Often regarded as one of the finest cultivars for tencha, and frequently used in koicha-grade matcha.
Where it came from
Selected from local Uji stock by the Uji grower Jinnojo Hirano (line name Hirano 11) and released in 1954. It carries no Tea Norin number, and has long been valued for tencha.
Character
Deeply savory with no hard edge to the bitterness. That absence of edge is what lets it stand up to koicha, where a lot of powder is kneaded into very little water. Yields are modest and the price reflects it.