Organic Gyokuro

Common for Japanese greens, this Gyokuro has been made with a blend of leaves from multiple cultivars, here helping to balance sweetness, freshness, and aroma. The glossy needles produce a typically rich brew, full of the umami of stewed greens, though the subtler supporting notes of sesame and lime add a lively complexity that recalls an expertly tuned sauté. The harvest was favored by a sudden spring after a hard winter, bringing more nutrients into the budding leaves, while the nearby volcano of Sakurajima, which nourishes the fields with ash, refrained from covering them just before harvest, a frequent risk in the trade. The taster will certainly consider themselves lucky in any case.