Various specialty teas have been elected for Japanese tea award 2018. The final election of the award had been performed at Shibuya Hikarie till the last year. In this year, the 3rd election will be held on 7 places in Japan, including Shibuya Hikarie, and on Paris in France. The final result of election will be presentated on Tokyo Tea Party held from 30th Nov. to 2nd Dec. on Shibuya Hikarie.

Now 95 teas have already been elected as some prizes of Japanese Tea Award 2018, including 19 teas of Platina Award, 46 teas of Fine Product Award and 30 teas of Juris Award, according to the official website. Although some of them have been regularly applied to this award, the tea farmers and tea processors or blenders always have challenged to arrange these tea in some new ways or improve the production.
I’d like to share information of my recommend teas as follows, based on my experience and preference.

(1) Black tea – Momoka Premiun C-SF-5 by Imura Seicha co. ltd.
IMURA Norio, the young tea farmer producing Japanese tea on Kanaya region of the north area of Makinohara upland, has been challenging to sophisticate the production of black tea. His successive effort can create the unique black tea, which expresses the aroma like peach, as posted before. He said it is difficult to regularly make the peach-like aromatic one because of the difficulty to arrange the conditions of withering and maceration according to changeable conditions such as temperature, humidity and sunshine.
The result of the selection in this time indicates that he could produce the black tea successfully and create the peach-like aroma.
I can’t wait to taste it this December!
To tell the truth, we can taste this excellent black tea on this weekend 29th and 30th September at the event “Japan Tea Festival 2018” held on the “Taitokan” as announced before.
In addition, we can buy his highly aromatic black tea on the fancy tea shop “Gclef” in Kichijoji and Asagaya in Tokyo. Although I don’t know whether Gclef lines the black tea produced in this year up now, his black tea is basically so nice. Anyway Gclef is worth to visit to enjoy excellent teas!

Outside appearance of Gclef in Kichijoji in Musashino city, Tokyo.

(2) Sencha (no shading) – Deep Steamed Sencha ‘Tsuyuhikari’ by MURATA Yuya
Mr. Murata is also young tea farmer producing Japanese tea on Kanaya region of the north part of Makinohara upland, as a member of Kikusui Tea Production Cooperative.
His deep steamed Sencha of ‘Tsuyuhikari’ cultivar has the excellent infusion color of emerald green and mellow flavor as shown in the past post.

Infusions of deep steamed Sencha of ‘Tsuyuhikari’ produced by Mr. Murata and his colleague in Kikusui Tea Production Cooperative.

The reason why I love his ‘Tsuyuhikari’ Sencha is the potential to be re-steeped very flavorfully. As long as I experienced, most of ‘Tsuyuhikari’ Sencha can be steeped so rich in flavor and aroma at 1st infusion, on the other hand, its re-steeped infusion is less impressive than my expectation based on the richness and depth of 1st infusion. I guess most of tea farmers seems to steam row tea shoots of ‘Tsuyuhikari’ not so deeply because they are afraid that deeper steaming might reduce its aroma. Kikusui Tea Production Cooperative does steam ‘Tsuyuhikari’ deeper, without being afraid of reduction in aroma, which results in the higher potential to be re-steeped so lusciously.

(3) Sencha (without shading) – THE ‘HARUMIDORI’ by Shinkoju
Shinkoju is one of the most prominent tea shop dealing with specialty teas of single cultivar. The owner Mr. Kawaguchi often visits various tea estates and discusses with tea famers and tea researchers about tea production and cultivars, resulting in his higher expertise in tea cultivar. His enthusiasm for tea cultivar makes him to sell tea cultivar on his café and his event booth, which is very unique!

Mr. Kawaguchi brings tea nurseries of various cultivars on the booth of tea event.

This cultivar ‘Harumidori’ is very rare because of its difficulty in cultivation. According to the explanation on Shinkoju official page, the features of this cultivar are as follows

• Higher richness in umami
• Deeper bright green color of infusion
• Delicate aroma
• Full-bodied flavor
• Long luscious finish

Especially I expect the feature of “long luscious finish”! I prefer Sencha having a stronger sense of tannins as well as wine, because heavier one has generally long luscious finish.

Mr. Kawaguchi explained the difference between 2 tea cultivars.