Shigaraki Asamiyacha

Tea: Shigaraki Asamiyacha 7431
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Source: Shiga, Japan
Price: $7.00 / 50g
Vendor Description: Shigaraki, famous production district for earthenware, is also famous as a production area of Ohmi tea. Its lingering aroma is truly exquisite.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea had a nice rich dark color to it. The leaves had a matte finish to them.

1st Infusion: The tea has a very nice aroma to it, the aroma is strong and distinctive. It is much stronger than most senchas and a very enjoyable aroma. The tea is light to the taste and hints at sweetness. There is a very clean feeling to this tea, although there is no noticeable bitterness or astringency.

2nd Infusion: Unlike the pale green infusion color of the 1st infusion the second had a bright yellow color to it. The flavor this time around was much stronger, especially at the back of the mouth. For the tip of the tongue there was a slight grassy flavor to be found. There was not much flavor on the front of the tongue. There was now a slight bitterness to the tea and a stronger smooth flavor. The aftertaste lingers for quite a while.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This is an interesting tea, nothing spectacular about it, but unique and tasteful in its own way. It is very light and refreshing. But at the same time the flavor is very complex with big changes between infusions.