Kirari 31 Matcha
A first vintage is something you only get once. This is the first time this farm has produced matcha from Kirari 31, a cultivar typically reserved for sencha and gyokuro, prized for its vivid color and rich umami. Shaded for 30 days and stone-milled, it brings something unexpected to the matcha format: a clean, straightforward sweetness with no unpleasant aftertaste, and a faintly sencha-like aroma, a refreshing lift that sets it apart from anything else in the lineup. Smooth, approachable, and genuinely original.
Weight: 20g
Yame
Yame is where Japan’s finest gyokuro is made. Tucked into the mountains of southern Fukuoka, morning mists roll in from the surrounding rivers, wrapping the tea fields in a natural veil that softens sunlight and builds the deep sweetness and umami Yame is known for. The farmers who work here have been refining their craft across generations.
Our Yame partner is one of those generational farms, a family operation over a century old that works with some of Japan’s most demanding tea. They grow an exceptional range of cultivars, including Saemidori, Tsuyuhikari, Kirari 31, and Okumidori, and bring the same precision to sencha, matcha, and wakocha. Every tea they make reflects the same conviction: Yame tea, made well, is unlike anything else in the world.
Brew Guides
Usucha
Thin tea · Everyday preparation
- 2g matcha
- 70ml water
- 175°F
METHOD
Sift matcha into a warmed chawan. Add water and whisk briskly in a W or M motion until a fine, even foam forms on the surface — about 30–45 seconds.
TIP
Warm the bowl first with hot water and dry thoroughly — cold ceramic flattens flavor and kills foam.
Koicha
Thick tea · Ceremonial preparation
- 4g matcha
- 40ml water
- 175°F
METHOD
Sift matcha into a warmed chawan. Add water in two additions and knead slowly with the chasen rather than whisking – long, deliberate strokes until smooth and syrupy with no lumps.
TIP
Koicha demands a ceremonial-grade matcha, the flavor is undiluted and unforgiving. Use Shisui or Saemidori.
Matcha latte
Iced or hot
- 3–4g matcha
- 55ml water
- 175°F
METHOD
Sift matcha and whisk into a concentrated paste with 55ml of hot water until smooth. Pour over steamed or cold milk of choice. For iced: pour paste over ice, then milk.
MILK RATIO
150–180ml for hot · 200ml over ice
Flavor Profile
Related products
-
Shisui Matcha
$51 -
Saemidori Matcha
$59 -
Suizawa Matcha
$27 -
Okumidori Matcha
$36 -
Okuunmo Matcha
$53
