Thursday TeaDay 3/4/10 Ideal vendor?

[Chip]

The value is a kind of all encompassing option which includes price and quality. I also look for the right level of specialization/selection and reputation including from members of TC.

Began the TD with 2 year old Fukamushi from Ryu Mei.

Next up, planning on dual matcha tasting along with the new TC celeb spokesperson, a business matcha session! Plan on using this LittlePig Hedge Apple Wan.

[Tea_Rex]

I started the day at home with a cup of Assam golden tip prepared Western style in a 16 oz mug, taken with a little sugar and milk (anathema? black tea is the only tea I add anything to.). Then my first cup at work, as usual, was houjicha, a tea I really love for daily drinking. It’s delicious, forgiving, low in caffeine but high in imparting a general feeling of well being, and then on to my Li Po Chun, a tea new to me – today was my second time with it.

When I buy a new tea, I first prepare it according to the vendor’s instructions. That often has yielded a cup that is too bitter for me, and in the past, that would be the end of that. I would never try the tea again. Now that I know I am allowed to play around (thanks, Teachat for that revelation) to get the cup of tea I want, things are much better.

Following the vendor’s instructions the first time with the Li Po Chun, I put a tablespoon of leaf in a 4 oz gaiwan and infused at 175F for one minute. Too bitter. Today, I did everything the same but infused for 30 seconds. Ah ha, there it is. Much better. The second cup I infused for 45 seconds and it was a little bitter, so back to 30 for the third. After that, the tea dropped off quickly in flavor. And now I just have a slight lingering sweetness in the back of my throat – love that.

By the way, I usually heat my water back up to the original temperature for all infusions. Do people generally do this or do they just lengthen the infusion time?

[Abracadaver!]

I started the day with some mystery sheng, and now I'm chewing on some tapioca pearls in my lychee tea.

It isn't listed as an option, but I like vendors who specialize in one or a couple of categories, rather than offering a little bit of everything to everybody (hello, Teavana?).
I'd rather make multiple orders--quality sencha from a sencha dealer, quality oolong form an oolong dealer, etc, than get a bunch of okay (and possibly overstored) selections from one place.

[geeber1]

Yay! Welcome back Omega!

[Skippyandjif]

Price, quality, value, customer service, and selection are all really important to me, so those are the ones I chose-- but I get information about all of these things from fellow TCers! >.<

I'm still drinking pu-erh from that little bit of brick I chipped off a couple of days ago. It's lasting forever! I'm not complaining, though. Later, I'm having green tea if the girlfriend comes over, something herbal-- I'm thinking rosehips?-- if not.

[Chip]

By the way, I usually heat my water back up to the original temperature for all infusions. Do people generally do this or do they just lengthen the infusion time?

Koool, isn't it great when things click as we experiment?!?

I generally do not need to rehat my kettle for 3,4,or5 steeps, but I bring it to a boil to start, then cool with pitchers, cups, or teapots.

I'd rather make multiple orders--quality sencha from a sencha dealer, quality oolong form an oolong dealer, etc, than get a bunch of okay (and possibly overstored) selections from one place.

+1 ... experience has certainly taught me this lesson for my own personal tastes.

And yet there are vendors seemingly struggling with their identity in this regard. I think of Lupicia for instance who could be a great specialty Japanese tea/teaware vendor, now they are as gimmicky as anyone out there.

[Seeker]

Sipping a mix - Organic Magokoro with teavana gyo.


...here's a bit more of that luscious Ao glaze


Cheers - wishing you all good TD.


ps - that's my new banko hanging out with the Ao today.

[leiche2]

Value's the most important factor for me. There's expensive, and there's too expensive for the quality, you know? I'm cheap, but I like to splurge!

Inexplicably cold (it's ~70F in the house), so it's time for more tea. I'm thinking some Assam Melody would suit me just fine.

Welcome back, omega!

[msmeghann82]

First hot tea of the day and it's 7pm. Think I'll try Adagio's Roobios Peach sent to me by a friend.

[Chip]

Thanks Seeker for adding color to our TD!

Next up, a tasting of 2 matcha with the new celeb spokesperson for TeaChat and Mrs. Chip. Zencha Kasumi and Korean Matcha.

You can see the announcement and contest here: http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=12429Prizes!!! See if you can ID the new spokesperson for TeaChat!

Next up, more Korean tea, Gamnong from Hankook which reminds me of Japanese Guricha in many respects. Pretty good stuff.

[LazyKat]

Price, 'value', reputation and word-of-TC (Which, I suppose, is a type of reputation). Quality may become a heavier factor once I'm more knowledgable in tea, but that's fairly accurate for now.

Lemon grass and Bromley's 'Estate Tea' blend right now (Tried my cream sample earlier though, and it tickled me!).

[LauraW]

Definitely value first and foremost, then selection and reputation.

Started out the morning with some Darjeeling, then tried to get in some sencha while cooking dinner, but with the rush, everyone was in the way and frustrated, and it ended up getting forgotten and then thrown out.

Ah well. Days like that happen.

[bsteele]

Value + What others are saying, yo.

[brad4419]

Selection. If they don't sell the teas I like then I wont buy from them

Price to Quality. Lets face it, on my teabudget I wont be getting the highest quality but I expect a good quality for the price.

What TeaChaters are saying, Your reviews and opinions on teas are very important to me.

Reputation, I always check online for reviews of a new vendor before trying them
Customer Service, I like customer service. If I try to contact a vendor and don't get a reply after several tries then I wont buy from them.