Ohmi Kabusecha Kurasawa

Kabusecha from Tsuchiyama in Shiga Prefecture, crafted from the characterful Kurasawa cultivar.

Ohmi tea traces its beginnings to 805, when the monk Saichō brought tea seeds from China and planted them near the foot of Mount Hiei. Over twelve centuries later, Tsuchiyama in Kōka remains Shiga’s largest and most important tea district. Its gentle sloping hills, long hours of sunlight, and pure water have made it especially known for high-quality kabusecha, a style that has repeatedly earned the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award.

This tea is made from Kurasawa, a cultivar selected in Shizuoka in 1967 from a natural seedling of Yabukita. Kurasawa is highly regarded for its rich aroma. It later became the parent of the famous fragrant cultivar Koshun. When grown as kabusecha in Tsuchiyama, Kurasawa develops a balance of sweetness and savory depth.

The dry leaf aroma from the freshly opened bag has sweet acacia-honey notes with a lychee-like sweet-and-sour character and a gentle green-pine sweetness.
Warmed in the teapot, the leaf offers warm, toasty notes reminiscent of fresh toast, balanced with natural sweetness.


TASTE NOTES

First infusion (60°C at 35 seconds): Attractive oily shine with a sencha-like clarity. The liquor is lighter in color while the flavor is sweet and toasty with good umami, a round silky mouthfeel, and a satisfying savory depth that feels rich and almost brothy.

Second infusion (70°C at 15 seconds): Remains pleasant and well-balanced.

Overall, the tea offers a clean yet substantial profile where sweetness, toastiness, and savory umami work in tandem. Note that the finished leaf contains some stems, that contribute to the tea's sweetness.


BREWING RECOMMENDATIONS

Leaf: appropriate for your vessel (around 6 g per 120 ml as a starting point)
1st infusion: 60 °C, 35 seconds, 120ml
2nd infusion: 70 °C, about 15 to 20 seconds, 120ml

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