Organic Sencha

Japan's everyday tea, at its highest grade.

Sencha is what Japan actually drinks — not the ceremonial powder, but steamed whole leaf, poured and drunk without much fuss. Ours is the top grade, grown just 120 metres from the sea. That proximity shows up in the cup as a faint salinity, a mineral edge under the sweetness that inland sencha simply does not have.

Unlike Chinese green teas, which are pan-fired, sencha is steamed within hours of picking. The steaming stops oxidation dead and locks the leaf's colour in place, which is why the liquor pours a vivid green rather than a pale yellow.

Sweet on the nose, with hints of seaweed and new-cut grass. Brew it cooler than you think — around 70°C — and briefly. Too hot and it turns bitter; get it right and it is one of the sweetest teas in the world.