Sencha of the Spring Sun Hachiju-Hachiya 2020 (25g)

Spring Sun HachijuHachiya is a Limited Edition Sencha steeped in history. It’s comprised of glossy dark green needles that create an emerald green liquor. Full-bodied with a long presence in the mouth, it gives bright-tasting grassy notes with a delightful astringency that epitomises the essence of Spring time teas. The tea liquor has a thicker viscosity which is due to the downy hairs on the back of the very young leaves . We hand sorted the raw material used only the youngest buds and first two leaves. The tea had a light steaming and soft rolling enabling a many steeps.  This tea is an unshaded tea which we harvested in spring, precisely 88 days after the first day of Spring. A truly unique tea, ideal for early mornings or afternoon calm.

HachijuHachiya Background

The 88th day of traditional Japanese calendar, which falls right around May 1st or 2nd, is famous as an important date for farmers, and especially tea farmers. For several hundred years, the 88th day has been considered the best day to start the spring tea harvest. Those tender new shoots are prized, and used for the highest grades of sencha.

The number 8 is considered auspicious in Japan, so the 88th day sounds very lucky. Tea picked on this day is said to give the drinker a long and prosperous life.