Koshun Japan Black

This is an amazing, lesser-known black tea from Japan made from a cultivar called Koshun—pronounced KOH-shoon. It’s famous for its natural grape-muscat aroma and ultra-pleasant floral and honey notes.

The Koshun cultivar was developed in 1970s Shizuoka with the goal of highlighting a super fragrant aroma.

“Ko” refers to fragrance, while “shun” references Suruga, the historic region of Shizuoka. By crossing the Kurasawa and Kanayamidori cultivars, producers created an ultra-aromatic tea unlike almost anything else in Japan.

This is a great example of how the industry is constantly creating and breeding new varietals to adapt flavors and appeal to a new generation of tea drinkers.