Sencha highest in caffeine

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Jun 4th, '16, 21:53
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Sencha highest in caffeine

by Milo » Jun 4th, '16, 21:53

I drink tea because (1) I like it, and (2) it has caffeine. I drink tea instead of coffee because, as someone eloquently put it: "Coffee is energizing but tea is invigorating". Feelin' that.

I haven't had sencha in well over a year, as I've been exploring almost exclusively white teas. And I'm beginning to suspect that I've gotten used to the one-two-HELL-YEAH boost from some of those whites, especially Yunnan Sourcing's offerings like Ai Lao Mountain and Snow Flower Bi Luo Chun (the latter of which is, sadly, out of stock).

But it could be the particular sencha that I'm drinking, Yuuki-Cha's Kagoshima Sencha Shimofuri Masashige. I recalled really liking the Shimofuri, so I ordered three 100g packets as soon as it came out. For the price (¨¥1500), it's not bad, though not nearly as good a value as their Kirishima Zarai, which every bit as aromatic and tasty and nearly half the price. (Guess which one came out juuuuuuust a few days after I'd submitted my order.)

Anyway, the Shimofuri isn't invigorating me as much as I'd like. I need recommendations and I know TeaChatterers know sencha better than any other group of tea enthusiasts. I prefer asamushi, but I'm OK with the occasional fuka for variety's sake. Thanks, cheers, and happy cups!

Jun 5th, '16, 14:24
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by Groucho » Jun 5th, '16, 14:24

While tea has caffeine (and theobromine), tea's dominant stimulant is theophylline.

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Jun 5th, '16, 15:59
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by Milo » Jun 5th, '16, 15:59

Groucho wrote:While tea has caffeine (and theobromine), tea's dominant stimulant is theophylline.

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Really? Every source I've come across—study or review—claims that caffeine is by far the most abundant methylxanthine, with theophylline occurring only in trace amounts.

Jun 5th, '16, 16:48
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by Groucho » Jun 5th, '16, 16:48

Thanks for the info.

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Jun 5th, '16, 18:27
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by miig » Jun 5th, '16, 18:27

If you're after caffeine, what about shadowed teas? They should have more of it, right?

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Jun 5th, '16, 19:54
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by Milo » Jun 5th, '16, 19:54

miig wrote:If you're after caffeine, what about shadowed teas? They should have more of it, right?
Oh, definitely. Gyokuro has anywhere from 1.5 to 2 times as much caffeine as sencha. The gyokuro buzz is special; something about it just sets it apart from any other tea, green or otherwise. The only snag for me is that I don't like gyokuro nearly as much as sencha, mainly because of its strong umami taste.

I seek out senchas that tend to be moderately astringent and very low in umami, with aromas akin to fresh-cut grass, olive oil and cinnamon rather than cooked vegetables, butter, and shellfish. Teas like Hojo's Uji Jubuzan, O-Cha's Tanegashima, and Yuuki-Cha's Kirishima Zarai—all of which are asamushi. Of these three, I'd say the Tanegashima is the best buy. Too bad O-Cha doesn't seem to be offering it this year.

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Jun 7th, '16, 16:49
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by chingwa » Jun 7th, '16, 16:49

One problem here is that we don't really know how much caffeine is in this tea vs that tea. Categorically we can say in general, yes, gyokuro has more tea than sencha. But perhaps if you wanted to maximize caffeine in sencha you could try matcha-infused sencha?

Jun 7th, '16, 18:13
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by Groucho » Jun 7th, '16, 18:13

Why not just buy a tea that you enjoy the flavor/viscosity of and, if need be, pop a caffeine pill. You can buy such pills inexpensively at Walmart.

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Jun 7th, '16, 21:32
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by Milo » Jun 7th, '16, 21:32

Groucho wrote:Why not just buy a tea that you enjoy the flavor/viscosity of and, if need be, pop a caffeine pill. You can buy such pills inexpensively at Walmart.

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That's free-form caffeine though, whereas the caffeine in tea is bound and thus metabolized more slowly. Slow-release caffeine leaves you feeling great all day; immediate-release just revs you up and then leaves you in a ditch four hours later. Also, it gives me facial tics.

Jun 7th, '16, 21:55
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by Groucho » Jun 7th, '16, 21:55

Couldn't you dilute the pill in a large volume of water and slowly take stops from it throughout the day?

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Jun 7th, '16, 22:13
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by Milo » Jun 7th, '16, 22:13

Groucho wrote:Couldn't you dilute the pill in a large volume of water and slowly take stops from it throughout the day?

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If my day has reached a point where I need that level of caffeine, I'll just do what I usually do: Aeropress three scoops of the lightest-roast coffee I've got on hand and sip on that for the next four hours.

Sep 24th, '17, 08:14
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Re: Sencha highest in caffeine

by Joseph5 » Sep 24th, '17, 08:14

Drinking tea is also good for your health.

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