MIRAI
PREMIUM SENCHA
Description
First harvest 2022
A blend of Sae-midori and Yabukita cultivars, MIRAI is a complex and perfectly balanced sencha from Yame that greets you from the moment you open its bag with a rich and aromatic aroma with hints of red fruits. Its long, needle-like leaves are delicate and shiny.
In the cup, MIRAI has notes of steamed vegetables. Its rich green-yellow liquor leaves a coating mouthfeel and lingering sweetness typical of Yame sencha, with a nice touch of astringency that highlights its sweetness.
For more details and steeping recommendations, you can read the in-depth review prepared by our tea taster Alex.
Food pairing:
MIRAI can be enjoyed with a light chicken salad topped with toasted white sesame seeds and nuts or with a simple salad with cucumber and wax or green beans. Fresh green salads with a blend of lettuces and a small amount of arugula would also pair nicely with the tea.
Origin
100% Japanese tea from Yame
Quality and Type
Premium Sencha
Organic
No
Cultivar
Yabukita & Sae-Midori
Tasting Notes
sweetness
A sweet-tasting tea is a very light tea that leaves a sensation of natural sweetness in the mouth.
UMAMI
Although there is no official translation of the word “umami”, some call it “savory taste”: it leaves a mild and lasting pleasant brothy after taste and is recognized as one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). It also induces salivation and a furriness sensation on the tongue, stimulating the throat, the roof and the back of the mouth.
BITTERNESS
The natural bitterness of green tea comes from the way it is made. Unlike black and oolong teas, green teas are made from the unfermented leaves of the tea plant, which keeps the antioxidants intact, but also gives them the bitter taste. This bitterness can be regulated with the water temperature : the higher the more bitter and vice-versa.
CAFFEINE
Caffeine is a naturally-occurring stimulant, found in several plants. Caffeine is water soluble, and is extracted into the brewed cup when preparing tea. In most cases, tea has much less caffeine than coffee.
CATECHINS
Catechins are a type of polyphenol (EGCG) and are the main astringency component in green tea, long known as tannins. In order to release more catechins you will need higher brewing temperature at around 80 but this will also increase the astringency and bitterness of your tea because of the caffeine. Dont use such temperatures for Gyokuro.
THEANINE
L-theanine (here referred to as theanine) is an amino acid that has a relaxing, but not sedating, effect. It is renowned for its ability to put you in the ideal state of calm attentiveness. It can sharpen focus, while reducing stress and enhancing overall well-being. Theanine can interact with caffeine, allowing a smaller dose of caffeine to have a stronger effect in terms of boosting concentration and alertness.
FRAGRANCE
The fragrance of a cup of green tea can vary from a highly roasted aroma to a fresh one.
Preparation
Tea for 2 cups
6g / 0.21oz
Water150ml / ~5 fl oz
Temperature
80C / 176F
Brewing
30-45s
Food Pairing Recommendations
MIRAI can be enjoyed by itself or paired with a light chicken salad topped with toasted white sesame seeds and nuts or with a simple salad with cucumber and wax or green beans. Fresh green salads with a blend of lettuces and a small amount of arugula would also pair nicely with the tea. For the stronger second steep can be enjoyed with a light sweet like wagashi or thin cookies.
Koga Kumiko san represents the fourth generation at her family business KOGACHA GYO in Yame, Fukuoka. Working alongside her mother, president of the company, and her father, director of operations, she is a tea instructor.
Dedicated to lead her company through the challenges of the green tea industry in the 21st century, she is in charge of overseas sales. She also travels around the world to give tea seminars to introduce Yame green tea to foreign tea lovers.
Conservation & Packing
Unopened
1 year
Opened
6 weeks
Resealable vacuum bag, or aluminium bag with neutral gaz for best preservation.
Reviews
Reviews
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
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"Tea is nought but this: first you heat the water,
then you make the tea.
Then you drink it properly.
That is all you need to know."
Sen no Rikyu
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Stay up to date on our new arrivals, promotions and Japanese culture
"Tea is nought but this: first you heat the water,
then you make the tea.
Then you drink it properly.
That is all you need to know."
Sen no Rikyu
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iriska2903 (verified owner) –
I love the tea that I bought from IKKYU.The flavour is delicious and the smell is heavenly. The taste is delicate and light.
Samed Haveri (verified owner) –
Great tea,
Was my first time trying sencha and i fell in love with the taste.
Jake B (verified owner) –
I think that Ikkyu’s description of Mirai as “perfectly balanced” is right. This sencha has plenty of flavor and aroma, from savory to sweet, but no single aspect calls attention to itself. For that reason, I find it hard to describe the tea, other than to say it’s smooth and mellow. And, for the same reason, I enjoying returning to it, noticing new things … A great tea for a quiet moment.
Jesse Katz (verified owner) –
This might be my favorite sencha. It has the bold umami taste that makes Yame teas so awesome, but it’s very artfully controlled with light astringency and vegetal sweetness. There is a delicate quality to this tea that is irresistible and draws you back to find nuances and different flavors you didn’t notice before. It also makes a phenomenal cold brew! Highly recommend.