This is the Chōjuen Fruit Mugicha Sakuranbo.

The tea contained a blend of barley produced in Japan, black tea produced in Sri Lanka, and sakuranbo powder from cherries produced in Yamagata Prefecture.

Steeping a 5 g tea bag in 600 mL of cool water and refrigerating it for 2.5 hours produced a transparent brown infusion with a mellow cherry aroma layered over toasty barley notes.

When consumed chilled, the tea opened with immediate fruity notes of cherry, evoking the tart sharpness of fresh red cherries, balanced by the natural sweetness of the barley and black tea. As it developed through the body, the barley’s warmth became more pronounced, lending a smooth, rounded depth that complemented the fruit rather than competing with it. The finish was clean and lightly aromatic, with the toasty barley lingering softly on the palate.

Overall, it presented a refined and well-balanced variation on traditional mugicha, where the cherry’s distinct brightness introduced a seasonal lift without overwhelming the base, and the barley provided an understated sweetness free from bitterness.

This Chōjuen Fruit Mugicha Sakuranbo contained 30 g (5 g x 6 tea bags). It was produced in Japan and purchased Yamagata, Japan in 2024.