Organic Miyazaki Black Oolong Sakimidori from Yuuki-Cha

This tea comes from Yuuki-Cha wonderful shop that has also black and oolong Japanese teas, that I’m eager to try them all.

From the summer harvest, a limited oolong-black tea from Gokase Town in Miyazaki, which is made from the seemingly versatile Sakimidori cultivar. The combination of summer harvest leaves and a longer oxidization time than your typical oolong tea really helps to develop the wonderful fragrances of this unique tea.

Dry leaves are similar in color to Koubi Shiage oolong from the same shop. Silver or asphalt brown. Some small amount are just green, not so oxidized. But they are about 15% smaller and almost no stems, more packed. Still the aroma is similar, when I’m opening its beautiful Japanese tea pouch.

I rinsed the gaiwan (without tea). Put the tea in it, wonderful cocoa smell with floral undertone. Similar to Da Hong Pao Wuyi woolongs. But more lively a bit.

1st steep at 95°C for 1.5 min. Liqueur smells of summer meadow + milk chocolate. But taste is different, it has some quality of red wine. Red grape astringency and very slight sourness. Color is dark brownish red, like you may see on very old wine. It is indeed very similar to wine in feel and taste! It has a nice rounded body. Wet leaves are red and green, with many of them just almost green. Leaves are opened up to 70-80% after the steep.

2nd steep at 95°C for 1 min. Now suddenly apricot smell appeared from the liquor. The flavour became much more lively and floral. Still with grape astringency, but it is definitely not a regular tea astringency, not at all! It also has a sweet aftertaste. Wet leaves are fully open now. I found a full undamaged small green leaf 🙂

3rd steep at 100°C for 4 min. Liqueur in gaiwan smells like a young pu-erh. Then in the cup becomes very red colored and strong smell moderates. Still tastes like a wine, but more and more floral.

4th steep at 100°C for 2.5 min. Fruity aroma. Maybe I gave too much time to my steeps. Maybe shorter steeps were needed. It is less wild now, but still with grape undertone. Lingering on the back of my mouth. Spent leaves are really smell of a young puer. Amazing.

5th steep at 100°C for 5 min. Real aroma and taste of some good somehow young pu-erh. Comforting astringency of grape wine. This tea can survive several more steeps. Great.