TeaChat

Almost all tea companies in Japan operate during Golden Week because that also happens to fall at peak of shincha season. After it settles down, then they take their break.

I just placed my first order with Ippodo for some Ippoen Gyokuro, Kumpu, and Kaboku Sencha. I'm excited to try some new teas! I've stuck with Den's for this past year since they're so close to me, saving in shipping time and costs, but I've heard so many great things that I had to try this vendor. I'll post some pics once I've had a chance to do some sessions.

Ippodo has started to sell their spring matcha, Nodoka, which I think is a great value:

https://shop.ippodo-tea.co.jp/kyoto/sho ... cid=matcha

Best wishes,
sherubtse

I am a big fan of Ippodo's kuki-hojicha. Delicious and crazy cheap.

I ordered 6 different green tea at Ippodo last monday. The order was placed at Monday and the shipment were not shipped until Thursday using EMS... I wonder what they are doing during Monday - Wednesday.

The Ems was fast as the shipment arrived at Saturday.

Here is the list of tea I ordered and I am going to try them one by one:
- Nodoka Special Matcha
- Kanro Gyokuro
- Kaboku Sencha
- Hosen Sencha
- Gokujo Hojicha
- Gokujo Genmaicha

I have no experience with Hojicha and Asamushi Sencha so they are the first tea I am going to try. So far I tried the Kaboku Sencha and Hojicha and I could say the quality is not bad (but subject to personal taste).

Now I have tasted every one of the previously mentioned tea.

- Nodoka Special Matcha

I prepare this matcha in koicha style as this is the way I determine the quality of the matcha. No bitterness, mild flavour. Reasonable price.

- Kanro Gyokuro
Exceptional gyokuro. I first try it in my office using the boiling water dispensor and it taste so good that I say it is the best gyokuro I tried. I use 12g leaves, 55 degree, 330 ml water. I tried to use 60 degree water and the taste were not as good as using 55 degree water.

- Kaboku Sencha
1st asamushi tried in my life. Did no impress me. It did remind me of one nice Ti Kuan Yin I tried. Floral note but taste was rather blank.

- Hosen Sencha
2nd asamushi tried in my life. Best green tea I've ever had except gyokuro which is in another category. 1st infusion have nice umami taste. Subsequent infusion have a clean, vegetal taste.

- Gokujo Hojicha
I found that I don't like Hojicha as it is overpowering in terms of flavour. Taste better when it is cool.

- Gokujo Genmaicha
Obvious bitterness. Strong brown rice note. Do not like this because of the bitterness. Maybe I do not like Bancha at all.

I do some baking with their Ikuyo-no-mukashi matcha; it definitely carries the matcha flavor and deep green color strongly in the finished goods, usually 8g-10g for a cake, and 4g for frosting.
I can also recommend their Genmaicha; the ratio of bancha leaves to genmai is heavier in the bancha, so you obtain a nice nutty flavor which balances the grassy flavor without overwhelming it.
The third thing I order from them frequently is the Hojichi Kukicha, a stem tea, which is roasted; it's great to have in the evenings or when eating a heavy meal, I find it has a pleasing slightly smoky taste and is reminiscent of a puerh's third or fourth brewing.

Ippodo is changing their shipping charges as of July 1:

http://shop.ippodo-tea.co.jp/kyoto/shop ... q=10000083

Best wishes,
sherubtse

sherubtse wrote:Ippodo is changing their shipping charges as of July 1:

http://shop.ippodo-tea.co.jp/kyoto/shop ... q=10000083

Best wishes,
sherubtse

Do you know if they will still use EMS? I am asking this since the new shipping charges, seems to me pretty cheap!

Can someone recommend a matcha from ippodo? Really I'm looking at either sayaka no mukashi or seiun -- which is 'better'?

Also, sencha-ko konacha vs hanako konacha...? Is hanako roasted or anything, or just made with bancha leaves?

Pig Hog wrote:Also, sencha-ko konacha vs hanako konacha...? Is hanako roasted or anything, or just made with bancha leaves?

It is strange... seeing as they claim it is sencha in the description but it is under bancha on their site. Perhaps they mean the other meaning of bancha, as in local tea but that seems strange to me as well and I doubt that is the case. Possible they are using sencha as a stand in for ryokucha (green tea), as sometimes people use them interchangeably. Hanako, as shown on the package, isn't a word as far as I know... the kanji used for hanako makes sense phonetically, as it is hana + ko, but the kanji would read kafun for pollen and not hanako. I suppose this is some creative licensing on their part to use the alternative readings for the kanji, but ultimately it appears useless to understanding the product. Hanako is apparently brewed up by just pouring through the flakes once and straining immediately, which is something you certainly can do with regular ol' konacha. Honestly, no idea what the difference is here... I'm pretty sure it is not roasted as they do have a "houjiko" as well. In the end, I think the price speaks volumes. One is 7 (senchako) for 100 grams and the other is 3.50 (hanako) for 200 grams. I think one is indeed sencha, the other surely bancha.

Indeed, I assumed it was more of a poetic name than a descriptive name like the others. Senchako is double the price, not that it's a lot...might try that first though. I had not noticed houjiko until just now - I guess it must be bancha leaf.

William wrote:

sherubtse wrote:Ippodo is changing their shipping charges as of July 1:

http://shop.ippodo-tea.co.jp/kyoto/shop ... q=10000083

Best wishes,
sherubtse

Do you know if they will still use EMS? I am asking this since the new shipping charges, seems to me pretty cheap!

Now that it's been a few months can anyone answer?

I made an order last month and probably paid as much for postage as I did for tea itself...

It's a shame, because the tea is great but I just can't afford to be spending so much on each order. It's like every item has a shipping charge, instead of adding shipping to the order as a whole...?