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sencha from Obubu: 'Autumn tea, memorable for it's large leaves and mellow flavor and very tasty

I was a huge fan of Earl grey tea. Especially iced ones. But these days, I am just taking green tea. Currently trying Jade Leaf Matcha Green Tea which is overall very good.

Welcome to teaForum @teamonkey. Looking forward to your introduction.

Continuing with Kagoshima Seicha organic Kabusecha (Smile Tea by Birouen Tea House). Most mornings this has been my go to Japanese green tea when its not too chilly outside. This time I switched out the Kobiwako clay kyusu by Maekawa Junzo that I've been pairing with this tea, to a Jozan III shudei clay kyusu. I've developed an awkward relationship with the Junzo due to the lid dripping, although I like the clay a lot. To avoid dripping I probably need to only fill 3/4 full and leave lid off like @Chip does. A little too much wabi-sabi for me when tea comes out in places not intended . The Jozan won't drip even if I try.


Akira Satake yunomi & Jozan III kyusu in foreground. In rear yesterdays teas steeping in Emu with Kabusecha and Hokujo with roasted DongDing.

Not sure I should be sharing this ...but I see they have added several more 100 gram packs of my many months long favorite daily Japanese drinker. Kakogoshima Seicha’s Organic Kabusecha Sencha, Smile Tea by Birouen Tea House. It won several awards and is priced below value. I’d buy it all except I already have 4 in refrigerator ....oh wait just rechecked now I see I’m down to 2, so I’ll get 4 more before posting this .

Their kabusecha green tea bags are also very very good, when you’re on-the-go and want quality sencha. Haven’t tried the matcha or hojicha they are selling yet.

Kōzan Gyokuro (Ippodo)

Elise,
So very interesting, using the handle to support the lid. Not sure if it's possible with my kyusu but a never thought of possibility in any case. Thank you.

I think it’s an impression of the photo, actually the lid is just resting on the belly of the teapot under the handle. I kept the lid open because I didn’t want the gyokuro to be overcooked by heat during the first infusion.

Another fine morning with the last of the 'Spring Sun' sencha from my Obubu Tea Farm subscription. It's a generous quantity of tea, and I have been mixing and matching the seasons as I drink my way through it. Vegetal, floral, a fine spring sencha that feels marvelous on a chilly December morning!

debunix wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 14, 2019 10:09 am

Another fine morning with the last of the 'Spring Sun' sencha from my Obubu Tea Farm subscription.

I have asked about tea subscriptions in another thread (viewtopic.php?t=1260), and I do not think I have seen that one mentioned. I would be curious to know what you think about the quality of the tea you are getting with this subscription compared to sources of quality green tea you know. I would also like to know how much tea you are getting with this subscription. They also seem to have a pricing model (monthly charge but four unevenly spread shipments during the year) that is a bit surprising to me.

Earlier in the day I had Kirishima Saemidori Sencha from Thes Du Japon. A serviceable green but not as good as the ones I've had from O-Cha and Yuuki-Cha. This one wasn't packed oxygen-free and I could sense that the top notes were muted.

Call me fussy, but I'm a stickler for nitrogen flushed/oxygen free packaging when shopping for Japanese greens and Taiwanese green oolongs. This makes a huge difference in flavor and aromatics by sealing in the freshness of the tea.

faj wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 14, 2019 11:05 am

debunix wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 14, 2019 10:09 am

Another fine morning with the last of the 'Spring Sun' sencha from my Obubu Tea Farm subscription.

I have asked about tea subscriptions in another thread (viewtopic.php?t=1260), and I do not think I have seen that one mentioned. I would be curious to know what you think about the quality of the tea you are getting with this subscription compared to sources of quality green tea you know. I would also like to know how much tea you are getting with this subscription. They also seem to have a pricing model (monthly charge but four unevenly spread shipments during the year) that is a bit surprising to me.

I think I get 4 bags of tea at a time, but I haven't been keeping very close track. The best of the sencha is very good, similar my enjoyment to better, but maybe not the very finest, teas from O-Cha and Yuuki-cha, although I've never done a head to head comparison. The least of it is still a decent daily drinker. I'm accumulating a lot of genmaicha and kukicha, which are decent teas but when I'm in the mood for earthy, I'd rather enjoy some traditional roast oolong or puerh.

The best part of it is the feeling of the seasons in one place, from one piece of land and the strains of tea plants they have there. There is quite a difference in spring, summer and fall versions of sencha.

Forgot to add, the packages are mostly 100g but some of the special teas might be 50g.

Right now all I have is organic sencha superior from Hibiki-An, and organic sencha from Yamamotoyama. I have a few bags of tea on its way from Ocha and Co. and O-cha.com.

I'm in the experimental stage, trying to find the right amount of leaves and brew times for each tea. The gram scale I ordered and thermometer arrived on Wednesday. That will help, but for now, I want to use all these accessories as aids in helping me to eventually eyeball the tea and water amounts, which is how I've done it for all the years I've drank green tea. It's fun to learn how to properly brew a cup of sencha, but I don't want to become a purist either. I want to enjoy drinking green tea like I always have. I must admit the last few nights I haven't been that into the tea, because I'm thinking too much about preparing it. It's not just a matter of grabbing my kyusu, spooning some leaves into the teapot, and pouring in some hot water. Now there are several things I need to consider in order to achieve a perfect brew. I need to watch myself to ensure I don't become too obsessed, lest my joy for tea finally peters out after all these years. I definitely can't have that happen.

So this is my setup for now.

'Wind' Sencha from Obubu subscription today



The leaves appear a bit coarsely processed, including some stems, but the stems do not detract from the experience: this tea is lively and floral and vegetal and delightful, with a pale green liquor.

@debunix the dry leaf does look beautifully wind swept . Beautiful images.

I continue with Birouen Tea House Kabusecha, with a few breaks of two very special sencha from Miyazaki, a prefecture in southern Japan along the Pacific. One by a level 10 (the max) TeaMaster in Japan, Mr. Hirotsugu Sekiya, that I got from Sinensis, the other a futsumushi sencha from Thes du Japon. I hope to take some pictures of the two side by side soon. They are very similar with subtle differences.

I found some old jasmine pearls at the very back of my tea canister shelf. It’s a good quality from Seven Cups so still fresh enough to enjoy. Jasmine was my very first loose tea and I still enjoy it occasionally although now it has to compete with Japanese greens and yancha.

Every tea tastes better in this purple cup!