Shincha & Gyokuro Set

Each spring, as the weather starts to warm, the tea fields in the mountains south of Kyoto begin to awaken. The tea plants, after saving their energy during the long, cold winter, begin to put out tiny green buds. Over the course of a month, these buds start to grow, reaching up and up for the wide blue sky. When the time is right, tea farmers get busy harvesting the spry new leaves.

In the micro-climate where the new leaves grow, changes in the weather day-to-day affect the nuances that develop in the tea. As a result, the distinctive character of this year’s Shincha will never be repeated.

While we are excited for what the harvest of 2026 Shincha will bring, every release of Shincha shares the vibrancy and energy of just-picked tea leaves.

For beginners to loose leaf Japanese green teas, this set is a chance to experience both Shincha and gyokuro, a green tea with a smooth taste and a lot of parallels to matcha.

Gyokuro is essentially the loose leaf tea version of matcha. They both start off as tea leaves grown in the same shaded tea fields. After harvesting, some leaves are ground up to make matcha, and some leaves are made into loose leaf green tea, gyokuro.

In the cup, gyokuro's smooth, naturally sweet taste reminds us of a premium matcha's misty, moss-green, and even briny elements. Like matcha (and Shincha), gyokuro also has a balance of caffeine and theanine, giving us an energizing yet calming feeling when we drink it.

The gyokuro blend in this set is a great introduction to the category, with a medium-rich body, smooth mouthfeel, and pleasant umami. A big contrast to Shincha's brisk green energy.

This bundle set includes both items shipped together as in a regular order.