We have created a mead brewed with Japanese black tea from the foot of Mount Fuji.
The tea leaves were selected under the supervision of "Chawari" in Meguro, Tokyo, and we conducted a farm tour and carried out the brewing process together from start to finish. We made abundant use of two types of black tea with different firing levels, specially finished for this honey tea mead by the fifth-generation owner, Shigebei Honda, using Yabukita cultivar tea grown at the Fuji-san Marumo Tea Garden.
The complex blend of the tea's robust aroma and the honey's notes of ripe mango and peach evokes the vibrancy and sweetness of strawberries. The firm structure of the black tea provides a sophisticated astringency, reminiscent of a full-bodied red wine.
It is a mead that offers a distinctly Japanese flavor profile that goes even beyond its aroma.
<Meguro ⇒ Mount Fuji>
It was raining that day.
I visited the tea farm where Shigebei-san grows his tea alongside the entire staff from Chawari in Meguro. We also made sure to burn the image of the processing plant into our memories. I could feel the deep affection—or perhaps I should call it a fierce devotion—that not only the Chawari team but also Shigebei-san himself holds for his tea, evident in every gesture and word.
Walking through the tea fields where different cultivars grow just a short distance apart, there were moments when I felt ashamed of my own ignorance, but Shigebei-san told me he actually prefers people who are honest enough to admit they don't know.
As I thought about all the things that must have happened over the years while being pelted by the rain, my camera started to glitch a little.
<Tasting Note>
11% ABV. A deep, murky brown liquid with a slight viscosity. A firm astringency that stands up to the luscious aroma. The nuanced differences in scent between the two teas meld with the notes of honey. The finish is relatively dry, suggesting great potential as a pairing for a meal.
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Style: Black Tea Mead
ABV: 11%
Carbonation: Yes
Volume: 500ml
Ingredients: Honey (sunflower from Myanmar), Black tea (from 5th-generation Shigebei)
Sweetness (10-point scale): 4 (Semi-dry)
Serving Temperature: Well-chilled (4-8°C)
Pairing: Leave it to Chawari's daily recommendations
<Mead making>
We brewed a strong tea concentrate. Honey was added after extraction, followed by primary fermentation. We made sure to fully harness the potential of the tea without ever steeping the tea leaves directly in the tank.
After primary fermentation was complete, we moved it to storage, then pasteurized and bottled it.
<Naming>
Since Chawari had already created an original tea-brewed spirit, we wondered what we could do. Why not a honey tea mead?
The label design expresses the delicate flavor of the tea. From summer to autumn. From green leaves to orange. September is a time of many transitions. It is an abstract label, with no clear center. A road that seems like it could go on forever. An intangible past that has shaped who I am.
If you get lost, you can always come back here. I imagine this to be the kind of drink that helps you reconnect with your own senses.
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