Gyokuro Asahi

YinHao is one of my favorites. Make sure it is the YinHao without the
Jasmine flavor. I buy mine in 500g tins. Ive made sure I am stocked
for life. I consider it an honest tea ie you dont have to fuss around
to make it. All the brewing aint going to change the taste very
much. It is spring bud. There is no guarantee it is consistent
through and through. Add more than you think. It goes down heavy.
You may have to dump the first infusion to get something milder. I
like bold lip smaking Chinese greens. I notice if I suck in a leaf it
seems leathery. When Im breaking in a new tea I drink it exclusively
for about a week. I dont like the potpourri approach. It took me
about a decade to appreciate green teas perse versus the readily
available oolongs and blacks ie I had to unlearn some expectations.
Fermented teas like Puer are a special case. There are teas I only
drink on a rainy day or to determine how sick I am.

Jim

PS I wished someone would give me a $100 gift certificate for tea. I
noticed over the years how different green tea looks infused. I
should start a collection like butterflies.

Square Peg wrote:
> On Wed, 8 Oct 2008 05:40:20 -0700 (PDT), Space Cowboy
> <netstuff@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
....i bore me not you...
> Yin Hao, 1/4 pound, $8.00
>
> I did not like the Moli Huacha at all, but then I probably don't like
> jasmine and it was very strong in this tea.
>
> The pu-erh was OK. My first time with pu-erh. I'm probably not a
> pu-erh person.
>
> The sencha and the organic clouds of green were the best. I had
> trouble getting the right brewing parameters, but this may be just my
> inexperience. The HM teas come with little or no instructions, which
> probably contributed to me overall dissatisfaction.
>
> The Yin Hao was interesting. There was one pot that was very good. I
> thought I recorded the parameters correctly, but I was never able to
> replicate it. Most were too strong or bitter.

I consider Yamamotoyama to be the Liptons of Japanese tea. I like the
export grades I find in the stores. Some are so good I wonder how
they stack up against the 'real' thing. My main problem with Japanese
teas Im just too brutal using boiling water. The tea ceremonies
boil. The kyusu has a protracted handle to insulate against hot
water. I think it is more than form. I hate to say it but Ill have
to leave what is good in the stores versus something more direct to
somebody else.

Jim

Dominic T. wrote:
> On Oct 8, 8:40?am, Space Cowboy <netst...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> > This is OT but Id like to know what people think of the export
> > Japanese teas one sees in the stores versus exclusive websites.
....commercial versus estate...
> They are often cheaper, and well
> sealed so they retain some freshness, and most are passable. I have
> *never* had one that surprised me and brewed up to a quality Japanese
> green though, so don't expect to find a diamond in the rough.
> Yamamotoyama actually makes very good teabags which I'd stack up to
> most low-mid grade loose greens and I highly enjoy for the "kelpy"
> quality of their sencha.
>
> Japanese greens are an anomaly in tea, and as much as it pains me, it
> is just too delicate and demanding to treat like other teas in every
> part of its life cycle from growth to harvest to store to cup.
> Frugality has to take a back seat to explore properly, which is hard
> for me too ;)
>
> - Dominic
> /I read all of the news doggoneit, dontcha know?

Square Peg,

I consider myself a beginner like you when it comes to tea. As an
engineer and someone who does math for fun, I at first took the
approach to tea that you are taking. I wanted to classify and measure
and know everything I could. Then I got overwhelmed by the parameters.
I was so concerned with what I "should" do and "should" enjoy that I
felt that tea was more of a chore than a pleasure. Well, not exactly,
but the desire to get it "perfect" was detracting from the enjoyment.
For example, I felt that I simply HAD to like green teas because that
is what everyone seems to rave about. I played around with water temps
and amount of tea and steeping times to get a cup of green tea that I
loved. Now I accept that fact that most greens simply don't do it for
me.

I know that, in my case, I underestimate the amount of knowledge that
comes with experience and instead try to nail it all down from the
start. Now I'm trying to just go with it, try different things, and
develop that skill so that it becomes second nature.

Please consider Stefan's point that taste is subjective. I have found
that many teas that I at first disliked have grown on me. Some of that
comes with experiencing different teas, but a lot has to do with day-
to-day changes in taste. So, you can do all sorts of experiments with
different teas, then find that your taste has changed or that next
year's crop is completely different from this year's.

You're free to do what you want, of course. You came here for advice,
and you're getting it. Take it leave it. Ultimately the proof of the
pudding is in the eating, right?

Alan

"Stefan Schenk" <Ich_weiss_wer_ich_bin@gmx.de> wrote

> i am not of much help or you feel offended. My tea experience is
> limited to only three years of stumbling, but that way i managed to get
> one or two perfect moments.

How revealing story it is!

Incidentally, what teas have given you such perfect moments?
I presume that the teas must have been such that they must be
the ones that taste like tea.

I have been looking for for some time a tea-like tea, in vain,
that is, the tea that tastes like tea.

How do I know about such tea-like tea? I happened to have had
some luck to encounter such, exactly three times,
each time being of different kind of tea, all of which trails
I seem to have lost?

Im seeing a better choice of teas in Japantown. It is equivalent to
what I saw in Chinatown in the 80s and 90s when the good stuff started
to appear on the shelves. My real problem I dont know how good the
Japanese stuff is suppose to be. I have one or two Japanese export
teas that knock my socks off even at boiling.

Jim

PS I have some ceremonial matcha that is 25 years old (the stuff you
could use for snuff). I thought I would never see it again but I was
in J-town recently and there it was again. If it wasnt so expensive I
would have bought some to compare.

