Decaffeinated Mild Chinese Sencha Loose Leaf Green Tea

🍵 The Leaf — Well-structured Chinese sencha, produced to Japanese specification and gently decaffeinated using CO2, retaining its clean, rounded character with minimal compromise to flavour

🍵 The Colour — A bright, lemon-yellow infusion, clear and appealing in the cup, with a fresh, light aroma that signals the mild, refreshing character within

🍵 The Taste — Soft and approachable, with a gentle fruity quality and a slightly tangy finish; notably free of the sharper astringency that can sometimes accompany green teas

🍵 The Moment — An ideal loose leaf green tea for any time of day or evening — all the pleasure of a quality Chinese sencha, with the caffeine carefully removed

Decaffeinated loose leaf green tea rarely receives the credit it deserves — and a well-made decaffeinated Chinese sencha like this one is a quiet but persuasive argument for why it should. This mild Chinese sencha is produced to Japanese specification: the leaves are steamed, rolled, and dried using the techniques originally developed in Japan and adopted by Chinese tea growers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, primarily to meet demand from Japanese importers who prized this style of processing above the traditional Chinese pan-firing method. The result is a tea with genuine dual heritage — Chinese terroir shaped by Japanese craft — and it remains one of the most approachable green teas available as a loose leaf.

Decaffeination here is carried out using the CO2 method, widely considered the most effective and flavour-preserving of the available processes. Under high pressure, naturally occurring carbon dioxide acts as a solvent, bonding with the caffeine molecules and drawing them out, while leaving the essential oils and flavour compounds largely intact. It is worth noting that decaffeinated tea is not entirely caffeine-free — a very small trace always remains, as required by law — but the caffeine content is drastically reduced, making this a sensible and satisfying choice for those wishing to enjoy green tea throughout the day and into the evening.

In the cup, the result is exactly as the name suggests: mild, clean, and refreshing. The lemon-yellow liquor is bright and clear, with a gently fruity character and a slightly tangy finish that keeps each sip lively without ever tipping into bitterness. It is well-suited to those new to loose leaf green tea and equally welcome for experienced drinkers who simply prefer a lighter, calmer cup.

Finding teas of this quality is what High Teas London has been doing since 2008. With over 350 teas and infusions — one of the largest collections in the country — we have always believed that there is a right tea for every moment. This decaffeinated sencha is a considered, dependable example of that.

Ingredients: Decaffeinated green tea.

Brewing Note: Chinese sencha is more forgiving than many green teas, but a little care with the water temperature will reward you with a noticeably cleaner, sweeter cup. Allow freshly boiled water to cool for two to three minutes before pouring — around 75 to 80°C is ideal. Use one slightly heaped teaspoon of loose leaf per cup and steep for two to three minutes. Steeping too long can introduce a slight bitterness; too short and the gentle fruity notes may not fully develop. This tea will give a second infusion with a little extra time — lighter and more delicate than the first, but pleasant in its own right.