Yame gyokuro
Gyokuro from Yame in Fukuoka, where river-valley fog reduces the need for artificial shading and the tradition of very long shade periods is strongest. It is generally regarded alongside Uji as the top gyokuro producing area.
Character
Intensely savoury and thick, closer to a broth than to tea. The near-cold brewing is what makes it possible.
- Flavour
- Umami, Vegetal, Sweet
- Aroma
- Marine
- Mouthfeel
- Full bodied, Silky, Rich, Complex
- Complexity
- Layered
- Notes
- seaweed, sweet broth, steamed greens
- Aftertaste
- Thick, savoury and extremely long.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- Japan
- Region
- Yame
- Cultivar
- Gokou, Okumidori
- Oxidation
- Unoxidised
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Shading → Steaming (Japanese fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying
History
Yame’s gyokuro industry developed from the 1920s, taking advantage of river-valley fog that reduces the need for artificial shading. It and Uji are now the two areas making gyokuro at the top grade.
Brewing
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 45–55 °C · 1 authored infusion
Kyusu brewing (Japanese style)
3–5 g/100 ml · 50–60 °C · 3 authored infusions
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
3–4 g/100 ml · 75–85 °C · 4 authored infusions
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
Common mistakes
- Brewing it at normal green-tea temperature — anything above about 60 °C destroys the savoury character entirely.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Karigane
Shaded stems, then the shaded leaf they were sorted from. Karigane is most of the sweetness at a fraction of the price.
- Kabusecha
Both shaded Japanese greens, differing in how long the cover stays on. Kabusecha’s shorter shading is a commercial middle ground, and the names are used loosely by sellers.
- Gyokuro
Gyokuro and its most prestigious regional expression. Yame and Uji are the two areas making it at the top grade, and unqualified 'gyokuro' spans a very wide quality range.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Matcha koicha grade
Shares 7 descriptors with Yame gyokuro: umami, sweet, full bodied, rich, silky, complex and marine.
- Aged Liu Bao
Shares 5 descriptors with Yame gyokuro: sweet, full bodied, rich, silky and complex.
- Enshi Yu Lu
Shares 5 descriptors with Yame gyokuro: umami, vegetal, sweet, silky and marine.
- Fukamushicha
Shares 5 descriptors with Yame gyokuro: vegetal, umami, full bodied, rich and marine.
- Lao Ban Zhang sheng pu-erh
Shares 5 descriptors with Yame gyokuro: vegetal, sweet, full bodied, rich and complex.