Natsu '26 Ceremonial Matcha
Yabukita · Uji, Kyoto · First Harvest · 54g
What makes this selection
The Cultivar
Yabukita accounts for 70% of Japan's tea production — not because it's ordinary, but because it's reliable in the way that truly exceptional things are. Bright, grassy, with a clean umami that doesn't overpower. The cultivar most Japanese tea masters reach for when precision matters.
The Origin
Uji, Kyoto has been producing Japan's finest matcha for over 800 years. The region's granite-rich soil, morning mist, and temperature variation between day and night create a growing environment that cannot be replicated. When you taste Uji matcha you are tasting place as much as plant.
The Grade
Ceremonial grade means the leaves were shade grown for a minimum of three weeks before harvest, picked by hand from the youngest shoots, and stone ground at low speed to preserve flavor compounds that heat would destroy. It is not a marketing term. It is a standard. This matcha meets it.
The Harvest
First harvest matcha — ichibancha — is picked in early May when the youngest leaves carry the highest concentration of L-theanine and chlorophyll. It is the most prized picking of the year. Everything that follows is a diminishment.
How to Prepare It
Heat water to 175°F — never boiling. Sift two grams into your chawan. Add two ounces of water. Whisk in a W motion until foam forms at the surface. The foam is not decoration. It is evidence of correct preparation.
Umami rich · Mellow · Naturally sweet · Clean finish