Gyokuro Karigane 2022 No.332

Karigane Tomoshiraga (雁ヶ音 友白髪) is a pleasant and soft Japanese green tea.
Its umami-flavored brew has a beauteous jade green color. The first infusion reminds has a really long taste profile with corn, algae, umami, nice green flavors, and a bit of sweetness. Later on, the taste softens and the greenish, edamame, and grape flavors become more dominant.

Karigane (雁ヶ音), or Shiraore (白折) is a Japanese green tea blend made of leaves, stems, and stalks. Thanks to this combination the tea has a rather unique flavor. Karigane is often confused with Kukicha (茎茶) which, despite being almost identical, is another kind of tea. While Karigane is shaded and made of the cultivar used for Gyokuro, for Kukicha they use the Sencha cultivar instead.

One of Uji’s ancient tea gardens, the Kōzan-ji (高山寺) temple is tended by the Yoshida family for nearly 500 years. This degree of proficiency echoes in their teas too: refined and extremely balanced flavors supplemented with beautiful elegance.

Tasting notes:
Steamed gaiwan: green and fragrant notes at the same time
Tastes, and feeling: It has a neon green, lime-like color. Complex green notes, umami, and a bit of fruitiness with a hint of alga. Really fresh potion with a nice bitterness, which turns into pleasant sweetness. In the second steeping, we found some edamame bean notes, and more fruity and fragrant notes, such as grape, violet, and acacia flower. We taste three outstanding steepings.

Elkészítés:

Preparing Instructions:

Quantity: 6-8 grams per 180ml
Water temperature: 75ºC. From fresh spring, mineral water, or filtered water
Brewing time: 90 seconds
Infusions: 3-4 times