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SONOGI TAMA is a steamed tamaryokucha ("coiled tea") from Sonogi Tea Cooperative in Higashisonogi, Nagasaki prefecture, Japan. Colloquially referred to as guricha ("curly tea"), tamaryokucha is a relatively rare tea outside of Japan, accounting for very little of Japan's domestic production. So when the 4 makers of our house matcha , whose character is informed by the unique stylings of each farmer-producer, let us know they'd given the same treatment to a southern Japanese classic, we jumped on it. Tamaryokucha—or tama, as we call it—can be either pan-fried (in the Chinese fixing/kill-green style) or steamed (as most Japanese teas). These lots have all been steamed, which on the cupping table produces more vivid distinctions between the cultivars than pan-frying, in our view. The cultivars and their respective producers are: | OKUMIDORI by KAZUHIKO ONOUE | SAEMIDORI by KOSUKE NAKAYAMA | TSUYU-HIKARI by YOSHITAKA OHYAMA | YABUKITA by SHINYA FUKUDA This collector's set offers a rare study into the character of each cultivar and this genre of tea. Steep gently, side-by-side, in a kyusu or small teapot for the intended experience. vintage — produced spring '23 | rested until autumn '23 style — tamaryokucha ("coiled tea") cultivar(s) — okumidori | saemidori | tsuyu-hikari | yabukita region — higashisonogi, nagasaki, japan locale — sonogi tea cooperative elevation — 250 meters producer — shinya fukuda | yoshitaka ohyama | kosuke nakayama | kazuhiko onoue STEEPING PARAMETERS (use freshly boiled spring water) modern, large format 2.5 grams — 160°F (71°C) — 2 minutes traditional, small format 4 grams — 160°F (71°C) — 10 seconds (no rinse) + 15 seconds each additional steep