OKUMIDORI MATCHA | Yame

A Modern Expression of Refined Umami

Light and aromatic, this usucha-grade matcha reveals refined steamed-green and soft buttery notes with fresh grassy clarity and a whisper of floral nuance. A gentle bitterness adds poise, finishing with creamy umami and a long, composed aftertaste.

A finely balanced single-cultivar matcha from Yame, crafted from the Okumidori cultivar, valued for its vivid green colour, buoyant texture, and gentle sweetness, this matcha offers restrained depth and a lingering umami that bridges classical tea ceremony sensibility with modern refinement.

Cultivated and processed using traditional Japanese methods. Grown in Jōyōmachi, the tencha is produced by a respected third-generation, multi-award-winning tea farmer in the pristine mountain landscape of Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, one of Japan’s most esteemed regions for high-grade tea.

To develop its characteristic sweetness and umami, the tea plants are shaded for approximately 30 days under Kanreisha, allowing the leaves to deepen in colour and complexity. The resulting matcha yields a vivid green liquor with a soft, composed aroma and a light, elegant structure, making it especially well suited for usucha in chanoyu.

On the palate, Okumidori Matcha Oboro is light and fragrant, opening with gentle steamed-green and buttery notes, followed by a fresh grassy lift. A very subtle bitterness provides quiet structure without intrusion, while a delicate floral nuance emerges toward the finish. When whisked, it forms a fine, creamy froth that lightly coats the tongue, leaving a clean, lingering umami with a soft buttery depth and a long, composed aftertaste. Its clarity and balance also allow it to perform beautifully in refined matcha lattes, where elegance must remain intact.

About the Tea Garden

Situated in Jōyōmachi, Yame, this esteemed tea garden brings together more than a century of accumulated knowledge in the production of high-grade gyokuro, sencha, matcha, and wakōcha (Japanese black tea), each shaped by the distinctive climate and terrain of the region.

A hallmark of this garden is its uncompromising approach to craftsmanship. Now led by a third-generation tea master, Dentō Hon Gyokuro is treated not as a seasonal product but as a continuous, year-long discipline, encompassing precise shading, meticulous hand-picking, and close attention to every stage of cultivation and processing.

Best known for its Dentō Hon Gyokuro, the garden adheres to traditional practices such as honzu straw shading and hand harvesting. This commitment to classical methods has been recognised at the national level, including a perfect 200-point score at the 2017 National Tea Competition.

Preparation method: Usucha

Cultivar: Okumidori, shizen-jitate, single-cultivar

Origin: Jōyōmachi , Yame, Fukuoka

Grade: Usucha grade,

Elevation: 320mt above sea level

Harvest: First flush, Hand-picked (tezumi), Spring 3^rd May 2025

Shade: Kanreisha method, shaded for 30 days before harvest

Fertilising: Rapeseed oil cake, fish cake (tuna and bonito)

Steaming: Medium (futsūmushi)

Flavour profile: Buttered greens, soft florals, lingering umami sweetness

Producer: Kuma Family

Content: 20g