Steeped In Japan's Finest Tea-Making Tradition, Iyemon Cha, Premium Japanese Green Tea, Launches In San Francisco

San Francisco, CA - Iyemon Cha, a refreshing new premium bottled Japanese green tea from Suntory to be distributed by Calistoga Beverage Company, a subsidiary of Nestlé Waters North America, makes its U.S. debut this May in San Francisco, the first stop on a planned national rollout. Free of preservatives and sweeteners, this pure, all-natural organic green tea is steeped in rich tea-making tradition. Iyemon Cha (pronounced ee-yeh-mon cha) is available in two varieties: Original Green Tea and Roasted Green Tea.

The world's finest green tea or "cha" (Japanese for tea) comes from Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan and the original source of Japanese green tea. It is here that Iyemon Cha is made at the esteemed tea company, Fukujuen, founded more than two centuries ago in 1790 and today one of Japan's top three sellers of leaf tea. Iyemon Cha is the only bottled green tea from this historic purveyor of fine teas, now available in America for the first time.

Iyemon Cha is exquisitely smooth and refreshing with a refined flavor that contains not a hint of bitterness. The tea is masterfully blended by Fukujuen's internationally revered master green tea blender, Ryozo Taniguchi, who hand selects only the finest 100% USDA approved organic tea leaves for blending.

Iyemon Cha is the only bottled tea in the world to add a touch of matcha, a stone-ground tea of the highest quality, for extra richness. Matcha is made from the finest, youngest leaves of the tea bush, which is covered for several weeks before harvest to slow down growth, imparting a more intense sweetness and depth of flavor when pulverized into a fine powder. Prized for its superior quality, matcha is the centerpiece of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony and a unique, essential ingredient in Iyemon Cha.

"Green tea has exploded in popularity in America, but most bottled green tea on the market today is fruit flavored, artificially sweetened, and loaded with unnecessary preservatives: It's not a pure green tea experience at all," said Naoto Okinaka, Brand Manager, Beverage & Food Division, Suntory Ltd., which is introducing Iyemon Cha in the U.S. "Iyemon Cha is the first bottled premium Japanese green tea that offers an authentic, deliciously pure premium green tea experience. It is organic green tea as it was meant to be."

Iyemon Cha is made entirely in Japan from 100% Japanese tea leaves using the purest refined water to bring out the best flavor. It is imported from Japan and bottled in a stylish, environmentally conscious glass bottle (12.2oz /361 ml) with a suggested retail price of $2.75.

Two Varieties: Original and Roasted Green Tea

Iyemon Cha Original Green Tea (sencha) has a smooth, refined, refreshing flavor. Unlike other teas, Iyemon Cha Original Green Tea is made from smaller leaves, selected for freshness, color and uniformity. The tea leaves are steamed shortly after being plucked to prevent oxidation, then quickly dried until curled. This helps to preserve the tea's vivid green color and results in a smooth, refreshing flavor with a crisp, clean finish.

Iyemon Cha Roasted Green Tea (hojicha) has a delicious, full flavor and toasty aroma. The roasting process, first created in Kyoto, makes this tea unlike any other Japanese green tea and gives Iyemon Cha Roasted Green Tea its reddish-brown color, toasty aroma and deliciously full-bodied flavor.

SOURCE: Suntory