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Revisiting the freshness issue

Yes, I know this issue must come up regularly -- I'd welocme some specific guidelines.

When I wander into any tea seller -- whether Teavana, the rare specialty store, Tokyo airport in transit (plenty of quite interesting items scattered around its mini-shops, Wegman's and so on or get online, how do I get a sense of the freshness of the teas and when does it matter most? I don't have the olfactory skills to tell just by smelling and I can't always make a sound judgement on the look and feel.

Any advice?

Plus, which teas does freshness most matter for buying? I avoid purchasing Japanese teas like Gyokuro and while I love white teas, I take a very cautious approach. I try to buy just a small sample and race back if it's really good. That's not always possible. It's the greens and tight rolled oolongs that I have most trouble with. I so often pick up a nice looking and reasonably priced Iron Goddess or Pouchong that somehow are just that little bit flat. Maybe it's the processing or leaf quality but I can't tell.

Lastly, I keep away from Puerhs because I don't have a clue what to look for when I am buying -- it's a liitle like Cuban cigars; I know that they age well but if the store has let them dry out thay can be aged but not fresh, if you know what I mean. Darjeelings are a real joy and a disappointment. One of my favorites is Hanrutty but my latest purchase is just a dud. I assume the freshness is the problem. Is it? How would I tell?

There are a lot of people around like me who are well beyond being newbies but not experts. I probably buy ten teas a month. About half of them are ones I haven't tried before. So I am fairly savvy and my friends tell me I'm an expert, which I'm definitely not and have no ambitions to be. They are limited to teh green tea is good for you school of microwaved tea bags and most have never tried a loose leaf tea of any knd so when I make them even a jasmine green it's a revelation. It's a sorry commentary that they think that makes me an expert! But I realy would love to be just a little bit more able to make better selections among teas I know enjoy and be able to tell if a new one is a good buy or a bad choice. The name isn't the issue here. I know there are many great So, friendly help will be appreciated.

Reply to
george tasman
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It's hard to describe what really fresh tea smells like. One reason, of course, is that different genres of tea give off different aromas when equally fresh.

But if a tea shop will let you sniff the tea, maybe they'll brew it for you? That's the way it is in China, and it isn't unheard of in the USA, either. They might charge you a little, but it's worth it.

That's a good policy if you aren't allowed to taste the tea at the shop (or if you're buying online - some online vendors will let you buy, say, one ounce.) But failing that, a decent vendor should tell you honestly when the tea was picked/manufactured, and that will increase your chance of getting something you'll like.

/Lew

Reply to
Lewis Perin

I think refreshness in tea is overrated all things being equal. Everything is shipped in packaging. I dont even think you need to take into count how the tea is stored at the shoppe and under what kind of conditions ie at least keep the lid on the container. There should be some which you can inspect and subsequently buy already sealed and preferrably at least partially vacuum dumped. I have a friend who gets her tea sent from a tea factory in Kenya where she lived nearby. Ive had some and it never struck me that it was refresher than anything else I can remember. Ill buy any tea in a nitrogen pack. I let everybody drink the 2009 and I buy the 2008 on discount. I dont worry about samplers perse. If I buy 100g of something and think I got screwed I wont be back.

Jim

Reply to
Space Cowboy

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