Hiroki Matsumoto, the young farmer at Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden is always challenging himself to create unique and extraordinary teas. His inspiration comes from the fact that many tea farmers around him in Shizuoka (perhaps, the best known prefecture for tea in Japan) are already making very good and high quality tea. While the focus of the generations before him was to sell cultivated tea to wholesalers, during his time as a tea farmer, Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden began to make their own products, which allowed Matsumoto-san to directly interact with customers (i.e., the people who drink his tea!). These interactions shifted something in him as began thinking about creating his own style of tea, one which wasn’t limited by the labels placed as "Shizuoka-cha" or "Shimada-cha". The Japanese smoked black tea is just one of Matsumoto-san’s innovative teas. Matsumoto-san has been experimenting with other woods such as sakura (cherry blossom), apple, cedar, etc, it is definitely worthwhile to compare across his smoked teas! This innovative black tea has been smoked for 8 hours with the Japanese cedar wood from island of Yakushima off the southernmost coast of the main Japanese island. Even upon the opening of this smoked tea, one will experience quite a strong smoky impression. Like many of his smoked teas, this matsu wood smoked black tea provides a velvety sensation, calm but profound. If you are familiar with Chinese tea, it could be compared to the Chinese tea, lachsang souchong. A wondrous Japanese black tea which will take you by surprise! Please note that all aspects of the production at Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden adhere to the environmental conservation cultivation method world renown as GIAHS (i.e., Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System). Therefore, tea bushes are cultivated in the traditional Japanese chagusaba method where grass is used as mulch to protect and flavor the tea leaves. Please note that no flavorings nor additives have been used. Product Info Ingredients: Black tea Region: Shimada, Shizuoka Producer info Name: Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden Type: Family business, tea farm & factory Location: 1806-21 Kiriyama, Shimada-shi, Shizuoka-ken 428-0035
