Bikouen Matcha Oimatsu 老松 – “Old Pine” – 40g in a metal box

Description

ORIGIN & HARVEST TIME

Japan, Kyoto, Uji 2021

CHARACTER

Like an Old Pine in several shades of green. This is the highest usucha (thin or light matcha) category tea from Bikouen in Kyoto. It has a strong, full flavour with an upwards character, even a hint of pine needle flavour at the end. You can try it as a thin or a thick tea, it will show two different faces: from a light, floral one to a heavy, smoky, incense filled Kyoto temple experience. This brand and quality is unique in the European market!

The Bikouen Tea House was founded in Kyoto in 1872. They are the official matcha suppliers to the Nishi Honganji and Higashi Honganji temples in Kyoto, and now also to the Flying Bird Teahouse in Budapest. The Yabunouchi tea school is also associated with their teas, which is the oldest surviving tea school and one of the four major chanoyu schools in Kyoto. The Kyoto matcha specialist tea house produces teas that are outstandingly finely ground, even among premium teas. This guarantees an above-average, silky, creamy effect, with a livelier, more full-bodied flavour. The finished tea is not only frothy on the surface. The whole tea has a creamy, velvety texture, which is one of the most defining experiences of a Bikouen Matcha. It is easy to prepare, easy to froth, and retains its character for a relatively long time after opening if kept in the refrigerator.

Bikouen carefully controls the tea from planting to processing. The tea plants are covered 3 weeks before picking, the leaves grow more slowly and stretch towards the light.
Harvested after three weeks of shade, the tea is thoroughly sorted after steaming and drying, and ground into powder by a mill. The powdery fine glossy green tea mixed with a little water is the most intense green tea experience imaginable.

DOSAGE & BREWING GUIDELINE

To prepare it use two scoops – chashaku – of about 2-3g of tea,  whisk in a large teacup (chawan), with the bamboo stirrer (chasen) until frothy and completely mixed. The final result must be creamy and frothy, with a thick layer of jade foam on the top! Water should be 60-70 °C, 100-150 ml.