Dominic...

I liked the "Super Premium" and the "Superior Premium" not so much the Karigane Superior... I think I'm over my "twig tea" love as of late. Kukicha green or roasted has lost my favor.

My life has been beyond hectic lately so I have had very little chance to enjoy much of anything, I'm hoping this weekend will finally allow me a little rest and time to enjoy some more of it. If I had to pick between the two I'd probably go for the Superior Premium since the price is decent and it produces a nice light colored brew, their lower grade one was a bit too dark for me to enjoy no matter the taste. I have two or three packets of Gyokuro from other vendors as a result of that last ordering frenzy :) that are still unopened just due to my lack of time.

Have you had any? I thought you had said you ordered some from them as well. I think they were very good taste-wise, just nothing ever beats some of the stuff I have had prepared for me that I'm sure was ultra fresh and probably quite expensive, but those friends of mine have since moved away and it has been years. Now, I'll take what I can get as long as it has that nice pale color and sweet taste without being too astringent or harsh... and I can afford it :)

Dominic

I ordered some tamoryokucha from Mellow monk Which I like very much but doesn't hold up to more than two infusions (To me anyway) It has a wonderful aroma And a taste reminiscent of egg drop soup (I also got that flavor from a kabuse sencha that I tasted.) The flavor is strong. I also just received an order from holy mountain. Organic lu'an gai pan (my favorite daily drinker) and sample of. I was pleased with the service of both vendors , Lyn

Dom> > By now you have had your fix of gyokuro...from Hibikk-an If I remember

I never expect more than two infusions from green tea, even if I can get more I usually don't. I know the egg drop soup reference and that isn't my type of tea at all, I prefer mellower tastes and not the harsher tones... mellow, sweet, pale brew is all me :)

I'll order some of that organic lu'an since its a daily drinker favorite of yours, I tend to gravitate towards those more accessible teas these days. Next up is Uji and O-cha for me.

I'm also still looking to sell my kidney for some more Shui Xian like one I tasted from Singapore that had a wonderful raisiny, roasted, smooth flavor. I'd seriously give all the rest of my tea up for just

Dominic

I can also recommend holy mtn.'s 'Drum mountain clouds and mist' and their '3 cups fragrance (Xia xia bang)' Which are, I think, a little lighter than the Lu'an gai pan('Lu'an melon seed'- as it is called in the catalog on their website) lyn

Isn't that San Bei Xiang? And don't they both come from Silk Road Teas?

/Lew