Japanese Tea Tasting (Temporarily Unavailable)
TGL invites you to a tasting of teas from the most rural and isolated areas in Japan. Starting with a welcome drink, the two types of courses offered will feature different teas of your choice accompanied with various wagashi sourced directly from Higashiya—a renowned traditional Japanese confectionery shop located in Tokyo.
Tastings are available Tuesdays through Sundays, 1pm-4pm and last approximately 30 mins.
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Course A ($30) Welcome Drink 2 Choices of Today's Teas 3 Types of Wagashi |
Course B ($35) Welcome Drink 1 Choice of Premium Tea 3 Types of Wagashi |
Chilled Sobacha
Sourced from Nagano—the city famed for its buckwheat noodles. Sugars in the buckwheat kernels caramelize as they are fired leading to a naturally sweet cup with a golden liquor and lasting, toasted finish. Naturally free of caffeine.
Tasting Notes: Toasted grain / Pervasive sweetness
Tea Origin: Nagano, Japan
Uji no Sato Sencha
A delicate sencha from Uji, Japan’s most revered tea growing region. Uji no Sato is a classic example of the Uji terroir: golden liquor, light silky body, and the unmistakable “Uji Aroma.”
Tasting Notes: Floral / Silky / Delicate Minerality
Tea Origin: Uji, Japan
Ayame Kabuse
Ayame is wrap shaded for 10 days prior to harvest. Sharing characteristics of both gyokuro and sencha, expect a bright piney aroma with a dose of round and buttery umami.
Tasting Notes: Baked Grass / Nori / Cream
Tea Origin: Fukuoka, Japan
Miyabi Sencha
Our first spring release from Yame. Miyabi sencha is sparkling with fresh, intense aromatics and a sweet and clear finish. A truly delicious tea that is also one of our easiest brewers.
Tasting Notes: Sweet / Hazelnut / Subdued Umami
Tea Origin: Fukuoka, Japan
Chiran Shincha
Grown and harvested in Chiran Township, Kagoshima, Japan, this Shincha is coveted for higher levels of aromatic compounds—specifically plant alcohols and Esters that provide an incredibly rich and grassy aroma. 100% Saemidori varietal means a perfect combination of natural sweetness, lasting umami, and an intoxicatingly fresh aroma.
Tasting Notes: Fresh Grass / Savory Tang / Pervasive Sweetness
Tea Origin: Kagoshima, Japan
Fujimidori Sencha
One of our most beloved Sencha, Fujimidori is a clear and bright single cultivar Sencha from Fukuoka. Fujumidori brews up with a slightly sweet and subdued umami. A rich, clear and bright colored liquor is as rewarding to the eyes as it is the mouth.
Tasting Notes: Sweet / Fresh / Subdued Umami
Tea Origin: Fukuoka, Japan
Kukicha
A blend of stems and leaves from the hills of Fukuoka, Kukicha boasts a beautiful glowing green color, rich fruity aroma, and a slightly toasty finish. The tea stem has a wonderfully fruity character that you often miss in sencha, and when the stem comes from as high quality of tea plants as ours, you get a beautiful balance and a notable savory tang.
Tasting Notes: Blanched Greens / Citrus / Gentle
Tea Origin: Fukuoka, Japan
Jou Yanagi Houjicha
Late harvest Uji bancha is drum roasted until reaching a deep brown, almost black hue. Incredibly fragrant and easy drinking, this classic everyday tea is served cold making it a perfect refreshment drink. Lower in caffeine.
Tasting Notes: Kettle Corn / Chestnuts / Roasted Barley
Tea Origin: Uji, Japan
Uji Genmai Matcha
A deep green cup with a silky mouthfeel and a lovely baked grain finish, our genmai matcha hails from the famed town of Uji and is a blend of first flush sencha, high grade matcha powder, and toasted puffed-brown rice.
Tasting Notes: Nutty / Toasty / Creamy Texture
Tea Origin: Uji, Japan
Iribancha
An often controversial tea, Iribancha is a late harvest tea that is simply dried and then undergoes an intense deep roast. The resulting leaf is richly fragranced with notes of smoke, pine resin, and pipe tobacco.
Tasting Notes: Pine Resin / Bonfire / Burnt Cannabis
Tea Origin: Uji, Japan
(Choice of 1 per group)
Tsutsuji Shincha
Tsutsuji is hand-picked and processed to be shown competitively in Japan. Laser focused and round on the palate with a balanced umami and sugar pea like sweetness.
Tasting Notes: Pine / Wilted Greens / Fresh Wildflower
Tea Origin: Fukuoka, Japan
Koushun Shincha
This remarkable high mountain sencha from Shizuoka is grown at altitude on the steep slopes just south of Mount Fuji. Koushun is a unique cultivar that exudes a wildflower aroma with a gentle mineral backbone and a sophisticated and understated astringency.
Tasting Notes: Floral / Fruity / Delicate Minerality
Tea Origin: Shizuoka, Japan
Mebuki Shincha
Mebuki is bursting with freshness and aroma—a true celebration of Spring. A 100% Saemidori Shincha that brews up with a piercing green color. Mebuki presents itself as a bit more reserved when it comes to the savory qualities of Yame tea. We love the balance of Mebuki—sweet and smooth with a hint of nuttiness.
Tasting Notes: Fresh Cut Grass / Toasted Pecan / Sweet Corn
Tea Origin: Fukuoka, Japan
Shizuku Gyokuro
This hon gyokuro, or true gyokuro, is shaded for 20 days before being hand harvested. Elevated levels of the amino acid theanine impart a deep and pervasive savoriness that is balanced by a gentle floral finish.
Tasting Notes: Kombu / Dashi Stock / Pine
Tea Origin: Fukuoka, Japan
Soukou Matcha
Our gentlest offering to date and a true representation of the very best of Yame matcha, Soukou is a smooth and velvety Matcha from Yame. Made with premier leaves blended from several sites in Yame, we believe this tea punches well above its weight class.
Tasting Notes: Toasted / Velvety texture / Soft finish
Tea Origin: Nagasaki, Japan
Shinme Matcha
Vibrant and invigorating, Shinme Matcha is round and silky with a balanced sweetness and pervasive finish. This is our top tier Usucha, or thin grade of matcha from Yame. This very special matcha green tea offers a deep rich flavor with a powerful fragrance and embodies a truly refined Usucha experience.
Tasting Notes: Fresh cut grass / Cacao / Espresso mouthfeel
Tea Origin: Fukuoka, Japan
Mamegashi—peanuts with sweet coating
Yokan—sweet azuki bean paste jelly
Monaka—sweet bean paste wafer sandwich