Gyokuro Uji Yabukita

Tea Type: Green Tea

Tea Cultivar: Yabukita

Tea Region: Uji, Kyoto, Japan

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Slightly cloudy, pale green coloured infusion.
• Aroma: Creamy, milky, cooked vegetal notes accompanied with gentle and delicate grassy notes. 
• Flavour: Rich, umami, buttered steamed greens (spinach, zucchini) and sweet, creamy, milky notes are accompanied by refreshing mint and thyme finish. 
• Mouthfeel: Supple, full-bodied liquor. Silky and unctuous mouthfeel. Absence of bitterness and astringency.  

Brewing Guidance

• Measure 3g of tea per 150ml water. Boil water to 60℃. Steep for 2 minutes.

Reference: Op.204 YABUKITA

All You Need to Know about Gyokuro Uji Yabukita

Made from carefully hand-picked tea leaves grown on the picturesque hills of Uji, which then have been masterfully crafted into a beautiful, dark green needle shape by the 16th generation tea master, our Gyokuro Uji Yabukita offers a full-bodied, sweet and velvety infusion with creamy, milky and cooked vegetable notes. 

In comparison to our other single cultivar Gyokuro - Gyokuro Uji Hikari and Samidori (they also make a delicious, silky, creamy infusion with rich sweet, umami flavour),  Gyokuro Uji Yabukita offers a fuller body, more unctuous and velvety mouthfeel. Gyokuro Yabukita shares its main flavour profiles with Gyokuro Goko (i.e. dominantly milky, creamy, vegetal), however there is a slightly more presence of grassy flavour in Gyokuro Uji Yabukita.

If you really love the oily creamy texture and appreciate the sweet, milky, vegetal flavour of Gyokuro, you'd be more than happy and satisfied with our Gyokuro Yabukita and Gyokuro Goko. If you appreciate more delicate, refreshing Gyokuro with a bit more flavour complexity, you will be impressed with our unique Gyokuro Samidori and Gyokuro Uji Hikari. 

A supreme example of masterfully crafted Gyokuro that is a must try for any tea connoisseurs and Japanese tea lovers.

Yabukita is a typical Sencha cultivar. However, this fragrant cultivar can be reborn into impressive matcha and Gyokuro. Along with our Matcha Yabukita, this Gyokuro Uji Yabukita is another magnificent example of what highly skilled tea masters can achieve with Yabukita cultivar.  

Tips for Tea Connoisseurs

Gyokuro, which translates into "Jade Dew" in Japanese, is a highly appreciated, much sought-after green tea by Japanese green tea connoisseurs for its elegant and refreshing aromas and flavours. Originating from an award-winning, family-run tea garden in Uji, which has been established during the Tensho era, this gracious Gyokuro made from Yabukita cultivar has captivated our palate in all respects with its distinctively rich, creamy, umami flavour and delicate sweetness. 

To make Gyokuro Uji Yabukita, Yabukita tea plants have been shaded 30 days in advance before harvest to achieve its iconic mellow sweetness. Due to its limited exposure to the sunshine, tea plants undergo a chain of physiological changes in order to survive, which, in turn, results in the changes of the chemical composition of the tea leaves. As this shading method imposes a heavy burden on the tea plants, tea leaves for Gyokuro green tea are harvested only once a year, in contrast to tea leaves for Sencha green tea which are harvested 4 times a year. Produced this way, Gyokuro green tea is extremely rich in L-theanine, the essential amino acid in developing Gyokuro green tea's desired flavour profile - mellow, sweet, rich, umami flavours.

Please ensure to use low water temperature (60℃) for no longer than 2 minutes to appreciate its iconic, deep, umami flavour. Infusion at any higher temperature will result in bitterness in the liquor, which will cover up the distinctively elegant and mellow character. 

As with all green tea, Gyokuro is rich in antioxidants and known for its potential health benefits such as promoting heart health, cancer prevention, boosting the immune system and lowering down blood pressure. 

If you like this product you may also like Gyokuro Kukicha, Matcha Eroica, Sencha Asamushi and Wild Arbor Joongjak.