Gray & Seddon's Premium Japanese Teas including Sencha, Maccha, Kamairi Cha and Genmai Cha

GYOKURO HOSHINO RIVER is a new tea to our gyokuro range. It is a fine high-grade green tea produced within the small gyokuro gardens running alongside the main river at Hoshino village. The tea has a small needle-leaf form, holding a green flowery & sweet fragrance. Infusions of this leaf are light, brilliant yellow-greens. Palate: sweet and complex. Hoshino River is a quality gyokuro tea from Yame and one worthy of listing in 2006. Gyokuro Hoshino River is sold under vacuum in 100g (3.53oz) foil sachets. SEE THE 4 x 100g (400g) OFFER AVAILABLE FOR GYOKURO HOSHINO RIVER.

GYOKURO
'CROWN'

Buy this new season tea at its best! A classic Japanese green tea and still one of the very best gyokuro teas around.
GYOKURO CROWN is our standard and most popular gyokuro listed, and is now available in larger pack amounts. The 'Crown' grade is again selected from the Yame region of central Kyushu, where premium artisan gyokuro is still being made. The new-season tea holds all the attributes of good gyokuro, richly flavoured with a subtle "fresh-gyokuro" aromatic character. Gyokuro Crown is made from an early May harvested leaf that has undergone the prolonged & skilled processing required for all fine gyokuro. A classic Japanese green tea and still one of the very best gyokuro teas around. Gyokuro Crown is sold under vacuum in foil sachets. GYOKURO CROWN OFFER 1000g (2.2lbs), $195.00. Delivery EMS from Japan.

Discover the world
artisan gyokuro in 2006
The word gyokuro is often translated to jade dew. A fitting reference to the brilliant pale green gemstone-like colours and sweet-tasting edge of this green tea's infusions. Gyokuro teas pass through what is one of the lengthiest harvesting & processing cycles of any green tea. Its grades are also chosen, mid-processing, from a precursor sorting known as tencha, which is itself a highly refined (and drinkable) tea. Tencha selections then undergo yet more treatment to give gyokuro. Even at the end of the tea-making process, all fine gyokuro is allowed to mature or settle for a week or more. This is said to allow the flavours and fragrances to stabilize and the tea to evolve character. It is also a main reason why the gyokuro season follows the shin-cha period of April and May. The tea is made only with the limited first harvest, shade-grown leaf. The tea plant is grown under shade for about twenty days before spring harvesting commences. Removing direct sunlight in this way has the effect of reducing leaf photosynthesis and so the tea compensates by making more green-protein pigment, chlorophyll. This in turn alters the kinds and proportions of sugars, amino acids, polyphenols and other substances responsible for gyokuro's special colour, aroma and taste. Although mechanical harvesting of this "forced tea" (first four leave sections) is now common practice, small amounts are still hand picked and is the prelude to the labour intensive processing to follow. Artisan tea making achieves rich and roundly flavoured gyokuro holding the brightest lemon-green colours, with flavour characteristics quite distinct from any commercial enterprise. Rightly, gyokuro is regarded as the highest class of tea made in Japan. It is held in great esteem by fine tea drinkers and the general public alike. The mention of its name instantly evokes responses that it is a tea created by artisans and skilled craftsmen, ... it is in fact a living art. You can't make this tea and sip it nonchalantly while plugging at the keyboard or viewing the telly. It demands everything of the drinker as all the senses are challenged. Artisan gyokuro possesses a heavy 'amino acid' sweetness and has a perceptible green, flowery-fruit taste, as well as holding a soft palate texture.

Gray & Seddon and
selected premium Gyokuro
Gyokuro remains an unfamiliar green tea to many tea drinkers outside Japan. Nowadays several standard grades of this fine tea are finding their way onto western tea traders' lists. In particular, many on-line traders in the United States and Germany are now distributing gyokuro. At the present time, however, high-grade gyokuro (for connoisseur drinking & shizuku-cha ceremony use) remain scarce, if not unavailable, to aficionados of specialist teas. Gray & Seddon select its gyokuro from two centres of artisan gyokuro production in the Yame region of Kyushu Island. They remain the highest quality, limited production gyokuro still being made. The Yame tea-growing area is situated to the south of the city of Fukuoka, bordering on the mountainous areas of Kumamoto and Ooita. Of the eight Cho (villages) making up the area, Yame-cho, Joyo, Kurogi and Hoshino are fine tea producers. Yame is respected in Japan for its strong traditions in sake, kimono and paper making. The region is also very well known for its special gyokuro tea-making traditions. Today, the Yame tea gardens continue to produce what are probably the highest grades of gyokuro still made in Japan.

