Wakoucha

Wakoucha from Yakushima shows how place can tune a black tea. This Japanese black tea comes from Ocha no Fujiwaraen, a family farm on a rain-washed island south of Kyushu. Leaves picked in May 2025 are withered to relax the leaf, rolled to encourage even oxidation, then fully oxidized and gently dried. That sequence swaps green bite for clean malt and soft fruit. The liquor pours clear amber with low tannin and tidy structure. Yakushima has only a handful of tea gardens and small acreages, so this wakoucha is quite rare and made in modest batches that keep grading tight and shape consistent.

Island climate

Yakushima is compact, steep, and very wet. Coastal zones average about 3 000 mm of rain each year, and high peaks can reach up to 10 000 mm. Warm days drive fast growth. Cooler nights help preserve aroma. Tea plots on the northeast side catch light and sea air while staying close to forest. That growing environment — soil, altitude, climate, and how they shape taste — lifts sugars and keeps bitterness down. You taste round malt first, then a hint of dried apricot and apple, with a neat finish and a small, pleasant grip. The island’s short spring window and few gardens limit output, which adds to the rarity and keeps lots traceable.

Cultivars & craft

This wakoucha blends tea plant varieties better known in green tea. Yabukita gives backbone. Yutakamidori adds sweetness. Asatsuyu brings fragrance. During full oxidation, their higher catechins convert into theaflavins and thearubigins. Color turns orange-amber. Bitterness drops. Structure becomes brisk yet tidy. In the cup you get clean malt, soft stone-fruit notes, and a calm, dry finish. Fujiwaraen keeps work close to the field. Tight timing on wither and roll avoids muddiness in humid air. Airflow and drying are measured, so aromatics stay clear. Batch size stays small, production pauses after spring, and each release reflects the season’s leaf.

FAQ

Q: What does “wakoucha” mean?
A: It is Japanese black tea. Leaves are fully oxidized for clarity, gentle malt sweetness, and restrained tannins.

Q: Why is this tea considered rare?
A: Yakushima has very few tea gardens, small fields, and a short spring picking window. Output stays low and batches remain small.

Q: Which cultivars are used here?
A: A blend centered on Yabukita, Yutakamidori, and Asatsuyu for structure, sweetness, and lifted aroma after oxidation.