*2025 New Tea* Kanaya Midori -Shizuoka- Smoked Japanese Black Tea - Tea Can Version

The unique smoky aroma resulting from smoking the tea leaves evokes the smoky taste of wine or whiskey.

This is Japan's first smoked black tea, made by using whiskey barrel wood as fuel to smoke the tea leaves.

This variety is grown in the Makinohara Plateau in Shizuoka Prefecture, one of the largest tea-producing regions in Japan.

We are continuing the "Shizuoka Tea Grassland Farming Method," which is registered as a World Agricultural Heritage site and contributes to environmental conservation.

A cultivation method that focuses on soil preparation, primarily using organic fertilizers.

We smoke tea leaves using wood chips from wooden barrels that were previously used to store whiskey.

Kaneroku Matsumotoen's tea plantation is located in Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture, on the Makinohara Plateau, one of the largest tea-producing areas in Japan.

In the Meiji era, samurai exchanged their swords for hoes to begin cultivating the land, and today, this region boasts vast tea plantations spanning 5,000 hectares, making it a tea-producing area where nothing else matters.

We started our work with smoked tea around 2010.

When we think of Japanese tea, we usually think of green tea, but I feel that nowadays, many people drink tea as if it were a soft drink.

However, in order for people to enjoy tea as a luxury item rather than a consumable, it is necessary for them to understand the unique characteristics of each type of tea.

While the teas selected by professionals are certainly important, we believe that consumers need a distinctive character that is easy to understand when choosing a tea.

I have great respect for people involved in craftsmanship, such as ceramic artists, painters, and sake brewers.

I considered tea as a form of craftsmanship, and I also had the desire to create a unique work of art that could not be found anywhere else in the world, using it as a means of self-expression.

A "smoky aroma" is considered a drawback in the world of Japanese tea.

However, given that smoked tea exists globally, we believed in the value of being the first in Japan to try it, and so we embarked on research and development.

Even just considering green tea, there are differences in the production methods, philosophies, and flavors of each tea producer.

And the world of Japanese black tea, which has seen an increase in producers recently, is still in its early stages of development, including for myself.

While tea lovers may have a clear image of Darjeeling, or Assam, Japanese fermented teas still lack a defined image from a global perspective.

Producers who are committed to craftsmanship rather than mass production are constantly experimenting and striving to create better tea.

In that sense, I think Japan is currently the most interesting tea-producing country in the world.

We certainly hope you'll use Kaneroku Matsumotoen tea for everyday occasions, but we'd also be delighted if more people came to appreciate tea as a luxury item and said, "My hobby is Japanese tea!"

Origin: Shizuoka Prefecture, Shimada Farm: Kaneroku Matsumoto Farm, Hiroki Matsumoto

[Product details]

Best before date: 10 months unopened, 3 months after opening.

Size "Tea Canister": Diameter 7.5cm x Height 10cm