For better information on Gyokuro
contact Gray & Seddon.
GYOKURO ENQUIRIES

GYOKURO
THE VERY BEST SHADE
CULTIVATED GREEN TEA
2006 teas and special offers on the
very best gyokuro available from Japan

SHADE-CULTIVATED GREEN TEA

Gyokuro tea requires shading from the bright spring sunlight, which would otherwise alter the unique colour & flavour
of Jade Dew (Gyokuro).

Premium gyokuro shade-grown green tea.
The best gyokuro direct from Japan

FUKKOKU-CHA
Matured ichi-ban gyokuro -
the finest gyokuro there is!

The Fukkoku-cha grade of gyokuro is a much sought-after tea and one always made in limited amounts. And this year Gray & Seddon continues to source the highest quality Fukkoku-cha style gyokuro on the market! This Hoshino produced green tea is again our top gyokuro grade. Character: Fukkoku-cha has a needle-shaped leaf, uniform and richly aromatic. Infusions are luminous shades of jade with a silky smooth texture and complex flavour. An artisan tea in the traditional sense made for connoisseurs of the finer gyokuro. Highly recommended for Shizuku-cha use. Fukkoku-cha sold in foil sachets under nitrogen, and now available in 50g (1.76oz) amounts. Price $45.00. Now available by delivery from Japan.

GYOKURO
PORCELAIN
MOUNTAIN SPRING YUNOMI STYLE TEA CUPS
GYOKURO YUNOMI MOUNTAIN SPRING. Few specialist porcelians can match the elegance and beauty of Hirado Kosho's range of fine china gyokuro teacups. The Mountain Spring Teacup is one such porcelain being promoted by G&S again in 2006 to connoisseurs of finer gyokuro. Made of translucent porcelain and styled as a short bell-shaped yunomi, the ware is completed with a subtle blue-green glaze with 'blue-black' artwork exterior and interior of the piece depicting coastal & mountain scenes. The workmanship is intricate and mountain pattern very carefully created throughout. This teacup was designed specifically for gyokuro enthusiasts to enjoy the highest grades of Japanese Green Tea. GYOKURO YUNOMI MOUNTAIN SPRING height 4.7cm mouth diameter 7.8cm, price each $85.00. SET OF TWO GYOKURO YUNOMI MOUNTAIN SPRING, $160.00. Delivered direct from Hirado Kosho Kiln (Japan) by EMS post. Please note these pieces are made-to-order and shipment can take several weeks. E-mail Gray & Seddon for further details.

Out of the sun
The practice of shading tea from strong spring sunlight stretches back centuries, with semi-wild cultivation under orange and other fruit. This 'primitive' way of growing tea still exists. It is used to make several leaf-bud green teas, the most famous of which is biluochun. A tea cultivated amid peach and orange on the banks of the expansive Lake Tai, eastern China. In Japan, shade cultivation evolved with improvements to the garden system. Traditionally growers utilized rice straw mats for shading tea. These were simply strewn over bushes, but gave ample protection from sunlight. Rice matting is still in use as a natural roofing screen for large gyokuro gardens. This type of screen provides a most effective canopy, allowing some light (up to 25%) to penetrate to the tea-table. Modern gyokuro cultivation applies black nylon sheeting to cover individual rows of tea, or indeed entire gardens. Tent-like shading conditions force the tea plant to extend shoots as much as 5 or 6 feet high. Hence gyokuro gardens, unlike the better known regular architecture of the sencha gardens, appear as lines of tall, ragged bushes with an irregular tea-table. Leaf buds and first & second leaves take on a softly textured appearance; bright & intense greens dominate the gyokuro garden. This is ideal leaf material for gyokuro making. After three weeks or so, the covers are removed and the second stage in gyokuro production begins. Tea is quickly harvested and taken to the processing house where it is steam treated then graded.

GYOKURO: IMPERIAL CROWN
GYOKURO IMPERIAL CROWN is one of the finest grades of Japanese tea available. The tea is carefully grown under diffuse sunlight for twenty days before harvesting to produce a delicately flavoured tea; aromatic, sweet and light in colour. Gyokuro Imperial Crown is a fine grade of Yame gyokuro: one that has been carefully selected from a range of similar gradings. Character: light, green sweet palate, flowery-aromatic. Gyokuro Imperial Crown is a classic Yame green tea widely appreciated by gyokuro enthusiasts. GYOKURO IMPERIAL CROWN is sold under nitrogen in 100g (3.53oz) foil sachets.

