Økologisk Gyokuro Yamashiro-te

The deep green color of the leaves is incredible—I've never seen green tea look so vibrant before brewing. The first sip had a rich, almost creamy umami that makes my usual morning tea taste plain in comparison.

The 6-7 weeks of shading really comes through — the liquor is almost neon green and has that rich, brothy umami I usually only get at a good tea house. I've been steeping it at low temperature and getting three solid infusions out of the same leaves.

I brewed this at 140°F like the label suggests and it came out incredibly smooth, almost buttery, with zero bitterness. The deep green color in the cup is honestly striking compared to the regular sencha I used to drink. Worth every penny for a weekend treat.