Kagoshima Sencha (Harney & Sons)

When most of us think of green tea, we think of Japan. It’s Japan’s unique more grassy tastes which draw us to their teas. Perfection is an opinionated ideal, but this Kagoshima Sencha from Harney & Sons tastes like what I think a Japanese green tea should.

This tea literally looks like grass. The mixture of deep and bright greens is a stunning visual. This is especially captivating when paired with the sweet grassy aroma which contains notes of baby spinach and artichoke.

This tea seems to be shade grown and the loose material does have lots of smaller leaf particles amongst the larger leaves. When brewed the tea produces a lightly cloudy bright green liquor.

The steeped aroma equally light and fresh, containing less astringency than when dry and this seems to allow the sweeter notes to emerge in greater force.

When drinking this Kagoshima Sencha it’s important to note the swirl of sweet and bitter on the tongue. This convalescence makes for a wonderful palate pleasing brew.

While the aromas and the flavor are both sweet, the bitter in this brew provides sufficient enough bite, but there’s no drying of the tongue or palate.

Fans of Japanese green teas, especially shade grown (Fukamushi) style teas such as Gyokuro will really enjoy this brew. Fans of softer green teas such as a Chinese Dragonwell may find this brew a bit harsh.