Oolong novice seeks wisdom

[Janine]

Peet's TKY isn't bad as an example of what a place that started out specializing in coffees can do. If I stop by a Peet's (which I do often in the Bay Area because I can study and write there and so can my husband) I tend to get the TKY. I also like their small tuo cha puerh - it's aged and it's definitely drinkable (great for travel too). They also have a couple of other oolongs which are interesting and that pass a test for a place that does not specialize in this type of tea as its first objective in the marketplace (which was coffees). They are drinkable, I enjoy them when I'm there, and I commend Peet's for getting into this tea market. (Their bagged sencha is IMO delicious for a bagged Japanese green tea. Also good for taking on travels, even popping into a cool bottle of water for iced. Always fresh and good.)

However, the next time you go to Peet's in Berkeley, I advise you go around the corner to Imperial Tea Court and try TKY there. Start with Roy's Monkey Picked. This is his personal firing. It's always interesting. It will give you an idea of what others are drinking when they tell you they love these teas if they have a long experience with them. And while you're there, keep trying the teas you see on the menu that are mentioned here of all sorts (including other TKYs which it is important to know about, because the variety in types of TKY is significant and distinctive). And go back and try more That would be my advice. Ask Michael or Ariel or Grace (or whoever is working that day) for tips on brewing. If you wish to learn more about brewing using gaiwan or gongfu they will be able to help you and talk to you about this.

[tjkoko_off]

Janine: it's been 20 years since I left the Bay Area and, being a 35 years customer of Peets, it's the first but not last purveyor of coffees and teas that I know. Peets, like Chez Panisse, were there before anyone else.

EDIT: just checked and Roy's Monkey Picked TKY sells for approx 3x Peet's stuff, way higher quality imho.

EDIT: the Bai Hao oolong I get is from Sensational Teas of Oregon.

Need recommendations for a few "championship" oolongs, please. Overall it sounds like I need to spend a bit more money on my oolongs.

[ABx]

Try just about anything from Hou De. Guang focuses heavily on quality.

I wouldn't go for the most expensive ones right away because the difference between the $15/50g teas and the $35/50g teas probably won't be readily apparent until you get more experience. When I got my first expensive one I couldn't see what the fuss was all about, until I ran out and found that I couldn't find anything nearly as good in what I considered to be a reasonable price range at the time.

Everything that Hou De sells is excellent, however, and you can always order samples of some of the more expensive ones (I tend to avoid getting only samples because it can take some time to figure out how to get the most from a tea).

JingTeaShop.com is another great one. They generally have better prices, but shipping usually takes 2-3 weeks.

I'm happy to see someone else that has found Sensational Teas I really love their yixing gaiwans. Their teas aren't the best quality but they are generally pretty good, and Mary is always an absolute pleasure to do business with.