This is the Connacht Tea House Ao Ringo Sencha, featuring sencha produced in Shizuoka Prefecture and dried apples from Aomori Prefecture.
The dry leaf presented as a blend of sencha and dried apple, with an immediate aroma of sweet apple.
Prepared using a 2.5 g of tea bag infused in 150 mL of water at 80ºC for 1 minute.
The infusion presented with a transparent yellow-green hue and an aroma of sweet red apples. The apple was integral to the identity of the tea, its fragrance infusing the senses at the beginning of each sip before the sencha emerged with a soft sweetness, medium body and minimal bitterness or astringency. Through the mid-palate, the grassy notes of the sencha developed gradually, lending freshness and structure to the sweeter apple aromatics. The fruit character likewise evolved from the mellow sweetness suggested by the aroma towards crisper notes reminiscent of fresh apple skin, creating a seamless transition between fruit and tea. The restrained sweetness of the sencha allowed both components to remain clearly defined without either overwhelming the other. Towards the finish, the grassy and crisp apple skin notes converged, imparting a refreshing quality to the tea. Aftertaste carried lingering fresh apple and gentle vegetal notes alongside a minor dryness that resolved cleanly on the palate.
Overall, a flavoured sencha with a layered flavour progression and cohesive mouthfeel, resulting in a refreshing and well-balanced expression of fresh apple and sencha.
This Connacht Tea House Ao Ringo Sencha contained 25 g (2.5 g x 10 tea bags). The tea was sourced from Japan, packaged in Japan and purchased in Aomori, Japan in 2024.