Rishi GyoKuro Secret Garden - anyone tried this?
Rishi claims this is a high grade of gyokuro. Afraid to try it w/o any recommendations....
Jan 20th, '09, 11:24
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I have not tried it, but we did discuss it briefly here. Secret Garden
I would like to hear from anyone who has tried it as well.
I would like to hear from anyone who has tried it as well.
blah blah blah SENCHA blah blah blah!!!
Jan 28th, '09, 22:28
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http://www.rishi-tea.com/travelogue/Kag ... market.phpTokyoB wrote:Thanks. The brewing instructions do make me wary. If they don't know how to brew gyokuro, how do they know they have a high quality one?? Guess I'll stick w/the usual places for now.
Slides 11-15 illustrate the process. You can see that in one market, they don't even get to taste the tea, they buy on sight and smell only. Interesting.
Rishi Tea Gyokuro Secret Garden
Hello fellow Gyokuro lovers!
I wanted to clarify our brewing instructions for this tea. I feel that I have information that would help resolve some of the confusion.
Gyokuro Secret Garden is from Uji. Due to the weather conditions Uji had in early spring, this tea’s character was a little lighter than normal. However, this tea was one of the top choices for best price to quality ratio in the premium Gyokuro market in 2008. It is important to note that brewing instructions are not a rule, but rather a guide. If we were to create one brewing method for all black teas for example, we would be limiting our potential experiences in that category. The same can be said for Gyokuro. In this case, Joshua Kaiser (founder and CEO of Rishi Tea) met with the artisan who produced the tea. During his private tea tasting the artisan demonstrated that if you brew this Secret Garden at a higher temp (175) you would be able to bring out more complexity in the body and aroma. At a higher temperature you will release more of the catechins, polyphenols and caffeine thus experiencing a wider spectrum of flavors. However, you can still brew this Secret Garden at 160 (the standard brewing temp used for Gyokuro in most Japanese tea houses) but you will have less aroma, and a more uniform umami taste. At a lower temperature amino acids are released at a larger rate than the release of catechins, polyphenols and caffeine. This will yield a smooth more one dimensional taste of umami. The brewing guideline is just that, a guideline. And our tea buyers often write them in an effort to expand our customer’s pallets and appreciation for these teas.
I absolutely love this tea and I will brew it with both traditional methods (160) and this suggested method (175) depending upon my mood. There is definitely more going on in the 175 cup, but sometimes I just need that deep umami flavor
I hope this helps with the questions above. Let me know if I can be of further help!
Thanks!
I wanted to clarify our brewing instructions for this tea. I feel that I have information that would help resolve some of the confusion.
Gyokuro Secret Garden is from Uji. Due to the weather conditions Uji had in early spring, this tea’s character was a little lighter than normal. However, this tea was one of the top choices for best price to quality ratio in the premium Gyokuro market in 2008. It is important to note that brewing instructions are not a rule, but rather a guide. If we were to create one brewing method for all black teas for example, we would be limiting our potential experiences in that category. The same can be said for Gyokuro. In this case, Joshua Kaiser (founder and CEO of Rishi Tea) met with the artisan who produced the tea. During his private tea tasting the artisan demonstrated that if you brew this Secret Garden at a higher temp (175) you would be able to bring out more complexity in the body and aroma. At a higher temperature you will release more of the catechins, polyphenols and caffeine thus experiencing a wider spectrum of flavors. However, you can still brew this Secret Garden at 160 (the standard brewing temp used for Gyokuro in most Japanese tea houses) but you will have less aroma, and a more uniform umami taste. At a lower temperature amino acids are released at a larger rate than the release of catechins, polyphenols and caffeine. This will yield a smooth more one dimensional taste of umami. The brewing guideline is just that, a guideline. And our tea buyers often write them in an effort to expand our customer’s pallets and appreciation for these teas.
I absolutely love this tea and I will brew it with both traditional methods (160) and this suggested method (175) depending upon my mood. There is definitely more going on in the 175 cup, but sometimes I just need that deep umami flavor
I hope this helps with the questions above. Let me know if I can be of further help!
Thanks!
Jan 30th, '09, 14:15
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Hi Susana, I am just a bit curious, have you tried it at a cooler temp of around 135* with more leaf? Check out this discussion...
Gyokuro Discussion
Thanks for visiting!
Price is not an issue per se for me. Price is very subjective, there are gyokuro priced from 25 USD to hundreds of dollars. I am more curious about the brewing parameters.
Let us know your thoughts, please.
Gyokuro Discussion
Thanks for visiting!
