Kimberley's Kyusu

We’re already coming to the end of July & it’s time for the latest instalment of the Garden Glimpses series. We’ve previously covered Azuma Tea Garden, Tarui Tea Farm & Tea Farm Mitocha, and today we will be taking a deep dive into the world of Ayumi Farms (Cyittorattu). 

In 2019 Ayumi Kinezuka established Cyittorattu in Fujieda, it is a small scale community farm located in a mountainous area, with fields too small and sloped that means machines can not be used to harvest them. They focus on a cyclic philosophy of giving back to the earth & then receiving again from the earth. Solids discarded by a traditional local soy sauce maker, sake kasu from a local brewery and even rice & wheat straw from their own farm are placed between their tea bushes to enrich the soil. In doing this, they are part of a cycle of regeneration and continue to contribute to the way agriculture has been deeply rooted in the region.

I have had the opportunity to try a handful of teas from Ayumi, which include their Sencha That Laughs With The Mountains, Handpicked (Micro Lot) Shizuoka Sencha, 2023 Kukicha & their Wha-ha-ha Three Year Bancha.

Sencha That laughs With The Mountains was the first tea that I tried, as I was lucky enough to receive a sample of this in my Women In Tea Box from Yunomi.Life. As I have already reviewed it, I won’t focus on it in depth here & instead direct you to my post all about the Women In Tea box that features my review. 

But what I will say is that I would personally consider this a daily drinker, however it is also such a treat with some pretty indulgent notes within its profile, though it is not heavy, and delicately dances across your tounge from start to finish.

The Micro Lot sencha was the second of their teas that I tried & having loved the first sencha, I knew I could expect great things, which this tea absolutely delivered. It’s fantastically fresh, but has an indulgent level of butteriness alongside dried seaweed & dried mint notes. However, it becomes even more complex in its second steep when notes of creamed corn, coconut buns, grilled vegetables & steamed new potatoes emerge. It’s truly one of the most unique senchas I have had in a very long time. 

The third of their teas that I had the pleasure of sipping on is the 2023 Kukicha. I’m a huge fan of kukicha as a lighter caffeine option for the end of the day, so I was excited to see how it compared to others I have tried. To my delight, it has some really unique notes within its flavour profile that make this such a stand out for me.

Prominent notes include: white flesh nectarines, hay, sun-bleached grass, perfectly ripe bananas, filo pastry, pistachio spread, chrysanthemum infused milk, dried chrysanthemum flowers & light lemongrass. Just like their Micro Lot sencha, this kukicha is impressively unique and such a pleasure to sip on. 

Lastly I sipped on their Wa-ha-ha Three Year Bancha and prepared it to the exact preparation parameters listed on the bag (5g tea, 1L of water, simmered for 15 minutes – medium heat). I didn’t know what to expect from it overall, as I had never prepared a Japanese tea in this way. Overall I found my experience with this particular tea to be incredibly calming and comforting & that feeling, paired with the natural roasted, woody and earthy notes makes this a great contender for those chilly autumnal days.

Overall my experience with Ayumi has been overwhelmingly positive, with the teas I have had the chance to try from their farms providing me with some incredibly unique and memorable experiences that I am so thankful for. If you’re looking for fantastically unique experiences from tea types you love already, I highly recommend trying any and all offerings from Ayumi Tea Farms.

If you want to learn more about Ayumi Farms (Cyittorattu) and try out the teas mentioned in the post & more you can do all of those things over on this page on the Yunomi Website.

Should you decide to place and order remember to use my code INFKKYU to get 1000yen off an order of 5000yen or more.

Until next time, Happy Steeping – Kimberley