have shorted myself on the leaf a bit when brewing my Yame. i DO have a scale on the way though..

[Oni]

Is that a TEAFRIDGE? what are those teas in there?

[Oni]

hmm..based on Oni's pics and review I may have shorted myself on the leaf a bit when brewing my Yame. i DO have a scale on the way though..

I usually experiment while brewing with all the variable, and later today I will try with my hohryu kyusu, usually I start with small porcelain houhin, small amount of leaf, just to have an idea, and after that move on to my kyusu, my water is very soft 70 mg / liter water hardness, for sencha it is recomended that you water be between 50 to 150 mg / liter water harness, I buy my water two 5 liter plastic bottle, although the bottle is euro standard health proof bla, bla, I don`t like the idea of keeping the japanese tea water in ugly plastic container, and I don`t like my kettle, it is glass with inox steel base with induction heating with 2000W, not very authentic, I plan on investing in a yamagata (prefered for tea ceremony) tetsubin. Our tea is the same, but not the teaware, not the water, even the air is diffrent, even if we have instruments to measure the amounts of water tea and temperature, our body is diffrent our taste is diffrent and influenced by our life experience and gastronomical habits, the japanese tea taster usually eats acording to season and their cuisine tends to use natural flavours, few spices, usually avoid spicy food before tasting tea. I say make you own experiments, and your brewing will evolve, as we proges and get older our taste might change (I am ashamed to admit I like thai and indian curry and I eat more than 2 times a month, but I will avoid it during shincha season).

[ericnicolaas]

I was a shincha virgin until about a week ago, but had my first taste of the stuff with Kagoshima Yutaka Midori. I just wrote a review up for my blog, so thought I'd post it here as well:



This shincha leaps out at me. It is unmistakably fresh, with an aroma dominated by blackcurrant. The smell of the rich dark green leaves reminds me of a forest floor - perhaps there is a hint of pine here.

I brew the tea in my porcelain Japanese teapot at 78° C for a minute. Following O-Cha’s instructions, I use roughly a teaspoon in 250ml (8oz) of water. It quickly becomes apparent that shincha needs to be brewed carefully. When I leave it to steep for 1:30, the astringency bites. Later, I also try steeping the tea at a lower temperature, which gives it a milder character.

The powder of the leaves swirls around in the tea, giving the appearance of a green miso soup. When I first sip this, I wonder if this tea is designed to be consumed alongside sushi or fish - something suggests to me that shincha would be a perfect accompaniment to either dish. The flavour is of steamed vegetables. I drink it and feel nourished, revitalized.

This is my first taste of shincha, but it has left me with that happy feeling that comes from discovering - yet again - how deep and rich the world of tea is.

[bcos]

Oni,

SA Temomi, O-Cha Yame Gyo, Zencha Takumi, Tseun Kirameki, soon to be some O-Cha Yutaka Midori in there.

[Pentox]

Oni,

SA Temomi, O-Cha Yame Gyo, Zencha Takumi, Tseun Kirameki, soon to be some O-Cha Yutaka Midori in there.

Dang I only guessed one right. The Temomi was an easy one. I knew I had seen the pink of the o-cha before but I couldn't remember where. I didn't see enough of the Takumi to guess it was a zencha bag and i've never seen a tsuen bag before

[olivierco]

i've never seen a tsuen bag before

It is a special tsuen bag for the first batch of Kirameki.

The usual tsuen package looks like this:

[bcos]

What's the optimum temperature range for cold storing?

[Chip]

Thank you bcos for sharing your first fuka with us. Thanks ericnicolaas for sharing your first shincha with us. Both very interesting and inspiring reports.

Bcos, I would say as close to freezing as you can get it without a lot of temp fluctuation. My TeaFridge (just a hand me down cube fridge) is a constant 33-34*.

This is hard to duplicate in a regular fridge, so anything below 40* is OK.

[joelbct]

Ah you guys are lucky, looks delicious! My mouth waters at the pictures...

I am still workin on recently purchased 08 sencha (which stored properly is still awesome), hopefully i'll be able to afford some Ito En Shincha in June... just can't justify 30 or 40 bux for 3 oz at the moment when I can still get 08 for $16 :/ not as rich as I was this time last year...