Our first Gyokuro Karigane. Giving you the umami-rich experience of a Gyokuro but with the creaminess and fruits from the stems. An incredible way to experience Gyokuro and at a steal of a price.
Every year we sample Gyokuro to select for our clients. In the last few years that job has become harder.
Overall the quality of the Gyokuro we have been tasting has been dropping (while the prices are rising).
I think that this is mostly due to the Matcha craze meaning that a larger proportion of the shade-grown green tea fields are being used for Matcha and less attention s being given to Gyokuro.
So, after tasting many samples of Gyokuro I was about to call it a day and stop searching. Then I was sent this Karigane.
Gyokuro Karigane is made by processing Gyokuro normally - shade growing meticulously and then steaming, rolling and drying before being sorted to remove the stems.
Then, some of the stems are mixed back in with the leaves in precise proportions.
This radically reduces the price of the tea BUT this does not mean that the tea is less enjoyable.
In fact, the stems add a creamy and fruity quality to the Gyokuro.
Our Gyokuro Karigane is made from one month shaded pickings of the Gokou and Yabukita cultivars. The tea has been blended with a 50/50 blend of leaves and stems making it a top-tier Karigane (you can get Karigane that is almost all stems).
I adore this tea and, in many ways, prefer it to the 100% leaf Gyokuro. It gives you that Umami-rich experience which is unique to Gyokuro but it is slightly dialled down and offset with soft creamy notes and a dried guava or pineapple liveliness.
The mouthfeel is jellied and thick, the umami is rich and rounded and the finish is humming with brothiness leading to a lemon drop juiciness.
A great addition to our roster, and at this price it is a must-buy for any Japanese Green tea lover.
