Yakushima Black
£6.95 – £9.95
A black tea from Yakushima, an island off the south coast of Kagoshima whose outstanding natural beauty is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Mr Watanabe and two other friends started the tea estate over 15 years ago to make the most of Yakushima’s unusual location and pristine environment – free from mass farming and pesticide use – and have been farming ecologically on their small farm ever since.
Although Watanabe-san mainly produces sencha and other forms of green tea, he does make a small amount of this brisk, gently fruity black tea. Similar in profile to some Sri Lankan black teas, it has a slightly malty, grape-like taste, along with a soya bean note that we sometimes find in Japanese blacks.
ORIGIN
Mr Watanabe’s Tea Farm, Yakushima Island, Kagoshima, Japan
SIZE OF FARM
12 acres
PLANTS AND PROCESSING
Camellia Sinensis Sinensis. Kanaya Midori cultivar. Blend of 2022 and 2023 harvests.
BREWING
90°C, 4g per cup. 2 infusions. Can take milk
PLEASE NOTE
Caddy and 250g Refill options are only available online or via ‘Collect from Postcard Teas’ for shop collection, two working days after purchase.