This black tea “BENIFUKI Premium Tea” provided by IMURA-EN has a special aroma like peach!! Especially, I could feel the peach-like fragrance after swallowing the infusion. Of course, when the tea leaves are steeped, the tea releases the fruity smell slightly.
This peach-like aroma is derived naturally from tea leaves themselves. Provably during fermentation the precursors of them would be assumed to be created.
1st infusion extracted cool water has the natural fruity aroma. 2nd infusion re-steeped by boiling water has a nice astringency with slight fruity aroma. Astringency in re-steeped infusion of this tea is very gentle mouthfeel. I have the most correct expression in English. Let’s say, gentle to my tongue, softy texture, I feel as if my tongue is enveloped by some softy silk. And in the same time, 2nd infusion has well body. 3rd infusion is still dense and delicious, the body of 3rd infusion becomes somehow lighter.
The color of 1st infusion is clear and somehow slight. The color of re-steeped one has bright amber color. The tea leaves could release bright color still 4-times re-steeping!

This special black tea is produced by IMURA-EN in Kikugawa region of Shimada city, the north part of Makinohara upland. IMURA-EN is managed by IMURA family, the younger tea farmer IMURA Norio and his father IMURA Toru. They made great efforts to make the specialty teas. As for this black tea, I heard they created it incidentally at first. Although I don’t know the detail of the procedure, their careful manner of tea-processing could result in the special aroma and prominent flavor of this black tea.
Their strict management of tea-processing is represented in the procedure of tea leaves separation. They separate raw leaves based on the external conditions and status of tea leaves to result in the aimed quality of teas.

They are also highly motivated to sophisticate their skill. So they often join some meeting to study or improve the technique.

 IMURA Norio explained the features of his teas in the meeting of black tea evaluation with merchants and a chef of Japanese cuisine. Merchants and the chef gave compliments for the special aroma and flavor. In addition, they share opinions about which foods or sweets should combine with the tea.

IMURA Tohru, the father of Norio, also joined the meeting of mutual sophistication. He discussed with the other tea farmers to improve the quality of teas and arrange the aimed flavor.

In Japan, we can purchase this specialty tea online and in some local shops.
Fortunately, we can enjoy their teas with some Japanese sweets in the Japanese-traditional restaurant “Ishidatami-Chaya”(Japanese tea house along with old cobblestone pathway) on 6th and 16th May. This tea ceremony is one of the events in the Expo of local villages in the agro-forestry region named as “Haru Satoyama Haku”. In this event, we can taste black teas of IMURA-EN and the black tea “KOHAKU”provided by Chakura as written in the past.
To apply this ceremony, at first we should register the official online service and then we should apply on the official website. If you would like to join, please give me some comments and your e-mail address.

— Information of the events —

• Official website of this event : FUJIEDAONPAKU
• Data : 14:50 – 16:30 6th and 16th May 2016.
• Avenue : Ishidatmi Chaya (Its website, written in only Japanese. Please enjoy nice photos)
• Address : 2482-1 Kanayasakamachi, Shimada city, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
• Access : It takes 10 – 15 minutes from JR Kanaya station on foot. The location is somehow difficult to seek. If possible, please use taxi. The fee will be less than 800 yens.
• Fee : 1,500yens.
• Tea farmers : IMURA Norio provides “BENIFUKI Premium Tea”, MURATA Yuya from Chakura provides “KOHAKU”, MIURA Yoshinobu provides “Benifuki Black Tea”.