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Kirari 31 Gyokuro
Competition Gyokuro
Description
2023 harvest
An exclusive and precious gem - the very essence of umami. Tea master Kiya san and IKKYU are delighted to present you one of the rarest green teas that you can find: a dento Hon Gyokuro made from Kirari 31 cultivar in Kuroki town, Yame.
With only a handful of kilo made this year, this gyokuro can be compared to caviar, champagne or liquid gold, and is usually presented to the most demanding tea fair competitions. It has received the “Geographical Indication” label from the national government, guaranteeing that it was grown and produced according to the traditional methods.
The main feature of this single-origin gyokuro is its exceptional level of umami, thanks to the thicker mesophyll of Kirari 31 leaves, compared to what you can find in the already highly rated Saemidori cultivar (mesophyll is the inner tissue of a leaf, that contains many chloroplasts).
Combined with less astringency, dento hon gyokuro made from Kirari 31 yields a rich and sweet liquor with a long finish.
In line with the traditions behind the making of every Yame dento hon gyokuro, its tea leaves were hand-picked one by one during the first harvest, in steep tea fields at 300 meters above sea level.
If you’d like to learn more about Yame dento hon gyokuro, you can visit our special page about Gyokuro here and also our Yame tea page. Please also watch the interview of Kiya san explaining about the parallels between green tea (especially gyokuro) and wine. In his interview, Kiya san brews a Kirari 31 gyokuro.
Information
Net Weight: 8gHarvest: 2023Origin: 100% Japanese tea from YameQuality and type: Competition Gyokuro Organic: No Cultivars: Kirari 31 Conservation: 8 months unopened Optimal tasting: within 2 weeks after openingBrewing Instructions
Tea for 2 6g / 0.21 oz |
Water30ml / ~ 1.00 fl oz |
Temperature40C / 104F |
Time120s |
Tasting Guide
Aromatic Profiles
BODY
FLORAL
VEGETAL
ROASTED
NUTTY
WOODY
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KIYA YASUHIKO
Kiya Yasuhiko the Third (heir and third owner of Kiya-horyouen) is a certified Japanese Tea Appraiser (out of a total of 39 in Japan). He works to spread new ideas and concepts about Japanese tea and promote Yame tea, gyokuro and tea culture in general.
We are honored to propose Kiya san’s incredible teas and be able to collaborate together on new ways to enjoy green tea by going beyond the traditional approach. Kiya san has developed exclusive teas for IKKYU. His deep and unique knowledge of tea along with the quality of Kiya san’s products will lift you to the highest levels of Japanese green tea.What Customers say
- Reviews
- Questions
![France](https://cdn.stamped.io/cdn/images/pixel.png)
thé superbe
Maginifique thé et envoi extrèmement rapide. Un raffinement apprécié
![United States](https://cdn.stamped.io/cdn/images/pixel.png)
Kirari 31
This tea has excellent taste, and is a bit pricey compared to other fine Gyokuro teas.
![United States](https://cdn.stamped.io/cdn/images/pixel.png)
Kirari 31 Gyokuro
I had my first cup/8oz. The taste was excellent. I heated the water and added a teaspoon of leaves. I will try to figure out water temp/leaf volume to suit my taste. Excellent product !
KIRARI31
Very light, sweet, and full of flavor, I recommend master Yasuhiko's technique for brewing.