This has happened so much faster than I expected, but we’re at the end of the Sayama tea reviews! Appropriately, the last tea is called Sayama-Kaori, which can be translated as “the smell of Sayama”.
First Impressions
The dry leaves smell totally different from the previous tea, the Gokoh. While the Gokoh was sharp and almost tangy, the Sayama-Kaori leaves were intensely grassy and sweet.
Tasting Notes
First steep: This was was interesting because like with the Haru-Midori, I had two experiences with this. In my first session, the tea had a really grassy scent and taste, with a slightly bitter note in the aftertaste. In the second session, which had a slightly longer steeping time, there was a pretty strong umami scent. The tea was also pretty savoury, with some grassy notes, and a slight bitterness lurking in the midst of the savouriness.
Second steep: The notes for the second steep converged in this steep. For both session one and two, I noticed a much darker tea liquor in the second steep. There’s no more umami taste – instead, the tea is sweet and grassy, with a slightly stronger bitter note compared to the first steep. I can also feel the astringency here.
Third Steep: It is really quick, but the bitter notes have lessened pretty greatly by the third steep. I’m still getting sweet and grassy notes, and I can still feel some astringency in the tea.
Tea Description
Of course, there will be a tea card for a tea called “Sayama Kaori”
“‘Sayama-Kaori’ was developed in 1971 by Saitama Tea Research Institute. The flavour is strong in bitterness and astringency but it tastes fresh. As it tastes like typical Japanese tea, ‘Sayamakaori’ is loved by those who drink Japanese tea habitually.
“Sayama-kaori goes very well not only with Japanese sweets, but also cake and marron glace. As an after-meal beverage, it will enhance your satisfaction.”
Thank you, Saitama Tea Research Institute for creating so many great cultivars! Hopefully, when I can go back to Japan after travel restrictions have been lifted, I can visit this institute as well.
About Okutomi-en
Description also from the tea card:
“Okutomi-end is a mid-sized farm that has a tea garden of 3.1 ha in Sayama City, Saitama. In 2006, they built a matcha factory that is equipped with the first Teacha-kiln in the Kanto area. Mr Masahiro Okutomi, the young owner of this tea farm has actively entered Japanese tea competitions held overseas and he won the gold in the matcha category at Cest Bon le Japon in 2018 in France, and he also won the gold medal at the Great Taste Award 2013 Competition in England.”
I have the matcha from this farm as well, and will review it shortly! My next tea post on Thursday, however, will have details on the givewaway that I’ll be holding on Instagram! Please stay tuned!