HOT ! [ NEW ] Heritage Collection | Single Cultivar Kageyama Uji Matcha

Description

In May of 2025, while walking around Uji during a sourcing trip, I stumbled across a tea field with a Honzu shading structure that immediately made me realise I was in front of a farm dedicated to top-grade Matcha.

I was intrigued and their farm gate was open, so I slowly walked in, hoping to meet someone I could speak to. It was my lucky day and little did I know that I was standing on a field with 300 years of tea-growing history.

Thankfully I was offered a last-minute meeting and factory tour for the next day with Taishi, a 9th generation tea farmer currently taking care of the prized tea fields of Shimizu Tea Farm, a family-run tea farm with a long history in Uji. May is the busiest season for tea farmers, and usually appointments need to be scheduled weeks or months in advance, but my curiosity was very much appreciated by Taishi, who is also extremely kind.

We talked a lot about what they do, the current state of the Matcha market and what\'s ahead. We visited their Tencha factory and I could clearly see that every element was leading to the production of exceptional Matcha – from the health of the tea plants, the extremely good soil that their Kageyama farm has been blessed with and the strict quality control and traditional machineries in their Tencha factory.

Fast forward to 7 months later, after religiously and patiently waiting for the necessary maturation stage that Tencha has to go through to develop a deeper and more mellow flavour (phase known as \"jakusei\" in Japanese) we have finally received the first batch of their 2025 harvest, consisting of 5 single-cultivar Matcha: Okumidori, Samidori, Ujihikari, Saemidori and Honzu Asahi, all of them fully hand-picked and gently stone-milled into a soft silky powder, excellent for Koicha and Usucha.

We are honoured to be Australia\'s first and only supplier offering this rare and delicious Matcha, and we look forward to sharing it with our customers.

Their teas are grown in 2 areas of Uji, each with a slight different soil composition: Shigisawa and Kageyama, the latter having the best soil according to Taishi. We won\'t overload you with complex and specific tasting notes about each cultivar, but we\'ll try to briefly describe the character of each:

Okumidori of Shigisawa: medium-bodied and lightly floral with good Umami

Samidori of Kageyama: spring in a bowl, floral, bright and refreshing with generous Umami 

Ujihikari of Kageyama: full-bodied, coating and slightly peppery with deep and lasting Umami

Saemidori of Kageyama: egg-yolk creamy, round and sweet with heaps of Umami

Honzu Asahi of Kageyama: intense with strong marine notes, the ultimate Umami experience

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  Harvest & Growth: 1st harvest (spring 2025) / shade-grown for ~40 days / hand-picked and stone-milled


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  Origin: Grown, processed and milled in the heart of Uji, Kyoto.
  

Storage: Seal package immediately after use and store in a cool dry place, away from sunlight, moisture, and strong odours. 

Related Collections:

• Ceremonial Matcha


• Matcha Sets and Tools


• Matcha Bowls


• Culinary Matcha

Brewing Guides

Usucha (traditional Matcha tea)

1. Sift 2g of Matcha into a bowl


2. Wet with 20ml of 80°C water and knead into a paste using a Bamboo Whisk


3. Add more water (40ml) and briskly whisk back and forth until a fine layer of froth forms on the top.


4. Drink immediately.

Koicha (thick Matcha tea): 

1. Sift 4g of Matcha into a bowl


2. Add 30-40ml of 80°C water and knead into a paste using a Bamboo Whisk


3. Adjust consistency to taste and consume as is, without whisking into a frothy brew.


4. Upon sipping, roll the liquor around the palate to allow a full appreciation of its subtle and complex notes.

Coldbrew Iced Matcha

1. Sift 2g of Matcha into a shaker filled with 200ml of water


2. Add sweetness (optional) and shake well.


3. Place a few ice cubes into a glass and pour your Matcha over ice.


4. Enjoy your Coldbrew Iced Matcha.