IMPERIAL NEEDLE
IMPERIAL NEEDLE is a Yame-grown gyokuro tea of similar standing to our Gyokuro Hoshino River; both 2006 teas having many characteristics in common. The organoleptic character of Gyokuro Imperial Needle is however defined by its strength of flavour, possessing a slightly sharper edge than Hoshino River. Characteristics: first infusions are brilliant jade-yellow colours, green-sweet palate & long aromatic finish. A lovely gyokuro and one recommended for daily drinking. Gyokuro Imperial Needle is sold under nitrogen in 100g (3.53oz) foil sachets.

FUKKOKU-CHA
The FUKKOKU-CHA grade of gyokuro is a much sought-after tea and one always made in limited amounts. And this year Gray & Seddon continues to source the highest quality Fukkoku-cha style gyokuro on the market! This Hoshino produced green tea is again our top gyokuro grade of 2006. Character: Fukkoku-cha has a needle-shaped leaf, uniform and richly aromatic. Infusions are luminous shades of jade with a silky smooth texture and complex flavour. An artisan tea in the traditional sense made for connoisseurs of the finer gyokuro. Highly recommended for Shizuku-cha use. Fukkoku-cha 200g 7.06oz, $135.00, sold in 50g foil sachets under nitrogen. SEE FUKKOKU-CHA OFFERS ON 200g AND 400g AMOUNTS OPPOSITE.

GOKUJO: JADE DEW
GOKUJO JADE DEW: a name that highlights this tea's special high-grade origins. It is a style of gyokuro tea made only from the smallest needle leaf and holds a fragrance that is both sweet and flowery. Infusions of the tea are bold and full of character; brilliant & clear pale-green colours, sweet, with a complexity of flavours typical of quality gyokuro. Gokujo Jade Dew is an elegant gyokuro with a very pleasant astringency. A stimulating tea and one highly recommended for shizuku-cha use. GOKUJO JADE DEW is sold under vacuum in 100g (3.53oz) foil sachets.

GYOKURO CROWN
GYOKURO CROWN is our standard and most popular gyokuro listed. The 'Crown' grade is again selected from the Yame region of central Kyushu, where premium artisan gyokuro is still being made. The new-season tea holds all the attributes of good gyokuro, richly flavoured with a subtle "fresh-gyokuro" aromatic character. Gyokuro Crown is made from an early May harvested leaf that has undergone the prolonged & skilled processing required for all fine gyokuro. A classic Japanese green tea and still one of the very best gyokuro teas around. Gyokuro Crown is sold under vacuum in 100g (3.53oz) foil sachets. SEE THE 4 x 100g (400g) SPECIAL OFFER NOW AVAILABLE FOR GYOKURO CROWN.

GYOKURO: JADE
The Yame region is well known for its many styles of gyokuro tea. Gyokuro Jade represents an intermediate grade which benefits the stronger flavours & deeper after-tastes of more robust teas, yet holds the complexities of much finer gyokuro. Infusions of Gyokuro Jade are bright, pale-green, holding a defining gyokuro fragrance and sweetness. A good deal of care and patience is needed to produce this kind of gyokuro tea. Recommended for connoisseur drinking. GYOKURO JADE is sold under nitrogen or vacuum in 100g (3.53oz) foil sachets.

LONGEVITY
GYOKURO LONGEVITY is a light & beautifully made green tea originating from the cool hillside gardens at Yame. It is again one of our top artisan gyokuro of 2006. Character: The leaf of Gyokuro Longevity is a bright emerald-green, highly uniform and fragrant. Infusions of this tea hold well against any gyokuro of comparable grading in the current lists. The tea has very bright jade-green colours, holding a superior fragrance and enduring finish. Longevity is sold under nitrogen in 100g (3.53oz) foil sachets.

HOSHINO RIVER
GYOKURO HOSHINO RIVER is a new tea to our gyokuro range. It is a fine high-grade green tea produced within the small gyokuro gardens running alongside the main river at Hoshino village. The tea has a small needle-leaf form, holding a green flowery & sweet fragrance. Infusions of this leaf are light, brilliant yellow-greens. Palate: sweet and complex. Hoshino River is a quality gyokuro tea from Yame and one worthy of listing in 2006. Gyokuro Hoshino River is sold under vacuum in 100g (3.53oz) foil sachets. SEE THE 4 x 100g (400g) OFFER AVAILABLE FOR GYOKURO HOSHINO RIVER.

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