This is the Kirin Gogo no Kōcha Tea Selection Harmony Tea. This tea featured Ceylon Dimbula tea leaves sourced from Sri Lanka, with 10% of these leaves being premium grade. It was blended with extracts from peaches, grapes, and strawberries to create an unsweetened black tea boasting a ‘harmony of aromas’. Launched in September 2023, just in time for the winter season in Japan, it was best enjoyed hot.
The tea was a clear red-brown hue and emitted a fragrant, sweet fruity aroma reminiscent of strawberry and black tea. When consumed hot, the distinct floral notes of black tea were immediately noticeable, albeit milder than hinted at by the aroma, and accompanied by a subtle hint of acidity. As the sip progressed, the fruity notes intensified, bringing forth elegant hints of strawberries and grapes (with the peach offering a more subtle presence) without the actual sweetness of fresh fruit—unlike flavours derived from fruit juice. Towards the finish, a moderate astringency emerged, devoid of bitterness, lingering on the palate long after the floral and fruity notes had faded.
Overall, this tea maintained the classic character of black tea while infusing the rich essence of fruits, offering harmonious interest to the unsweetened black tea base. In this regard, it captured the luxurious taste of tea brewed from whole leaves, akin to a fruit-flavoured black tea from Lupicia, conveniently bottled for enjoyment.
This Kirin Gogo no Kōcha Tea Selection Harmony Tea contained 400 mL. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2024.