Ocha & Co. Organic Shincha

If you are looking to try this, my best advice is to grab it during the summer straight after the fresh harvest. Shincha is fleeting. It really only retains that unique character for the first few months, even with vacuum packaging.

I picked this up a bit later in the year and have just finished the packet. My hasty photo here shows the very last bit of leaves from the bottom of the bag, so excuse the broken appearance.

In my first cup, it was arguably the most grassy tea I have ever drunk. It has a sharp, dominant grassy umami punch that hits you immediately. However, you need to know that once the bag is open, it quickly mellows out. The longer you let oxygen in, that intense fresh bite settled into a smoother, more standard First Flush Sencha profile with a nice, subtle natural sweetness.

This is certainly not for everyone. If you are new to Shincha, be prepared for a serious grassy kick. You also need to be on top of your storage to keep that freshness alive, otherwise you're just better off buying a bigger bag of first flush sencha. 4 stars.