Gyokuro - a good inexpensive source

Hi, all, Can anyone (Dominic?) recommend a realiable inexpensive source for Gyokuro. I'd really like to try some; but, it seems that it's really costly here in the Bay area. Thanks in advance. (Drinking a very nice, Yunnan Gold), Shenoa

Reply to
Shen
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This is a downside to quality green tea, it can be expensive. And here more than anywhere you get what you pay for (for the most part). At this time of year it is a little late for Gyokuro. So you are going to pay top dollar for less than fresh tea. I did find a sample at Adagio (I normally do not order from them, but for no real particular reason) for $5

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Upton Tea has some samples too, and I tend to like Upton's:

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&parent=Teas%3EGreen%3EJapan&category=Green&sortMethod=0&categoryID3 All around $4-5 for a sample with the upper stuff at $8.

It may be a good idea to do some web searching on green tea and harvest times, if it is something you want to reallyget into it is helpful to have the seasons down to get the fresh tea, and not only that to even get *any* of some rare greens. Most are spoken for before even being picked, and most westerners have no hope of getting in on that action without bottomless pocketbooks and connections. With green tea, I tend to stay in the middle-of-the-road. Often they taste just as good, but lack a little subtlety, and cost much less and you don't have to be Yakuza to get your pinkyless hand on it. Bancha, sencha, and some other mid-grade teas are fine year round to purchase... for me I save Gyokuro for the freshest of the fresh and is my one splurge item in tea. A gift once a year. While I always include Gyokuro in my reccomendations, it is only there because it is so good. And some folks don't watch their money as closely as I, so I'd be remiss if I left it out. Dragonwell, Pi Lo Chun, Gyokuro, and a few other select greens will cost a lot, there is just no way around it. Take your time and lead up to the best, a sample for $5 will give you a good idea if you want to splurge next year.

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.

Strange that you mention it as I recently found last year Adagio Gyokuro in original Adagio tin, but contrary to my expectations it is quite drinkable. Dominic, hope that you forgive me for thinking that last year Gyokuro could be quite enjoyable. Disclaimer: I am no Gyokuro expert.

Dom> This is a downside to quality green tea, it can be expensive. And here

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Reply to
oleg shteynbuk

Jeez, I really hope I don't come off as some "expert" or as if anyone would ever need to apologize to *me* for anything. I have lots to learn and my only "expertise" is knowing what I personally enjoy. I do tons of stuff "wrong" and don't follow any real scripted conventions. I'm sure the Gyokuro you have was indeed fine, I drink gyokuro from last year's harvest (almost 2 years old) and don't apologize for it :) All I wanted to make sure is that after I had posted in a few newcomers posts and mentioned Gyokuro, that none of them went out and bought top-dollar stuff at this time of year... gyokuro that costs $50-100/lb. is pretty safe to buy anytime as it will be "good enough" and very easily enjoyable... but there are some Gyokuro's that tip the scales at $200-1000/lb. and I just can't see that being worth it when you could just wait a few months and get it fresh for the same price and be even happier.

Even a 1/4 lb. of Gyokuro is a lot, and it isn't a tea I drink daily so it inevitably will pass its prime before it runs out. I normally buy it in 2oz. increments as I use it. With all this being said, I am no Gyokuro expert either. I just enjoy it and have been for a few years, there are many sub-categories of Gyokuro and it can be just as complex as anything else. Storage in a tin is as good as can be expected and should still produce a good cup. I actually find it to be a little excessive and indulgent, so as I said I only splurge once a year on really good Gyo... I may pick up a lower grade somewhere throughout the year but that's it. I prefer other greens for daily enjoyment.

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.

Reply to
Alex

It could be good, it works out to about $200/lb.and appears to be very good quality. They state that they nitrogen pack their greens, and they are based in Fukushima. I have never ordered from them, in fact I have never ordered upper-grade Gyokuro online ever. I have some friends and restaraunt owners who I deal with directly at the beginning of the year to get some. There have been years when I didn't get any at all due to demand and auctioning that went to astronomical levels.

Next harvest I plan on buying it online due to some of my connections drying up and moving away, but I am going to do some hunting to find a reputable dealer in advance. I'll be happy to share my findings once I get into it, probably 3 months out. I normally research in winter for my next year's tea. I'm interested to find out where Upton's gets its from, and plan on giving them a call... they may be an option. I had tried samples of each of their three Gyokuro's and I found them all to be pretty good, the person I spoke with then said that they do sell fresh stuff but it goes quick.

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.

Reply to
Alex

It never dawned on me that maybe I am one of the few into green tea and Japanese greens on this NG... I just assumed others around here knew more than me. Since I make no bones about not being a "technician" or very apt to follow "rules" I never try to present myself in any other way. But when I think about it, I do have 8 years of experience with green tea and maybe I don't give myself enough credit. It is more that I am not obsessive about things... so (and no offense is meant) but folks like Lew and Mike Petro really devote a lot of themselves into their craft and I don't so in my mind I am not at their level. I still have to look up names of some Chinese greens, and I couldn't quote the exact harvest days off the top of my head without an internet search... but I have experienced some great tea and know enough to know what I know and what I don't.

I've said it before, but I really tend to stay near the middle-quality greens. I do this in part because I have tasted super-expensive greens that didn't wow me, and the one's that do are mostly only subtly better than the mid grade ones. Some are most certainly worth it. I grew up pretty poor, and while I do OK now, I still hold to a lot of what I learned growing up and tend to be frugal... some may say cheap, I say resourceful and realistic. Some people find buying 1/4 of a lb. of $200 tea to be nothing to even blink at, and I have acquaintences who spend $2000 a trip on tea... that is an alien world to me and my suggestions and comments don't come from that angle.

To me I buy the best Gyokuro I can afford in a small quantity once a year as a present to myself, and I will select two or three other super expensive teas (an oolong, pu-erh, ec.) as well. Then I search for a tea that comes as close as possible that is reasonably priced, and enjoy that daily. So over the years I have learned what is worth it and what is not, and also what comes close. If that is worthwhile and helpful to anyone, then great, I'd be happy to help!

Sencha, Gyokuro, Mao Feng, Dragonwell, Pi Lo Chun, Young Hyson, Jasmine Pearls, White Monkey, Bancha, and my one weakness is for the cheap yellow/gold tin of Jasmine green tea found in every asian market... I enjoy it hot, iced, in a shoe, I don't know why because it is harsh and not refined or special, but when brewed properly it ranks up there on my own score card.

Upton's has some great lower-priced green tea... but nothing majorly noteworthy in the expensive stuff.

Numi has some good lose teas, but their boxed tea is too expensive for what it is.

Itoen has me intrigued and I will try them next, but they seem a bit high priced, O-Cha which was mentioned today seems good.

And my #1 place where I plan to try everything at in an effort to get into Chinese greens is teaspring.com. I think they have great prices and great product. "Tai Ping Hou Kui" is on my next to order.

Hopefully that helps a bit, and I also hope I didn't ramble too much, I don't claim to be an "expert" just a semi-cheap self-discoverer who enjoys tea and enjoys the hunt, I just want that out on the table before people think otherwise.

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.

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