Hand-Picked Gyokuro Okumidori Bio

Tea Type: Green Tea

Tea Cultivar: Okumidori

Tea Region: Shizuoka, Japan

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Slightly cloudy, pale green coloured infusion.
• Aroma: Creamy, cooked vegetal and marine notes accompanied with herbaceous notes. 
• Flavour: Rich, umami, buttered steamed greens (spinach, zucchini) with refreshing strawberry note and herbaceous finish. 
• Mouthfeel: Supple, smooth, full-bodied liquor with velvety mouthfeel. Absolute lack of bitterness and astringency.  

Brewing Guidance

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

What You Need to Know about Hand-Picked, Gyokuro Okumidori Bio

Made from meticulously, hand-picked, Okumidori cultivar tea leaves grown in a certified organic tea garden in Shizuoka, this outstanding Gyokuro was made by the 3rd generation tea master. As it's made from entirely hand-picked tea leaves (it's extremely rare to find hand-picked tea in Japan, as most of the teas are machine harvested), this beautiful, long, dark green needle shaped Gyokuro Okumudori offers a full-bodied, sweet and velvety infusion with creamy, milky, vegetable notes with refreshing strawberry note. 

Okumidori is a fragrant tea cultivar developed in Shizuoka prefecture. It is a cross-breed between Yabukita cultivar and a native tea cultivar called “Shizuoka Zairai #16". In 1974, it was officially registered as tea cultivar and it makes a highly umami and fragrant Sencha, Gyokuro and matcha. Okumidori cultivar offers a refreshing liquor with sweet herbaceous notes and noticeably less astringency. Our Hand-Picked, Gyokuro Okumidori Bio is ideal for Gyokuro lovers who are looking for umami, sweet, refreshing, herbaceous notes with a complete lack of astringency in their Gyokuro.   

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. 

To make Gyokuro, 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.

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. 

A supreme example of masterfully crafted, organically grown, pesticide-free, single-cultivar, Gyokuro that will not only enhance your vitality and energy, but will also lift your sprit any time of the day. 

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. 

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