Kyoto Matcha
Mill date: June 2023
Grade: Ceremonial
Origin: Wazuka, a small town located in the north of Kyoto prefecture. The area has about 800 years of history of tea cultivation and is famous for high quality teas, especially Sencha with tea plantations spread out on the lush hillsides. 45% of teas produced in Kyoto are from Wazuka
Okumidori Cultivar: A crossbreed of Yabukita cultivar and Shizuoka Zairai. The cultivar has no significant shortcoming, is well-balanced with umami, pleasant astringency and refreshing yet elegant aroma. The color is dark green.
3rd generation tea producer: The matcha comes from a small family farm run by Mr Kanmoto and his wife. The soil type is mineral-rich clay soil, which contributes to depth of flavors and strong aroma in the tea.
Flavor: The flavor of this matcha comes from firing the tea leaves in higher heat than usual. They have a toasty, nutty-like aroma. This matcha is stone milled.
Stone-milling process: In older times, stone mills used to be rotated by hand, but nowadays the rotation is automated. The leaves are funneled down and ground in between two granite stones. The heat produced by the stone mills brings out the flavors of the leaves. Stone-ground Matcha has a deep flavor which a ball mill or a jet mill cannot make.