Yame Handpicked Saemidori Okuyutaka Gyokuro

Japan’s Pinnacle Green Tea

Gyokuro (玉露) is considered the highest expression of Japanese green tea. For several weeks before harvest, the tea bushes are carefully shaded, slowing photosynthesis and concentrating amino acids. This results in a tea known for its thick, silky texture, deep sweetness, and a long-lasting umami finish unlike any other green tea.

This Gyokuro comes from Yame, a region in Kyushu famous for producing Japan’s most award-winning Gyokuro year after year. What sets this tea apart is that it’s a blend of two exceptional cultivars:

• Saemidori – prized for its vivid green color, smooth umami, and low astringency.
• Okuyutaka – known for its refined, elegant aroma and mellow depth, but with a very short harvest window that demands expert handpicking.

By combining Saemidori’s bright sweetness with Okuyutaka’s rounded elegance, this blend captures a remarkable balance—both vivid and nuanced.

Gyokuro relies on the softest new growth that develops under weeks of shading. These delicate leaves cannot be reliably machine-harvested. That’s why premium Gyokuro is always harvested by hand, selecting only the tender bud and two youngest leaves. This preserves sweetness, avoids bitterness, and highlights the cultivars’ true character. In Yame, this traditional handpicking is a core part of why their Gyokuro is unmatched.

Brewing & Flavor Journey

One of the joys of Gyokuro is that you don’t just taste it once—you can brew it in progression at different temperatures to unlock completely different sides of the tea.

First Infusion – True Gyokuro Brewing 

120°F (49°C) · 7 minutes

This brewing method is the traditional way to brew gyokuro used to unlock the brothy, umami-rich expression that only gyokuro can achieve. When brewed this way, the tea is thick and soup-like, coating the tongue with a salty, toasted nori-like umami and a creamed spinach-like sweetness. It finishes with subtle floral notes and a sesame-like nuttiness. The rich and satisfying umami lingers long after each sip.

Second Infusion – Medium Temperature

140°F (60°C) · 2 minutes

In this brew, the creamy vegetal flavors take center stage, while nutty and savory tones bloom upfront, then give way to a brighter, more fresh-vegetal and lightly floral aftertaste. This expression feels the most dynamic with how quickly it evolves in the mouth.

Third Infusion – Higher Temperature

165°F (74°C) · 30 seconds

This is the brewing method usually recommended for brewing sencha. When brewed this way, the tea brightens to a more vibrant green that saemidori is known for. The aroma turns fresher and sweeter, with notes of edamame and a mochi-like sweetness. There is still gentle notes of nori and sesame nuttiness rounded out by a more pronounced floral finish.

By following this progression, you experience the entire spectrum of what Yame handpicked Gyokuro has to offer—from the deep, savory umami of the first infusion to the fresh, green sweetness of the final brew.

This is a beautiful handpicked gyokuro blend of Saemidori and Okuyutaka cultivars, grown in Yame’s award-winning terroir. If you’re looking for a tea to be savored slowly, unveiling layer after layer of sweetness, umami, and fragrance with each infusion, this gyokuro is an excellent choice.

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