Hon yama koju oolong 2020 thes du japon

Vendor

Origin : Kozeto, Aoi ward, Shizuoka city, Shizuoka prefecture
Cultivar : Kôju
Harvest : Aprile 23th & May 9th, 2020, hand picked

Zairai so should have low bitterness

unique fruity fragrance, recalling white grapes, peaches and also sweet citrus.

Review

Based on the description I treated it like a chinese oolong: threw 5 g in 85 mL gaiwan. Off boiling water:
Rinse/35s/30s/35s etc

The dry and wet leaves smell a bit like a hybrid of baozhong and zairai sencha: floral and vegetal.

Unfortunately the first few infusions are quite bitter. The bitterness in the front is eye popping and devastating - I will start with the positives. The flavors in the back and in the aftertaste are much more pleasant: sweet grape juice, some light savory herbs, and a greenness that reminds me of gao shan. The aftertaste lingers for a long time and is nice. The infusion is also thick with a medium to heavy body.

Regarding the bitterness, it is so strong and off putting that when my wife had it, she gagged and coughed - and had to wash the taste out of her mouth with tap water. She has never done that in the past with other teas, even young sheng!

This makes it clear to me that florent has a very high capacity for bitterness since he thinks there is no bitterness at all.

As an oolong, this tea dissapoints due to unpalatable upfront bitterness. I think perhaps as a zairai sencha, it is quite good, esp with the complex fruity flavors, and long satisfying aftertaste. Therefore I believe this tea likely demands lower leaf to water ratio (maybe 4-5 g per 100) and cooler water (maybe around 80-85) with the typical sencha brewing parameters.

Ultimately I found this to work best: 4g/85 mL off boiling. Quick rinse. Then 15s / flash / 10s / 20s and so forth.

Using cooler water prevents the floral character to emerge.

Comments

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