Thanks for this detailed comparison!
How many good "gyokuro taste" steeps did you get?
What ratio leaves vs water did you use?
Mar 17th, '08, 14:58
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I have been following this topic with great interest. I have in fact added a POLL today, because I have been a little confused by what you are refering to as DAILY Gyokuro.
I still question the whole concept of a "daily Gyokuro." This is our topic here. I consider it to be a Pipe Dream for Americans who do not know someone living in Japan.
At least here in the USA. Daily infers inexpensive. But anything inexpensive that I have encountered is of a rather dubious authenticity. Often low grade Kabuse Cha is passed of as Gyokuro...or if it is authentic, it just does not have a truly good Gyokuro taste.
So, what price range are we talking about for a DAILY Gyokuro, which is the original topic??? I consider a daily tea costing $10-15 per 100 grams. One Gyokuro in that range is hibiki-an's Superior, but this is not made with Gokoh varietal leaf, it is an inferior gyokuro that most who have tried it do not like.
On the other hand, many good sencha fall into this price range.
I still question the whole concept of a "daily Gyokuro." This is our topic here. I consider it to be a Pipe Dream for Americans who do not know someone living in Japan.
At least here in the USA. Daily infers inexpensive. But anything inexpensive that I have encountered is of a rather dubious authenticity. Often low grade Kabuse Cha is passed of as Gyokuro...or if it is authentic, it just does not have a truly good Gyokuro taste.
So, what price range are we talking about for a DAILY Gyokuro, which is the original topic??? I consider a daily tea costing $10-15 per 100 grams. One Gyokuro in that range is hibiki-an's Superior, but this is not made with Gokoh varietal leaf, it is an inferior gyokuro that most who have tried it do not like.
On the other hand, many good sencha fall into this price range.
Mar 17th, '08, 17:03
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Mar 18th, '08, 02:36
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I have gotten my hands on some good ones for slightly less than 30 bucks, not the best...but is this a "daily gyokuro?"olivierco wrote:I chose "more than 30$"
I haven't found yet any real gyokuro under 30$ per 100g
Most sites that offer a "daily or everyday" anything are implying it is inexpensive...a good value that won't deplete your savings account. Most of these offerings are in the 5-15 dollar range for whatever. O-Cha's Daily Sencha is around 12 bucks I think.
I am not trying to beat a dead horse here. Maybe the term we are using here is confusing me..."daily Gyokuro"...
Hi,
Olivierco: I used a "full" tea spoon of the gyokuro tea with 1/2 cup of spring water as a mixture. Also for the test I only took 2 steeps. Maiko claims that their tea would be good for 4 steeps which I doubt.
Dear green tea drinking friends:
I'd go back to Inspectoring's original question: "an affordable source of daily gyokuro"
To me "daily gyokuro" means drinkingg a cup or two of gyokuro teas every day before you go to work or doing anything else. For this question, in my case I use the Japanese green tea offered by COSTCO which most North Americans are familiar with to be a sort of "standard" to compare with. As I said COSTCO's Kirkland Signature Green Tea which is a Sencha is selling in Alberta (Western Canada) for $12.98 per 150g (150 tea bags). The taste is pleasant but is not as nearly as good as Shizuoka gyokuro which I found (thru the web) as a daily green tea drinking, the cost of this tea is (again in my case) is "very" affordable. My wife drinks at least a cup or two of "Second Cup" coffees (which is equivalent to Star Buck's coffee) everyday before going to work ( or at work). This alone costs $3.00 to $5.00. That would further confirms the cost of daily Shizuoka gyokuro tea a bargain.
As for other Gyokuro which I already tried, I would use them as a "special event/occasion" teas where I 'd rather enjoy with special friends/guests than drinking them DAILY.
In summary, the question/answer is rather RELATIVE. You have to determine YOURSELF not by others what is "affordable", what is considered as DAILY drinking. What is the STANDARD to you to compare against... What EXPERIENCE you have had with Gyokuro tea...and also very important How much "passion" or "love" you would have with this kind of drink (Gyokuro green tea) before you would go further...
Cheers,
B.V.Heaven
Olivierco: I used a "full" tea spoon of the gyokuro tea with 1/2 cup of spring water as a mixture. Also for the test I only took 2 steeps. Maiko claims that their tea would be good for 4 steeps which I doubt.
