A London Experiment. Wakoucha Tasting tea N°52: Black Sun, 2018, Postcard Teas

The character of a tea is defined by its terroir, the cultivar and by the production process. But sometimes the production process doesn't stop when the tea leaves the factory of the producer. We all know that you can blend at home, but did you know you can also roast ? Making old green tea into Hojicha is a simple example, worth trying with your leftovers, but early in 2016 Timothy d'Offay of Postcard teas in London started roasting some of his teas in his home oven. One of the most convincing ones was this, and after 6 months of trying it was commercialised under the name Black Sun.

According to Tim it was the slightly green character of the Wakoucha that worked best with his roasting technique. A majority of Japanese blacks are made from cultivars that were originally destined for green tea and they tend to resist complete oxidation, and it is this that gives the original tea Hijiri its unique flowery and light character. Apparently it also makes it very well fit to undergo an additional roast. It is as far as I know still a unique tea, a London Roast Wakoucha !

Black Sun, 2018, Postcard Teas:

39 euro for 100 gram but bought in a 30 gram tin. The tea is based on another of their teas, the Hijiri Black of the Obayashi family, but was roasted according to the London Roast technique perfected by Timothy d'Offay himself. The Hijiri is a blend of old tree Yabukita and zairai. You can read the tasting note for the original tea here.

22 november 2019: 3 min, 3 gram, 150ml, 98°C. Very exciting and special aroma for the dry leaves, like the shavings of a very good high-cacao % black chocolate. The wet leaves have an intriguing smell of hojicha and grapes. Dark coloured red-brown infusion. In the nose cacao, sesame paste and hojicha. In the mouth soft but with a nice touch of bitter, fine structured but mouthfilling. It is quite an overwhelming experience at first, but when it cools down it gets a very nice and sweet touch of roast that is very intriguing. Nice finish.

23 november, as a breakfast tea, 5 min, 3 gram, 95°C, 250ml. Quite dark infusion. In the strong aroma's a clear tone of roasting, but the tea also keeps the more sweet and fresh Wakoucha-tonality. I tried it with milk, and this created a quite fascinating drink, like an extremely complex cacao drink for adults with elements that reminded of burned wood. Quite a drinking experience and a fascinating experiment with exciting culinary possibilities !

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Still available at Postcard Teas: https://www.postcardteas.com/site/product/black-sun/