Cultivars: Seimei
Origin: Chiran, Kagoshima
Vintage: Unknown
About
This matcha is made from the Seimei cultivar, a new type of cultivar first introduced in 2017, made from crossing the Saemidori and Fuushun tea plants. This cultivar is known for its great color and sweet aroma.
I prepared this usucha with 1 tsp of matcha and 80ml of 156F water. I like to use slightly cooler water than what may be considered standard as it limits bitter notes extracted from the tea.
The growing method and shading duration were not specified, so I think it’s safe to assume that this matcha was machine harvested. Machine harvesting is not always a bad thing. In fact the majority of matcha these days in machine harvested. The lower cost of machine harvesting allows for lower price point matcha.
Review
The color of Chiran Harvest is a bright electric green, one of the most vibrant greens I’ve seen in a matcha. The dry aroma is noticeably sweet and once adding water, the aroma turns to a deep leafy greens such as swiss chard and kale.
The taste is very delicate, light, and airy. The strong sweet smell comes through in the taste and reminds me of spinach. The umami is medium bodied and is accompanied by a slight roastyness (macadamia nuts, sesame seeds). There is a mild astringency that adds nicely to the flavor.
The aftertaste is also great as you are left with a very present and prolonged savory sweetness.
Conclusion
When I was first getting into the world of matcha, (2021) Naoki’s Fragrant Yame Blend was the first matcha I bought. Therefore, I was super excited to try Naoki’s new Chiran Harvest Matcha.
Overall I really enjoyed this matcha and would definitely recommend it. In my opinion, its airy, delicate flavor makes it better suited for usucha
or koicha as opposed to being used in a latte. Also, how can you not get excited about trying one of the most recently created matcha cultivars in the tea industry!
Pick some up for yourself: Chiran Harvest – Naoki Matcha