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NEW! Official Japanese Green Tea Vendor Guide: MellowMonk.com Consider this a perennial topic for Japanese teas from Mellow Monk.

http://mellowmonk.com/index.htm

Official Japanese Green Tea Vendor Guide. Let's see what happens with this wild and crazy idea. You can view the main Japanese TeaVendor Guide here: http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11556 and the main TeaVendor Guide here: http://www.teachat.com/viewforum.php?f=60

Does anyone know where they ship out of?

Tead Off wrote:Does anyone know where they ship out of?

Not sure where they ship out of... but according to their FAQs, returns go here

They ship out of the same address. I've tried a couple of their teas. Really like the Top Leaf. Really don't like the Master's Roast.

bsteele wrote:

Tead Off wrote:Does anyone know where they ship out of?

Not sure where they ship out of... but according to their FAQs, returns go here

Can we get a picture of their kitchen? I hope they're dressed.

I just noticed their 'tea buying trip' videos on their blog... pretty cool stuff-- helps that it was done bfor a professional production company.

http://vimeo.com/8141032 (part 1 of 6 to get you started)

chicagopotter wrote:They ship out of the same address. I've tried a couple of their teas. Really like the Top Leaf. Really don't like the Master's Roast.

The photos of the leaves look more like a 'country' style, rather than the more formal needle like rolling of most sench/gyokuro vendors. A bit roasted? Are the tastes similar to the typical sencha flavors or something else?

I know they used to sell a lot of Guricha types which are more along the roasted or pan fired type green. Not sure anymore.

Chip wrote:I know they used to sell a lot of Guricha types which are more along the roasted or pan fired type green. Not sure anymore.

Chip,

Looking at many of their offerings, I saw none that were needle like as we are used to seeing with sencha and gyokuro teas that are offered by most of the vendors we know. Even needle like sencha that Yuuki-Cha sells can be roasted so that doesn't explain the look of the leaves. I'm wondering if it is a certain style of finished leaves more akin to Korean style green teas. In the videos, which are really good btw, the buyer talks about the American taste and the movement away from the traditional flavors of mainstream Japanese production. He specifically mentions he doesn't want 'grassy' types of tea. I will definitely try some of these teas in the future.

wanted some good Japanese green tea fast since I have about two sessions left I could have sworn I had another bag of asa tucked away somewhere....dammit how did I drink all those teas so fast.....

Anyways needed it fast, needed it paypal, didn't want to place a big order (to make ems worth it) = mellow monk

Any other domestic vendors out there that have good japanese greens that accept paypal? I could not think of any off the top of my head or with a quick browse of teavendor.

I ordered monk leaf, top leaf, and harmony leaf. Since I am a huge fan of guricha I think those first two will be right up my ally.

Good stuff, worth it. (even though post office charged me extra couple bucks to receive package when shipping was supposed to be free for orders +$30.)
Don't expect the taste of den's guricha though. Much different.

Both monk choice, and top leaf, reminded me of a very weak version of Yuukicha's Gyokuro Gokou (for the 'earthiness' taste).
Taste wise I enjoy what people call 'earthiness' but if your looking for strong fruit notes or sweet grassy vegetable goodness you won't find it in abundance here.

Teas have nice thicker body when compared to other senchas I have tried, and very very little bite. All three had good durability (though this might be attributed to me putting in more leaf since my scale is broke). Still... seems to me durability is good.

Looking forward to trying out their kabusencha, and kukicha sometime in the future.

hum...longer infusions are definitely worthwhile with the top leaf (and I imagine others in selection that are curly)
Just went 2m 15, 1m 30 and so far I am enjoying them much more then say 1m 20 , 25 s

because these teas have so little bitterness it seems they do very well with longer infusions, deff picking up pleasant tastes that were not there with short brew

I recently procured 2 tea selections from Mellow Monk. The customer service was outstanding, the shipping fast and cheap. A+ on both!

Best wishes,
sherubtse

teaisme wrote:hum...longer infusions are definitely worthwhile with the top leaf (and I imagine others in selection that are curly)
Just went 2m 15, 1m 30 and so far I am enjoying them much more then say 1m 20 , 25 s

because these teas have so little bitterness it seems they do very well with longer infusions, deff picking up pleasant tastes that were not there with short brew

I recently had the opportunity to try their top leaf, and slightly lower temperatures with longer infusions definitely had better results as per teaisme. Not quite the grassy green goodness of the traditional japanese taste but considered on its own and especially considering the price, definitely worth it! I'm generally dead set on the traditional taste, but even I enjoyed it!

SilentChaos wrote:

teaisme wrote: I recently had the opportunity to try their top leaf, and slightly lower temperatures with longer infusions definitely had better results as per teaisme. Not quite the grassy green goodness of the traditional japanese taste but considered on its own and especially considering the price, definitely worth it! I'm generally dead set on the traditional taste, but even I enjoyed it!

I use 65 deg. for the Top Leaf, though my brews are short. It's a very flavourful tea -- not as good as the top ones from O-Cha, for example, but quite good nevertheless. (And certainly well worth the price!).

Best wishes,
sherubtse