LIMITED EDITION ONCE A YEAR TEA. Shincha is a first crop, young bud sencha. This shincha is grown in Kagoshima Prefecture, one of Japan's premier tea growing regions where the rich volcanic soil produces incredible teas. The mellow, approachable character of this tea is enhanced by its notes of sweet meadow flowers and toasty maize. The shincha leaves are hand picked and hand rolled into long and extremely fine needles. This tea has a soft taste like fresh spring green tea. The aroma is noticeably sweet and reminds one of wild orchid. Shincha's key characteristic is its refreshing and invigorating scent of new leaves. Another feature of shincha is it's less bitter/astringent taste. Shincha has a higher content of amino acids (L-Theanine) and vitamin C, giving it full-bodied flavor and sweetness.

L-theanine is linked to increased alpha brain wave production and is considered a natural antidepressant and stress reliever. Japanese studies link consumption of L-theanine with strengthening the immune system. L-theanine is often added to energy drinks and is known to give a 6-hour sustainable energy boost.

This tea is produced under ISO 14001 Certified Environmental Management Standards. Japanese steamed green tea's have traditionally high antioxidant levels.

Hot Tea:
- Boil water and let cool to 178F/80C
- Steep for 30-40 seconds
- Use approx. 2 tsp per cup
- To re-infuse use higher temperature/less time

Iced Tea:
- Pour 1 1/4 cups boiled water on 5 tsps of tea
- Steep for 3-5 minutes
- Pour into pitcher while straining leaves.
- For a quart of tea add ice & top w/cold water
- Garnish and sweeten to taste