Best Online Store for Chinese Teas (ship to US)?

What's your opinion of the many online stores selling Chinese teas? I
have used several with varying outcomes.

BTW, I'm new to this group and glad I found it. My primary interests
are Chinese reds (esp. qimen) and whites, but I'm very interested in
learning all about Indian teas, esp. darjeelings.

Thanks!

On Mar 4, 9:34 am, 5tein <Mr5t...@> wrote:
> What's your opinion of the many online stores selling Chinese teas?  I
> have used several with varying outcomes.
>
> BTW, I'm new to this group and glad I found it. My primary interests
> are Chinese reds (esp. qimen) and whites, but I'm very interested in
> learning all about Indian teas, esp. darjeelings.
>
> Thanks!

I like TeaSpring, Jing's and a few eBay vendors who are honorable and
send good tea at fair prices - Yunnan Sourcing, of course, and Dragon
Tea House, Awazon, and China Health (?).
I always have great experiences (fast, careful shipping etc) with
TeaSpring and Jing's. Oh, and Touchatea (for puerhs only).
Qimens from Jing's are superior, especially "gift" and "gung fu"
quality.
Shen

I'm trying teaspring for the first time today. I've used Adagio,
TenRen's, and Jing's with generally favorable results, though I
believe TenRen erred by giving lower quality teas than what I ordered
twice.

I've never used Dragon Tea House. I've also heard that Seven Cups and
SpecialTeas are pretty good?

On Mar 4, 10:59 am, Shen <ilu...@> wrote:
> I like TeaSpring, Jing's and a few eBay vendors who are honorable and
> send good tea at fair prices - Yunnan Sourcing, of course, and Dragon
> Tea House, Awazon, and China Health (?).
> I always have great experiences (fast, careful shipping etc) with
> TeaSpring and Jing's. Oh, and Touchatea (for puerhs only).
> Qimens from Jing's are superior, especially "gift" and "gung fu"
> quality.
> Shen

On Mar 4, 1:24 pm, 5tein <Mr5t...@> wrote:
> I'm trying teaspring for the first time today. I've used Adagio,
> TenRen's, and Jing's with generally favorable results, though I
> believe TenRen erred by giving lower quality teas than what I ordered
> twice.
>
> I've never used Dragon Tea House.  I've also heard that Seven Cups and
> SpecialTeas are pretty good?
>
> On Mar 4, 10:59 am, Shen <ilu...@> wrote:
>
>
>
> > I like TeaSpring, Jing's and a few eBay vendors who are honorable and
> > send good tea at fair prices - Yunnan Sourcing, of course, and Dragon
> > Tea House, Awazon, and China Health (?).
> > I always have great experiences (fast, careful shipping etc) with
> > TeaSpring and Jing's. Oh, and Touchatea (for puerhs only).
> > Qimens from Jing's are superior, especially "gift" and "gung fu"
> > quality.
> > Shen- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

SpecialTeas are okay. I find Seven Cups expensive and Adagio the high
end of mediocre (in general). The shops I mentioned are all in China
and/or Taiwan. HoudeAsian has predictably excellent teas. Guang is in
Texas.
Happy sipping!
Shen

On Mar 4, 4:56 pm, Shen <ilu...@> wrote:
> On Mar 4, 1:24 pm, 5tein <Mr5t...@> wrote:
>
> SpecialTeas are okay. I find Seven Cups expensive and Adagio the high
> end of mediocre (in general). The shops I mentioned are all in China
> and/or Taiwan. HoudeAsian has predictably excellent teas. Guang is in
> Texas.
> Happy sipping!
> Shen


I have liked Adagio's white teas, though never thought their black/red
teas compared to stuff I'd get even from TenRen. I just placed an
order with Jing's--great prices, but high shipping.

On a slightly unrelated note, my colleague is interested in green
teas--actually the Chinese tea I know _least_ about, and I started
talking about some basics, and it reminded me that I purchased some
fabulous tea near Lu Shan, Jiangxi province. The English translation
was Cloud Mist tea (my Chinese is rusty--yun wu?). I'm 99% sure it was
a green, though the flavor was similar to some whites I've enjoyed.
Anyone know of this tea or similar varieties?

On Mar 4, 9:37 pm, 5tein <Mr5t...@> wrote:
> On Mar 4, 4:56 pm, Shen <ilu...@> wrote:
>
> > On Mar 4, 1:24 pm, 5tein <Mr5t...@> wrote:
>
> > SpecialTeas are okay. I find Seven Cups expensive and Adagio the high
> > end of mediocre (in general). The shops I mentioned are all in China
> > and/or Taiwan. HoudeAsian has predictably excellent teas. Guang is in
> > Texas.
> > Happy sipping!
> > Shen
>
> I have liked Adagio's white teas, though never thought their black/red
> teas compared to stuff I'd get even from TenRen.  I just placed an
> order with Jing's--great prices, but high shipping.
>
> On a slightly unrelated note, my colleague is interested in green
> teas--actually the Chinese tea I know _least_ about, and I started
> talking about some basics, and it reminded me that I purchased some
> fabulous tea near Lu Shan, Jiangxi province.  The English translation
> was Cloud Mist tea (my Chinese is rusty--yun wu?). I'm 99% sure it was
> a green, though the flavor was similar to some whites I've enjoyed.
> Anyone know of this tea or similar varieties?

From what I understand from my Chinese friends, Clouds and Mist is,
indeed, Yun Wu from Zhejiang and should be available in April.
Actually, the most lovely C&M I've had was from Imperial Tea Court - a
little higher, but worth it.
Shen

Shen,

Thanks for the good words about Teaspring. I didn't think that maybe
the tea was coming from afar.

I guess I have been on a journey from Celestial Seasons, to Tazo, to
Adagio, to Upton and now moving more towards green and Oolong from more
"boutique" suppliers, if I can use that term, meant in the best way.

I am waiting on:

Feng Huang Dan Cong
Shui Xian
Jade Tie Guan Yin
Bi Tan Lan Xue
Pu Ti Cha

Right now, I am buying a lot of small sample packs to try to find out
what I like and what I don't.

Do you use the same type of tea pot for all of your teas? Do you use
any type of special water for your tea? I had a guy at a Sears store
try to sell me a reverse osmosis system, saying that he was a tea
drinker and that it made a big difference in taste.

Regards,

Alton

On Mar 5, 8:04 pm, "Alton B. Wilson" <awils...@cinci.> wrote:
> Shen,
>
> Thanks for the good words about Teaspring. I didn't think that maybe
> the tea was coming from afar.
>
> I guess I have been on a journey from Celestial Seasons, to Tazo, to
> Adagio, to Upton and now moving more towards green and Oolong from more
> "boutique" suppliers, if I can use that term, meant in the best way.
>
> I am waiting on:
>
> Feng Huang Dan Cong
> Shui Xian
> Jade Tie Guan Yin
> Bi Tan Lan Xue
> Pu Ti Cha
>
> Right now, I am buying a lot of small sample packs to try to find out
> what I like and what I don't.
>
> Do you use the same type of tea pot for all of your teas? Do you use
> any type of special water for your tea? I had a guy at a Sears store
> try to sell me a reverse osmosis system, saying that he was a tea
> drinker and that it made a big difference in taste.
>
> Regards,
>
> Alton

Hey Alton,

This may be a great topic to start a new thread rather than buried in
this one as it is a valid question and I'm sure will get some
conversation started. (at least I'd take it on :)

- Dominic