Dear green tea drinking friends:
I'd go back to Inspectoring's original question: "an affordable source of daily gyokuro"
To me "daily gyokuro" means drinkingg a cup or two of gyokuro teas every day before you go to work or doing anything else. For this question, in my case I use the Japanese green tea offered by COSTCO which most North Americans are familiar with to be a sort of "standard" to compare with. As I said COSTCO's Kirkland Signature Green Tea which is a Sencha is selling in Alberta (Western Canada) for $12.98 per 150g (150 tea bags). The taste is pleasant but is not as nearly as good as Shizuoka gyokuro which I found (thru the web) as a daily green tea drinking, the cost of this tea is (again in my case) is "very" affordable. My wife drinks at least a cup or two of "Second Cup" coffees (which is equivalent to Star Buck's coffee) everyday before going to work ( or at work). This alone costs $3.00 to $5.00. That would further confirms the cost of daily Shizuoka gyokuro tea a bargain.
As for other Gyokuro which I already tried, I would use them as a "special event/occasion" teas where I 'd rather enjoy with special friends/guests than drinking them DAILY.
In summary, the question/answer is rather RELATIVE. You have to determine YOURSELF not by others what is "affordable", what is considered as DAILY drinking. What is the STANDARD to you to compare against... What EXPERIENCE you have had with Gyokuro tea...and also very important How much "passion" or "love" you would have with this kind of drink (Gyokuro green tea) before you would go further...
Cheers,
B.V.Heaven
Well - I recently had an oppurtunity to compar the ito-en (45 $ 3.0 oz), Hibiki-en (gyokuro superior) (3 oz 25 $ it think), maden-en Gyokuro (reserve 30 $ 1.7 oz) Teavana (2 0z 15 $) and Harney tea.
Earlier I had thought that ito-en was superior to every other teas - but I must digress and admit that among the ones listed - I think that Harney beats all of them at 4 oz / 30 $ (I had tried their sampler 2 $ ).
Now having said that - I would rank maden-en the and ito-en the lowest based on the taste profile and the amount of money charged.
When I mentioned quest for daily gyokuro - chip is right - I meant affordable yet acceptable taste profile. I understand that people have not tried all the teas out there so it might be good for posters to state what teas they have compared and then rate them.
I am particularly interested in anyone who has tried ito-en or Harney - because as stupid as it may sound - I think that ito-en is a reputable company and given the amount they charge for their teas - they would have a very high quality tea - and I am somewhere making a mistake in making them.
Earlier I had thought that ito-en was superior to every other teas - but I must digress and admit that among the ones listed - I think that Harney beats all of them at 4 oz / 30 $ (I had tried their sampler 2 $ ).
Now having said that - I would rank maden-en the and ito-en the lowest based on the taste profile and the amount of money charged.
When I mentioned quest for daily gyokuro - chip is right - I meant affordable yet acceptable taste profile. I understand that people have not tried all the teas out there so it might be good for posters to state what teas they have compared and then rate them.
I am particularly interested in anyone who has tried ito-en or Harney - because as stupid as it may sound - I think that ito-en is a reputable company and given the amount they charge for their teas - they would have a very high quality tea - and I am somewhere making a mistake in making them.
Both are very subjective factors, I don't think I could find a affordable yet acceptable taste profile gyokuro at less than 35$/100gr.inspectoring wrote: When I mentioned quest for daily gyokuro - chip is right - I meant affordable yet acceptable taste profile.
I have so far tasted
from O-cha
Uji Gyokuro Kame-Giru-Shi ****
Uji Gyokuro "Yume no Ukihashi" ***
Uji Gyokuro "Fujitsubo" *** (only tasted at 1gr/30ml)
Uji Gyokuro Gyoku-Hou *** (only tasted at 1gr/30ml)
from Hibiki-an
Gyokuro premium * (only tasted at 1gr/30ml)
Gyokuro super premium **/***
Gyokuro kuradashi super premium ***
from Tamayura
Gyokuro *
and have yet to test from Ippodo
Ippoen Extra-Premium
Kanro Premium
My average brewing parameters:
8gr:100-120ml
90s (5s, 5s, 15s, 30s, 60s for the next steeps)
55°C(up to 60°C for the last steeps).
