Organic Koshun Japanese Oolong

Location: 300-500 meters above sea level in Shizuoka

Harvest season: second harvest. Our oolong benefits from a nifty plant-hopper bug that only appears when the weather gets warmer. You might think a bug would automatically be considered a detrimental pest, but these special leafhopper bugs can help the tea leaves develop flavor! The leafhoppers bite tea leaves, and in response, the tea plant produces a defense mechanism and flavor develops from chemicals that Camellia sinensis releases in response, contributing to the oolongs honeyed flavor.

Cultivar: Koshun 香駿 (also seen written as Koushun or Kôshun) was registered in 2000 and is a crossbreed between Kurasawa and Kanaya-midori cultivars developed by Shizuoka's research center. In the field, Koshun grows very uniform buds, has a hardy resistance to cold, and is harvested mid-season. The cultivar is known for its strong, rich, herbaceous aromas and pleasant, fruity flavor with lots of umami. Because of its popularity, you can find it as a sencha, black tea, or as a special oolong like we have here.

Process: no pesticides or chemical fertilizers were used in the making of this tea. The leaves are carefully grown in a cool, insect-resistant tea plantation in the mountains in the Sunagawa district. The tea leaves are harvested, then withered in the sun, then withered further indoors. Then the leaves are then heated to stop the enzymes that further oxidation (called kill-green in processing). The leaves are rolled, dried, and subjected to a secondary track dryer step instead of the rolling machine (like you would have for sencha).