Dominic T. wrote:
> On Oct 9, 9:32?am, Space Cowboy <netst...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
....shelves versus local...
> I'm not sure what your experience is with matcha but it can be had at
> very reasonable prices and is very enjoyable. It's everything you want
> in one: cheap, available, and able to take high temps with little
> fuss. But even as it goes against my normal views too, I'd suggest
> everyone enjoy a true Japanese green freshly in season and brewed
> properly. There may be no better tea for me, and it would undoubtedly
> change your mind on what the difference truly is.
>
> - Dominic

"Space Cowboy" <netstuff@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message news:e6302a44-0ba0-4127-af2f-f47f9e9e8919@n1g2000prb..com...
> Im seeing a better choice of teas in Japantown. It is equivalent to
> what I saw in Chinatown in the 80s and 90s when the good stuff started
> to appear on the shelves. My real problem I dont know how good the
> Japanese stuff is suppose to be. I have one or two Japanese export
> teas that knock my socks off even at boiling.

Would you let us all have information about what they are
which apparently reeled you at a whiff of the leaves?

One Ive mentioned in the past is Yabukita. I want to mention
something about the word 'freshness' you see used to describe Japanese
teas. It has nothing to do with shelf life. It refers to minimal
processing which is only steaming. Since it is only one stage, I view
it as 'sealing in the nutrients'. The less stages the better. Ive
never seen any nitrogen packs from Japan.

Jim

PS I havent been disappointed with any of my commercial Maeda-en Gold
grades. I find any Gyokuro brand worth the price.

chance wrote:
> "Space Cowboy" <netstuff@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message news:e6302a44-0ba0-4127-af2f-f47f9e9e8919@n1g2000prb..com...
> > I have one or two Japanese export
> > teas that knock my socks off even at boiling.
>
> Would you let us all have information about what they are
> which apparently reeled you at a whiff of the leaves?

On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 05:47:39 -0700 (PDT), Space Cowboy
<netstuff@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

>YinHao is one of my favorites. Make sure it is the YinHao without the
>Jasmine flavor.

That is probably one of the problems. This one definitely has the
jasmine flavor. I think I may have some sort of adverse reaction to
jasmine. I also bought a bag of Moli Huacha ("Fanciest Jasmine"),
which I cannot tolerate. It makes me feel a little queasy.

>I buy mine in 500g tins. Ive made sure I am stocked
>for life. I consider it an honest tea ie you dont have to fuss around
>to make it. All the brewing aint going to change the taste very
>much. It is spring bud. There is no guarantee it is consistent
>through and through. Add more than you think. It goes down heavy.
>You may have to dump the first infusion to get something milder.

Where do you buy your Yin Hao?

>I
>like bold lip smaking Chinese greens. I notice if I suck in a leaf it
>seems leathery. When Im breaking in a new tea I drink it exclusively
>for about a week. I dont like the potpourri approach. It took me
>about a decade to appreciate green teas perse versus the readily
>available oolongs and blacks ie I had to unlearn some expectations.
>Fermented teas like Puer are a special case. There are teas I only
>drink on a rainy day or to determine how sick I am.
>
>Jim
>
>PS I wished someone would give me a $100 gift certificate for tea. I
>noticed over the years how different green tea looks infused. I
>should start a collection like butterflies.

It was a Christmas gift from my daughter, bless her heart. She's a
good girl.

She gave us a $150 gift certificate to an expensive restaurant. I am
now thinking that forgoing three meals at a cheaper restaurant for one
at this one might be something to think about. ;-)

On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 12:47:42 -0700 (PDT), Alan <alan@alanandmike.com>
wrote:

>Square Peg,
>
>I consider myself a beginner like you when it comes to tea. As an
>engineer and someone who does math for fun, I at first took the
>approach to tea that you are taking. I wanted to classify and measure
>and know everything I could. Then I got overwhelmed by the parameters.
>I was so concerned with what I "should" do and "should" enjoy that I
>felt that tea was more of a chore than a pleasure. Well, not exactly,
>but the desire to get it "perfect" was detracting from the enjoyment.
>For example, I felt that I simply HAD to like green teas because that
>is what everyone seems to rave about. I played around with water temps
>and amount of tea and steeping times to get a cup of green tea that I
>loved. Now I accept that fact that most greens simply don't do it for
>me.
>
>I know that, in my case, I underestimate the amount of knowledge that
>comes with experience and instead try to nail it all down from the
>start. Now I'm trying to just go with it, try different things, and
>develop that skill so that it becomes second nature.
>
>Please consider Stefan's point that taste is subjective.

I agree with both you and Stefan that taste is subjective. I'm not
sure what I said to suggest otherwise.

>I have found
>that many teas that I at first disliked have grown on me. Some of that
>comes with experiencing different teas, but a lot has to do with day-
>to-day changes in taste. So, you can do all sorts of experiments with
>different teas, then find that your taste has changed or that next
>year's crop is completely different from this year's.

Very little in life is 100% predictable. I don't see that we should
conclude that we should not measure anything and do everything by the
seat of our pants.

>You're free to do what you want, of course.

Why, thank you. I wasn't sure for awhile there.

>You came here for advice,
>and you're getting it. Take it leave it. Ultimately the proof of the
>pudding is in the eating, right?

I love the advice. I love the personal experiences even more. I could
do without the condescencion. ;-)

On Oct 8, 10:30 am, Square Peg <Square...@Round.Hole> wrote:

>
> I was actually given a gift certificate. I bought
>

>
> I did not like the Moli Huacha at all, but then I probably don't like
> jasmine and it was very strong in this tea.
>

Square Peg, you can always send Jasmine tea to me, I love it most of
all, LOL

Kitty in pa