Whisky Barrel Smoked Black Tea from Japan

Whisky Barrel Smoked Black Tea from Japan steeps sweet with just an edge of smoke that never overwhelms. Made by smoking Yabukita varietal black tea over wood from Japanese whisky barrels, this tea showcases the enticing floral quality and juicy brightness typical of high-end Japanese black teas. Gentle oak notes complement the tea's natural sweetness in the finish. The amber liquor indicates lighter oxidation, and the overall character is well-integrated and inviting.

This innovative tea comes from Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden in Shimada, Shizuoka, where third-generation tea farmer Hiroki Matsumoto pioneered the first smoked black tea in Japan. When Matsumoto began experimenting with smoking tea over a decade ago, this category didn't exist in Japanese tea culture—he was inspired by Chinese Lapsang Souchong but determined to create something distinctly Japanese using native woods.

His family has cultivated tea on the Makinohara Plateau since the 1870s using the UNESCO-designated Chagusaba farming method, where hand-harvested grasses are laid between tea rows to enrich the soil and support biodiversity. Today, Matsumoto produces more than a dozen varieties of smoked tea using woods like whisky barrel oak, hinoki cypress, yuzu, and apple. His Whisky Barrel Smoked Black Tea earned a silver medal at the 2014 International Tea Tasting Competition and remains his flagship smoked tea, earning international acclaim.