Single-Cultivar Kabusecha Sae Midori 0.5 LB LIMITED EDITION

Bright green with a distinct umami character, Sae Midori is a distinctive cultivar developed in 1991 as a cross between Yabukita and Asatsuyu. It is widely used for sencha and gyokuro thanks to its vibrant color, balanced sweetness, and naturally high L-theanine content.

Our Kabusecha Sae Midori comes from Chakkiri Kōbō in Kiriyama, Shimada City, a region long recognized as one of Shizuoka’s premier tea-producing areas. The fields sit at 150-250 meters (approximately 500-800 ft) on the Makinohara Plateau, where mineral-rich, well-draining red soil and a mild climate create ideal conditions for sencha cultivation. Once considered unproductive land, the plateau was transformed after the Meiji Restoration when ex-samurai settlers began cultivating tea, eventually forming what was at the time, Japan’s largest tea-producing region.

In the cup, it brews a cloudy, emerald green liquor with a medium-rich body. The aroma is fresh, with notes of green grape, watermelon rind, and light citrus reminiscent of lemon. The flavor is savory and rounded, with tasting notes of olive oil, buttered popcorn, maitake, and celeriac. All this is supported by a steady, medium-rich umami.