Kabusecha – Hoshino Blend

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Kabusecha background information
Kabusecha (also known as Kabuse sencha) is an extremely versatile, high quality Japanese green tea. It is processed in the same manner as sencha but shaded before harvest like gyokuro and tencha, albeit for only 7 to 10 days compared to gyokuro’s 16 to 30 days. Typically direct shading is used for kabusecha and some gyokuro, whereas non-direct shading is used for high grades of gyokuro (it is one of the requirements for Yame Dentou Hon Gyokuro). The shading process is very stressful for the tea plant and can cause long term damage/loss of the tea plant if done without enough care and attention. The amino acids inside the tea leaves are prevented from changing into catechins during the shading process, resulting in a noticeably higher level of amino acids in shaded tea compared to unshaded tea. With low temperatures, you can enjoy a very savoury taste similar to a gyokuro, and with high temperatures there may be a hint of smooth bitterness like in a good sencha.

Notes for this particular tea
This Kabusecha is from Hoshinomura in Yame, Fukuoka prefecture. It has been deep steamed so the leaf presentation is more broken, and it will produce a darker liquid colour, especially at higher temperatures. The darker colour is a result of there being more small particles present in the tea (the longer the leaves are steamed for, the more prone to breaking they are during the later drying and rolling stages), which will benefit the drinker with more nutrients and also more caffeine. Lower temperatures will extract the amino acids (umami and sweetness) faster than the caffeine (bitterness) and catechins (astringency and a little bit of bitterness), the latter two of these will be more noticeable at higher temperatures above 75 degrees or so.

Please experiment to find your personal brewing preference. A good starting point is listed below:

Hot brewing guide:
Kabusecha 5 grams (~1 teaspoon)
Water 55ml
First infusion 55°C for 45sec
Second infusion 70°C for 20sec
Third infusion 85°C for 5sec

Cold brewing guide:
Kabusecha 14 grams
Water: 800ml for 14hours
Spring or filtered water is recommended. Being gentle with the leaves will avoid astringency and other harsh tastes so we recommend pouring the leaves onto the water as opposed to pouring the water over the leaves, being careful not to shake the bottle, and not squeezing the leaves too much when draining. Feel free to experiment with the tea to water ratio and the duration. Consume within 24-36 hours.

Storage:
Store in a cold environment (6-10°C) and avoid exposure to light, air, heat, moisture and strong smells - these will degrade your tea. Best consumed within 4-6 weeks from when it is first opened.