YAME GYOKURO GREEN TEA

SPRING 2015 HARVEST - Yame Gyokuro is one of those rare beverages that is at once incredibly accessible and incredibly refined. It's one of our best sellers and one of our staff favorites. Wine lovers, take note: this is (perhaps more than any other tea) your entry point into the world of premium teas. The shade-grown leaves of Yame Gyokuro are harvested for only two weeks of each year. They have a deep, blue-pine sheen and a floral, fruity aroma akin to sliced strawberries. Yame Gyokuro's liquor is a brilliant golden green that appears as if lit from within. The aroma is thick and even oily, with sweet vegetal notes of watercress and aged cheeses. Upon the first sip, one is immediately reminded of the sweet simplicity of summer corn. Following this impression, oenophiles and tea lovers will notice Yame's complex, delicate notes of vanilla-bean-infused creme fraiche, marine tones and lingering, pervasive sweetness, followed by a sweet-sour aftertaste of green grapes. This classic Japanese green begs to be paired with light or fruity desserts, such as strawberry sorbet, poached pears, and old-fashioned sugar cookies.