[KUMA TEA] Sencha Kirari 31 Super Premium Organic Loose Leaf

2023 Mountain-Grown Yame Sencha, Single Cultivar Kirari 31
Very good aroma, soft umami, balance
* Producer : Kuma Tea Farm
* Origin : Yame, Fukuoka - Japan
* Harvest : 2023 Shincha (first harvest of the year)
* Single cultivar (Kirari31 きらり31)
* JAS Certified Organic
Another new Sencha for the year 2023, this Kirari-31 Sencha comes from the award-winning Kuma Tea Garden in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture. The Kirari-31 tea bushes were cultivated through the open-field cultivation. This tea will please you with a silky smooth mouthfeel and with its elegant and refreshing aroma. It is a tea that you will want to keep drinking.
A note about the Kirari 31 cultivar
A cultivar that is receiving increasing attention. It was derived from a cross of Sakimidori (the mother or pollen parent) and Saemidori (the father or pollen parent. Saemidori itself a cross between Yabukita and Asatsuyu cultivars). The cultivar was first produced in 1994 with traits such as disease and cold resistance, good growth, and tea quality in mind, and indeed has shown very good resistance against frost so has been recommended to farmers cultivating at higher elevations. In general, the quality of tea made from the Kirari 31 is greater than that of Yabukita and compares with the umami level and color of Saemidori. Ready for harvest in general 3-4 days earlier than Yabukita, it has an excellent color (as you may be able to tell from the photo) with a mild flavor that is similar to Saemidori quality.
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Founded over 100 years ago, Yamecha Kumaen produces Gyokuro, Sencha, Matcha, and wakoucha in Joyomachi area of Yame in Fukuoka. Kumaen is known for their exceptional Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro, a style of Gyokuro that must follow strict, traditional guidelines, such as honzu straw shading and hand-picking. Their Dento Hon Gyokuro consistently wins many awards, with their 2017 harvest even receiving 1st place in the Gyokuro division of the National Tea Competition 2017, with a full score of 200 points.
Head tea master Masahiro Kuma (久間正大) is a third-generation tea farmer who sees producing Dento Hon Gyokuro as a year-long bet, requiring months of dedicated work in the hope that the spring harvest will yield delicious tea. His goal is to one day make tea that is more than just ‘delicious’, a tea that will move people’s hearts.