Review: Uji Tea Chanoka Silver – Nio Tea

About

Chanoka Silver is a single cultivar Asahi matcha from the Chanoka tea farm in Uji. This tea farm dates back to the 1900s and has been a family run business since the beginning. Today, Chanoka is run by Takada Masahiro, a 4th generation tea master.

Chanoka Silver is shaded for 3 weeks before harvesting. It is not specified whether hand or machine harvested. Chanoka Silver is also an organic matcha.

Asahi is one of the lesser grown cultivars in Japan, but is known for its high flavor potential and is often used in competitions. Although this matcha is not competition grade, this offering is a great way to try the cultivar for a lower price.

Review

The color of Chanoka Silver is a deep green, consistent with what you would expect of a shaded Asahi. The dry powder has a sweet vegetal smell. Upon drinking I got a mellow umami with a genet astringency. It is quite smooth all the way through. I would consider this tea to be well balanced yet heavy on the tongue. No one flavor is too over powering.

The aftertaste is quite basic, however still enjoyable: mellow savoriness with an unoffensive astringency on the middle of the tongue. The foamability is also great.

Conclusion

While Chanoka Silver doesn’t have a crazy umami or luxurious mouthfeel, its is one I feel confident recommending for everyday drinking as usucha or even koicha. Even though it has a more basic mouthfeel, that’s exactly what I look for in an everyday matcha. In fact, I loved Chanoka Silver so much for the price, it made my Best Matcha on a Budget List.