Oolong · Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan
Organic Japanese "Miyazaki" Oolong
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Tasting notes
About these tasting notes
These are the tasting notes we and others pick up most often. Palates vary, so you may catch some, all, or different ones — flavor is personal and subjective. Nothing is added: there are no added flavorings in this tea. Any notes you find developed naturally in the tea plant through rediscovered artisanal processing techniques.
About these tasting notes
These are the tasting notes we and others pick up most often. Palates vary, so you may catch some, all, or different ones — flavor is personal and subjective. Nothing is added: there are no added flavorings in this tea. Any notes you find developed naturally in the tea plant through rediscovered artisanal processing techniques.
Effects
About these effects
These are the effects people most often report from this tea. Bodies differ, so treat them as a common guide rather than a promise — most people notice at least one, but what you feel is personal.
About these effects
These are the effects people most often report from this tea. Bodies differ, so treat them as a common guide rather than a promise — most people notice at least one, but what you feel is personal.
Oolong - less than 1% of Japanese Teas
Nestled on the western end of Japan’s island chain lies Kyushu—a scenic, mountainous region home to picturesque villages and idyllic tea farms. Harvested in Miyazaki, this single-origin tea is crafted from Minamisayaka, (みなみさやか,南爽) an exceptionally rare Japanese tea cultivar. True to its name—which translates to "Southern Freshness"—it offers a uniquely crisp, vibrant flavor profile signature to its southern terroir. Typically Japan is known for green teas as that makes up most of the domestic and export market. Less than 1% of tea made in Japan is processed into oolong tea. An even smaller percentage makes it way to International or Western markets, making this a unique and rare offering.
Priced per 30g bag in its original Japanese packaging from the tea farm (see photos).
Notes from Staff: a great dessert tea, or perfectly paired with lovely afternoon entertaining guests, I love this one with a piece of cake or an early afternoon treat. The interesting qualities of Japanese tea are really on full display with this oolong, as the beautiful fresh flavors have a hint of umami, rich, mineral, which make this tea a beautiful, layered, and complex oolong.
Old Mountain Tea Guarantee
Our teas are guaranteed free from harmful chemicals. We source directly from small, clean family farms that take real pride in their work — no middlemen, no anonymous blends. Many of these teas are bug-bitten, and leafhoppers only feed on gardens grown without pesticides, so the leaf itself is living proof the garden is clean. Every tea is grown to organic standards and traceable to the farm that made it.
Origin & Terroir
- Cultivar
About this cultivar
Minamisayaka (Cultivar #42) Bred in 1970 by the Miyazaki Agricultural Research Institute and officially registered in 1991, this distinctive Japanese variety was created by pairing Miya A-6 with NN27. Though occasionally listed as #40, it is formally designated Cultivar #42 in official registry records. Revered for its sweet, clean liquor and an extraordinary floral-milky bouquet reminiscent of gardenia and jasmine, this versatile leaf—originally intended for sencha—has become a prized selection for pan-roasted kamairicha, Japanese black tea (wakocha), and Taiwanese-style lightly oxidized oolongs.
- Minamisayaka(みなみさやか) (literally "southern freshness")
- Status
- Rare
- Processing method
- Lightly oxidized
- Charcoal roast level
- 0%
- Region
- Gokase Mountains, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu Island, Japan
- Harvest
- Summer 2025(Organic)
- Climate
- Cool, Sunny, Mountanious
- Oxidation level
What oxidation level means
Oxidation is what turns green tea into oolong or black tea — as leaves are bruised and rested, enzymes react with oxygen and deepen their color and flavor. Green tea sees almost none; oolong ranges widely; black tea is oxidized fully.
- Picking style
Why picking style matters
Hand-plucking means workers select each bud and leaf by touch, one at a time — far slower and more expensive than machine harvesting, but gentler on the leaf. As labor costs rise, fewer gardens still pick this way, making hand-plucked tea increasingly rare.
- Machine Harvested
- Bug-bitten level
- 0%
How to brew it
Leaf · 5 g
Water · purified soft water, freshly boiled
First infusion · 2 minutes
Second infusion · 5 minutes
Third infusion · 10 minutes
