Information: Dark Roast Hojicha

This Hojicha is produced by the Sugimoto family in Kohata, Uji, Kyoto. It is a dark roasted Hojicha, made using bancha tea leaves from the Autumn harvest.

Expect rich roasted notes, smooth umami flavours and just a slight hint of vanilla from this tea. The colour of the tea leaves is dark brown, and when brewed the liquid looks like a dark draft beer.

It is processed by carefully steaming the leaves before rolling, drying, and roasting them to create a rounded and full-bodied tea. The roasting process removes bitterness and most of the caffeine from the leaf, making this Dark Roasted Hojicha the perfect drink for afternoons and evenings.

The Sugimoto family have been tea garden owners and producers for fourteen generations, opening their gardens in 1645. They produce only the highest quality hojicha, matcha and senchas. The family is held in high regard with a strong reputation as growers and makers of fine tea. They are one of the few remaining producers in Uji that produce tea using the ancient and traditional methods passed down from generation to generation.

The Sugimotos follow traditions set by Isshin Sannyou - “picking three leaves from one sprig.” By waiting until early summer when the tea plants have sprouted many fresh young shoots, they pick only the three youngest leaves from the tea plant. This is to ensure that the plants are not overtaxed in producing new leaves. It is said that this allows the plant to produce only the highest quality of tea leaves.