My notation criteria:
taste, durability (I don't know the exact formulation in English: in French it is called "longueur en bouche" the taste after having drunk the tea), aptitude to give many gyokuro tasting steeps.
I ranked them from * to ****
All ** and more are real gyokuro to me: gyokuro taste, no trace of bitterness for the first three steeps. * gyokuro are very close from the non gyokuro border to me. I guess if I had to choose a daily gyokuro, Hibiki-an premium would be the less expensive choice 25$/100g. All other are above 35$/100g
I could afford to drink Uji Gyokuro Kame-Giru-Shi as a daily gyokuro, but it would cost me about 140$ a month, just for one tea a day, which is quite the limit I set myself for tea leaves each month (100€), as I have many other interests in which I spend money. (cooking, books, music, cycling, skydiving...)
I opened a package of Ippodo Ippoen (Extra premium).
I managed to obtain five good steeps of it.
Not as good as Uji Gyokuro Kame-Giru-Shi, but a better durability than Uji Gyokuro "Yume no Ukihashi". Nice color, beautiful leaves, delicate and complex taste, not very intense though.
It costs 3000 yen/50gr, about 30-35$ shipping costs included, so quite the same as Uji Gyokuro Kame-Giru-Shi. So far the best alternative to it.
Have anyone tested Ippodo top gyokuro (Tenka-Ichi)?
I managed to obtain five good steeps of it.
Not as good as Uji Gyokuro Kame-Giru-Shi, but a better durability than Uji Gyokuro "Yume no Ukihashi". Nice color, beautiful leaves, delicate and complex taste, not very intense though.
It costs 3000 yen/50gr, about 30-35$ shipping costs included, so quite the same as Uji Gyokuro Kame-Giru-Shi. So far the best alternative to it.
Have anyone tested Ippodo top gyokuro (Tenka-Ichi)?
A possible daily gyokuro
Uji Karigane Gyokuro "Asa-Giri"
I had four steeps (the fifth one was too weak).
8g 4oz 55°C (130°F) 90s 5s 15s 30s
You should be able to brew it 1gr/oz, which will lower the price per session, but I prefer to drink gyokuro less diluted.
Not very expensive (25$/100gr; 2$ per session), this karigane gyokuro has real gyokuro taste. Less powerful than regular (high quality) gyokuro, the aftertaste is similar as the one you get from otsuusan sencha, also from Tsuen.
Uji Karigane Gyokuro "Asa-Giri"
I had four steeps (the fifth one was too weak).
8g 4oz 55°C (130°F) 90s 5s 15s 30s
You should be able to brew it 1gr/oz, which will lower the price per session, but I prefer to drink gyokuro less diluted.
Not very expensive (25$/100gr; 2$ per session), this karigane gyokuro has real gyokuro taste. Less powerful than regular (high quality) gyokuro, the aftertaste is similar as the one you get from otsuusan sencha, also from Tsuen.
I guess I will try this new recommendation. The problem is - especially for someone new to japanese tea - is to know how to get the maximum flavor out of the tea. I was brewing gyokuro for about 6 months and wasted money on expensive ones before realizing that the ratio of approximately 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon gyokuro for 2.5 oz of heated water is perfect. After using this ratio - I have to say that I am quite pleased with itoen and harney gyokuro.
One must also keep in mind that as one drinks more tea - the palate developes and thus one learns to identify the flavor.
One must also keep in mind that as one drinks more tea - the palate developes and thus one learns to identify the flavor.
Jun 25th, '08, 02:53
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tenuki
thank goodness i'm satisfied with adagio's goykuro, I really don't need another expensive taste.
Do something different, something different will happen. ( Gong Fu Garden )
Itoen doesn't ship outside US (perhaps is there a possibility from Japan, but I didn't find it)inspectoring wrote: I am quite pleased with itoen and harney gyokuro.
Harney has high shipping costs internationally so it will cost me more than my favorite gyokuros.
Not available on the Adagio european store, so I haven't tasted it yet.tenuki wrote:thank goodness i'm satisfied with adagio's goykuro, I really don't need another expensive taste.