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The Green Tea Shop Kabusecha – Gokou
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The Green Tea Shop Kabusecha – Gokou

August 11, 2021October 6, 2021 Post a comment

Country of Origin: Japan
Leaf Appearance: bright green, finely ground
Steep Time: 90 seconds
Water Temperature: 160 degrees
Preparation Method: traditional
Liquor: bright green, frothy

The Green Tea Shop is a fairly new online retailer based in Toronto. Founder, Avery, was born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan. When they reached out about sending samples for review, I just had to try their Kabusecha – Gokou. I’ve been trying to taste as many Japanese tea cultivars as possible and this is one that I had not yet tried unblended. The mission on The Green Tea Shop’s front page really spoke to me.

The Green Tea Shop was founded under one simple mission: to help people (re)discover and experience Japanese green tea in a whole new way. We’ll introduce simple and modern ways to brew tea, fun recipes, the beauty of the Japanese culture behind them.

Most Japanese tea cultivars are registered and numbered. Gokou is different in that it came from seeds of the native tea plants in Uji. It is known for having a dark green color and strong umami flavor, making it well suited to being used for gyokuro and tencha. This particular tea is a kabusecha, meaning that the tea bushes are shaded for a few days before harvesting.

Leaf

The dry leaves were a very dark green color with a thin, needle-like shape. I noticed a fresh, vegetal aroma the moment that I opened the zipper on the bag. I prepared this tea in a non-porous kyusu using The Green Tea Shop’s recommended parameters. My water temperature was 158℉ with a first infusion of 90 seconds. I upped that to 165℉ for the second and third infusions. It doesn’t take very much to completely open up Japanese green teas so they were both poured off very quickly.

The Green Tea Shop Kabusecha - Gokou closeup of dark green leaves in a white dish on a off white background

Liquor

Kabusecha – Gokou brewed up a bright green liquor that was somewhat cloudy, especially on later infusions. The taste was surprisingly very sweet. The Green Tea Shops description of muscat grapes was spot on. There was also a strong note of cherry candy in the finish. At the same time, it was savory with lots of umami. What an interesting combo! The second and third infusions had a bit more astringency but were still very aromatic. The fruitiness of the first round transitioned more into the steamed veggies notes that you would expect of a sencha.

Have you ever tried a tea made with the Gokou cultivar? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Kabushecha – Gokou sample provided for review by The Green Tea Shop.

The Green Tea Shop Kabusecha - Gokou - Leaves and brewed tea

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About Nicole Wilson

Nicole Wilson is a tea writer and educator who has been sharing her love of the leaf online for more than a decade. Her website, TeaforMePlease.com, is the longest continuously running tea blog written by a female author. In 2018, she won the World Tea Award for Best Tea Blog. Every week you can expect to see reviews of specialty teas and related products, informative articles, reports on important events, and more.

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Do you love to drink tea, but wish you knew more about it? I'm here to help! The world of specialty tea is massive so it can be a lot to take in. On this blog, you'll find over 1,000 articles and tea reviews to start your journey. I'm always happy to answer any questions you might have!

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