About this tea

Asatsuyu means “morning dew” and is an original cultivar developed in the 1950s. Harvested in the early spring season, it bears its first flush right after saemidori and asanoka and just before yabukita. Picked at its peak quality, this batch of asatsuyu has a deep milky sweetness, rich umami and shimmering brilliance of liquid jade in the cup. The timing of the harvest was delayed about a week from the cool weather this year, so the tea developed gradually and blossomed into a deeply rich and creamy umami tea that stood out from so many shincha samples we cupped this year. Back in the day, people referred to the asatsuyu cultivar as “natural gyokuro” because even without deep shading, its appearance and style is of emerald and vibrant green dew drops. This year we selected a deep steamed fukamushi batch from the Ei Town of Kagoshima on the island of Kyushu, known for its rich and vibrant umami green teas.