Price is not an issue per se for me. Price is very subjective, there are gyokuro priced from 25 USD to hundreds of dollars. I am more curious about the brewing parameters.
Let us know your thoughts, please.
blah blah blah SENCHA blah blah blah!!!
Jan 30th, '09, 14:33
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Gyokuro Secret Garden cupping notes...
Hello! I wanted to start this post by clarifying that I do work for Rishi Tea. I did not want to mislead or step over any boundaries. I did go to Chip before I posted this to be clear that I could post my blog notes and would not be shamelessly promoting.
My main goal was to use two different brewing temperatures to taste Gyokuro Secret Garden, a Kyotonabe Gyokuro made from a single Aracha batch which is matured for one year.
Brew one (left): 175° F, 5 grams, 3 minutes.
I found that the matured tea had amazing complexity when brewed at the 175° F temperature. There was an intense flavor of umami but along with the initial sweet and smooth creaminess were fresh green notes that lingered on the palate. I dreamily tasted pine with a consistency one of my colleagues called 'brothy'. There is a sweet and almost salty note that reminds me of the mist of the sea. The aroma and flavor changed and had a very strong lingering note of green bean. My final thought was that this cup was incredibly complex and it left me wanting a second infusion.
Brew two (right): 130° F, 5 grams, 3 minutes.
I then brewed the same tea at 130° F for three minutes. This cup was also quite nice BUT was very one dimensional. It was full of rich umami but the more complex notes of pine were lost.
I can understand that people love the delicate infusion and the creaminess that a lower water temperature will yield. I do love that smooth and slightly sweet creaminess that a 130 temp gives you with other Gyokuro. However, for this tea you want to be able to extract the complexity in this infusion, I want the flavors to dance in my mouth and linger thereafter.
I love that we all expect something different from our tea and it never seizes to amaze me how different teas prepared in various ways can please so many of us.
My main goal was to use two different brewing temperatures to taste Gyokuro Secret Garden, a Kyotonabe Gyokuro made from a single Aracha batch which is matured for one year.
Brew one (left): 175° F, 5 grams, 3 minutes.
I found that the matured tea had amazing complexity when brewed at the 175° F temperature. There was an intense flavor of umami but along with the initial sweet and smooth creaminess were fresh green notes that lingered on the palate. I dreamily tasted pine with a consistency one of my colleagues called 'brothy'. There is a sweet and almost salty note that reminds me of the mist of the sea. The aroma and flavor changed and had a very strong lingering note of green bean. My final thought was that this cup was incredibly complex and it left me wanting a second infusion.
Brew two (right): 130° F, 5 grams, 3 minutes.
I then brewed the same tea at 130° F for three minutes. This cup was also quite nice BUT was very one dimensional. It was full of rich umami but the more complex notes of pine were lost.
I can understand that people love the delicate infusion and the creaminess that a lower water temperature will yield. I do love that smooth and slightly sweet creaminess that a 130 temp gives you with other Gyokuro. However, for this tea you want to be able to extract the complexity in this infusion, I want the flavors to dance in my mouth and linger thereafter.
I love that we all expect something different from our tea and it never seizes to amaze me how different teas prepared in various ways can please so many of us.
Last edited by Susana on Mar 12th, '09, 18:55, edited 1 time in total.
Wow, interesting. So you went from a high temp down lower. I normally take it the opposite direction. I'm assuming that you used about 4-5 oz of water? (I'm guessing based on the hohin you have pictured, assuming it's the same one as o-cha/maiko offer)
That must be quite the kick it's packing though at 3 minute steeps.
That must be quite the kick it's packing though at 3 minute steeps.
I am not sure what vendor the hohin is from. I borrowed them from a colleague.
Mar 12th, '09, 17:24
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Like Tamaryokucha?
It would be useful to know the tea cultivar, soils and growing conditions used and how this tea is processed and stored. Infusion conditions sound more like Tamaryokucha (but the tea looks like a Gyokuro).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami
Mar 12th, '09, 18:57
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Thank you for sharing with us Susana, wish I was there for the tastings!!!
Of course you know you have shattered my world with this temperature info? I see this was aracha, I have heard aracha gyokuro is indeed brewed very hot compared to fully sorted gyokuro.
It is too bad we are all so many miles apart or we could have some very interesting brew offs.
Of course you know you have shattered my world with this temperature info? I see this was aracha, I have heard aracha gyokuro is indeed brewed very hot compared to fully sorted gyokuro.
It is too bad we are all so many miles apart or we could have some very interesting brew offs.
blah blah blah SENCHA blah blah blah!!!