Wakoucha: Japanese Black Tea Flight

This tea flight presents a snapshot of the styles of Japanese black tea (called wakoucha) that are being produced today. Unlike sencha, there is no standardised production model, so modern wakoucha encompasses a wide spectrum of tastes and styles: represented in this sample set by these three teas:

• Honyama Koushun Wakoucha
• Yame Benihikari Wakoucha
• Kumamoto Zairai Wakouicha

The Honyama and Kumamoto teas present the more modern style, influenced by Chinese and Taiwanese production styles, while the Yame tea is more Indian in style, in part due to Benihikari’s assamica heritage.