Kabusecha Green Tea

Kabusecha, Gyokuro and Tencha are three Japanese shaded teas.  Kabusecha plants are covered (filtering 50-70% sunlight) for about one week before their leaves are plucked and processed.  Gyokuro tea leaves are covered (filtering 90% sunlight) for approximately three weeks prior to being harvested.  As for Tencha, it is also shaded (filtering 90% sunlight) for around three weeks.  Tencha is deveined and used for producing Matcha.  Shading forces tea plants to generate more chlorophyll.

The appearance of Kagusecha, literally means covered tea, is not easily distinguishable from its relatives, Sencha and Gyokuro.   The flavor profile of Kabusecha is middle-of-the-road.  Kabusecha has the astringency of Sencha and the savoriness of Gyokuro.  It is refreshing and has a clean aftertaste.  The brewed leaves are soft, edible and tasty.

Shaded teas (top:Tencha, left: Kabusecha, right: Gyokuro)

Kabusecha


Type:  Green      Producing Country: Japan    Preparation:  80°C 3 Mins

Dry Leaf:  The dark green thin needles and pieces have a delicious aroma of brioches or biscuits.
Wet Leaf: The soft wet leaves are savory and vegetal.  They look like boiled spinach and taste like cooked arugula.
Liquor:      Lime green is the color of Kabusecha.  It has the toned-down astringency of Sencha and the mild savoriness of Gyokuro.  Its mouth feel is  mild, clean and vegetal.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5