Tasting profile
Primary tasting notes
- Alpine WildflowersA cooling floral refreshment that swirls around the tongue.
- Salt AirThe fresh briny smell of being somewhere coastal.
- Corn SilkA vegetal side that carries creamy sweetness with it.
Origin and farming
- Terroir
- Mori-Machi, Western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
- Farming method
- JAS Certified Organic
About This Shizuoka Blend
While we typically gravitate towards single-cultivar matcha, this blend really grabbed us as something quite exceptional. Traditionally, most matcha is blended of different cultivars, and it is the job of the Master Blender to balance the cultivars in such a way as to highlight each one's strengths to the fullest extent.
The exact proportion of the blends remain a trade secret, and change each year. Nonetheless, the most commonly grown cultivars in this area of Shizuoka are Yabukita, Okumidori, and Tsuyuhikari. Yabukita traditionally provides the backbone , Okumidori provides a softening creaminess and brilliant green color, and Tsuyuhikari - a specialty of Shizuoka - adds powerful umami depth without the need for excessive nitrogen fertilizer.
About Shizuoka Tea
Shizuoka Prefecture has been at the heart of Japanese tea culture for over 800 years, tracing its origins to the Kamakura period when the monk Shōichi Kokushi is said to have brought tea seeds from China and planted them on the slopes of what is now the Ashikaga region. Blessed with a unique combination of volcanic soil, cool mountain mist, and a temperate climate shaped by the Akaishi Mountains, Shizuoka grew to produce nearly 40% of Japan's total tea harvest, earning its place as one of the country's most celebrated tea-growing regions. That deep relationship with the land has long guided how farmers here approach their craft — many estates maintain traditional, low-intervention growing methods, working in harmony with the natural ecosystem of the mountainside rather than against it. The result is a tea culture rooted in patience, precision, and profound respect for the terroir that makes Shizuoka matcha so distinctly expressive.
Akaishi Mountain Tea
The Akaishi Mountains, also known as Japan’s Southern Alps, help shape the growing conditions of nearby Shizuoka tea regions, where elevation, cool mountain air, and river-valley mist influence how tea develops. Teas from these mountain areas are often prized for fresh, refined aromas, gentle sweetness, and a balance of umami and refreshing astringency; some offer delicate floral notes and a clean, lingering finish. Of course, the mountains alone don’t create one signature flavor, but this was a particularly fun fact to learn as we tasted this tea and got the impression of fresh mountain air before having more information about its origin!
Milled-To-Order: The perfect intersection of craft, terroir, and freshness.
Fresh milling is the final step in bringing our Shizuoka Blend to life. By milling the leaves as close as possible to the time you enjoy them, we help preserve the delicate aromas and flavors that reflect both the tea’s origins and the blender’s craft. Floral notes, gentle sweetness, and rounded umami come together with clarity, allowing the character of the growing region and the care taken in selecting and balancing the leaves to shine through. It’s our way of honoring the work that begins in the tea garden and carrying it into your cup.
