This is the Suntory Iyemon Kyōto Blend, a blended tea featuring sencha, Kyōto bancha, Wakōcha, roasted gyokuro, roasted tea stems, and roasted rice. These ingredients were selected and roasted by the tea masters of Kyōto’s Fukujuen, then extracted using a sealed drip system and high-precision filtration.
The beverage had a transparent golden-brown hue with an aromatic profile reminiscent of roasted barley and hōjicha. When consumed chilled, it opened with delicately fragrant top notes before developing a natural, caramelised sweetness mid-palate—evocative of roasted hōjicha with undertones verging on chocolate. This was followed by a subtle astringency and a restrained bitterness in the tail.
The overall profile was clean and smooth, with a refined light-bodied character and well-defined aromatic complexity. Despite the layered nature of the blend, no single element overpowered, allowing for a continuous, multi-dimensional flavour experience from the first sip through to the finish—a candidate for repurchase.
This Suntory Iyemon Kyōto Blend contained 600 mL. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2024.