Yanagi Bancha (80g)

(2 customer reviews)

¥700

Yanagi Bancha is light in body but rich in flavor. It has a slightly floral liquor with notes of caramel and birch. Made from more mature leaves, Yanagi Bancha remains one of the most common Japanese teas: very easy to drink and quite affordable.

Taste: Astringent
Body: Light
Texture: Sharp
Length: Short
Harvest: June
Tea Cultivar: Mixed
Origin: Wazuka
Cultivation: Unshaded
Processing: Steamed, Rolled, Dried
5% discount when purchasing more than 3 bags.

Description

What is Bancha? Bancha

Bancha (番茶) means ‘common tea’ or and is a type of Japanese tea that is popular for daily use. Depending on the specific kind of Bancha, the leaves for its production may originate from a spring, summer or autumn harvest. Bancha can be made from the leaves left-over from the first crop or from late summer growth. Taken from the lower part of the plant the leaves are slightly bigger and have a firmer structure than the ones used for Sencha. After the harvest and steaming, the whole leaves, including stems, go through the same rolling process as Sencha. The end product is slightly flatter needles due to of the different quality of leaves. As it is made from coarser leaves and contains stalks and stems, it is low in caffeine but at the same time it is full of nutrition. As the lower leaves are shielded from the sun by the upper ones fewer bitter compounds are produced, This and the large size of the leaves contributes to the tea’s mild and refreshing taste.

 

 

Farmer Profile

Akky-san Farming Tea

Akihiro “Akky” Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognizing the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

Additional information

Weight 130 g

2 reviews for Yanagi Bancha (80g)

  1. Obubu Tea

    Reviews by tea professionals and enthusiasts:

    “The infusion is golden green with a sharp, sweet, green aroma. The taste is sweet and green with nori notes, a hint of sesame, and a clean finish.The full aroma and taste were present through three steepings. It’s worth noting that there was no astringency, even after a longer steeping time which resulted in a greener flavor” – Heather Porter, 2016

    “A rustic tea this – and there’s nothing wrong with that. Of course this tea plays in a different league than fancy sencha and I don’t compare these directly. Still, it’s a nice, mild tea and an easy brewer”. – Phillip,Yunomi reviewer , 2015

    “The first infusion produced a pale yellow color with a slight haze, but still transparent. The aroma had scents of hay, dry grass, wood, and slight marine hint. The body is medium, with a mildly savory (umami) mouth feel. The taste had notes of hay, dry grass, moderate astringency, and a slightly salty, marine seawater note. The aftertaste had notes of grass, with a mild flowery essence being left on the breath.” – by Tea Journey Man, 2014

    “This is slight sweet with a somewhat hay-like flavor. It’s moderately dark and has a short finish. It’s a light tea, not strongly flavored but pleasant.” – by Rumpus Parable, 2011

    “This tea was a very pleasant surprise, being extremely refreshing and full of nice green tea flavor. This is a true ‘aracha’ or farmer’s tea, made from leaves and twigs of the same tea bushes used to make Obubu’s excellent sencha teas. It has a mild sweetness and an aroma that is very much of green vegetal quality. Not a highly refined tea, it has a primal character that stands up to several steeps and is at a great price.” – by E. Alex Gerster, 2011

    “The taste of the first infusion is mild and refreshing, with a creamy body and honey aftertaste. The taste is vegetal and at some points almost reminiscent of seaweed, with a natural sweetness to the taste. The finish is lingering and sweet” – by Leaf Joy, 2011

    “This is a lovely everyday green, the flavor is much sweeter than I was expecting from a tea grade described as being “low” – not as buttery as the other grades of sencha, but still that vegetal “hearty” green tea flavor that steeps into a pleasing bright yellow.” – by Latte Tea Dah, 2011

    “Yanagi Bancha is quite delicious. A lover of Japanese green teas, I found Yanagi Bancha to be mild yet flavorful. Naturally sweet, I thoroughly enjoyed its refreshing taste. A full-bodied tea, Yanagi Bancha has a hint of a vegetal quality throughout the cup with a floral finish. I was amazed by the changes in flavor as the cup cooled.” – by Tea Escapade, 2010

    “This is a nice, cheap, everyday tea. The flavor is really good for bancha, and the leaves are big and whole.” – by Ken Durocher, 2010

  2. Daniel Daniel (verified owner)

    Refreshing light body, vegetal and slightly grassy

Add a review