Sencha Haruno - Otsuka, Kakegawa

A lightly steamed sencha from Haruno, where the tea gardens sit high enough that morning mist shades the plants without anyone having to cover them.

Dark green needle-shaped leaf and a clear cup. Gentle and refreshing in aroma, and mellower than a first flush usually is, because the aracha is deliberately rested until autumn before it is finished.

That makes it the opposite of a shincha: same harvest, held back on purpose rather than shipped as fast as possible.