Award Winning Organic Yame Black Tea

Award winning doesn’t always mean the best, but this Award Winning Organic Yame Black Tea definitely lives up to its name with a beautifully complex and cozy flavor with notes of Japanese sweet potato, honey, and a subtle minerality, with lingering floral notes of gardenias and rose, as well as an enveloping smooth mouthfeel.

Yame black tea, or Yame Koucha (八女紅茶), comes from Yame, a renowned tea-producing region in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, which traditionally, has been celebrated for its high-quality gyokuro and sencha. However, in recent years, it has also gained recognition for producing unique and high-quality black teas that are rich, smooth in flavor with a pleasant natural sweetness. 

For this black tea, the Sayama Kaori (さやまかおり) cultivar is used. Although it was originally developed in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, it is also used in Yame for black tea production due to its adaptability and unique flavor profile. This cultivar’s adaptability to different climates has led to its cultivation in various tea-growing regions, including Yame, where it thrives in the misty and mineral-rich environment, developing complex and layered flavors. The “Kaori” in Sayama Kaori translates to “Aroma” which hints at its floral, aromatic qualities. Sayama Kaori is known for its full body and rounded mouthfeel, making it particularly well-suited for black tea, where these qualities shine.

This Award Winning Yame Black Tea is also organic, which allows for the tea to feel cleaner and have a finish that is not drying or bitter, even when brewed at a high temperature or over-steeped (which both bitterness and dryness are an effect pesticides can often have on the mouthfeel of teas).

To brew this aromatic tea, we used a 120ml clay Japanese Houhin teapot and 5 grams of tea leaves. Because we are using a clay pot that absorbs tea flavors, avoid using one that has already been seasoned with green tea. Using 204°F (96°C) water, steep the tea for about 35 seconds before pouring. The tea should be a dark honey-like amber color. After the 3rd infusion, start steeping for 3-5 longer than the previous infusion to enjoy the same intensity of tea up to 6-7 times. 

This Award Winning Yame Organic Black Tea made with the Sayama Kaori cultivar  offers a unique expression of Japanese black tea, combining the region’s traditional craftsmanship with the rich, aromatic characteristics of Sayama Kaori to create a tea that is smooth, fragrant, and full of depth. For Japanese tea enthusiasts who want to broaden their Japanese tea collection, this Yame Organic Black Tea is an excellent choice!

Notes: Japanese Sweet Potato, Honey, Minerals, Gardenias, Rose