Umami-Chaya - New Vendor - UPDATED!

[Chip]

What are your parameters, Jack? Looks like possibly a little more leaf might enhance your enjoyment.

But the important thing is that you enjoy your tea. Thanks for sharing with us.

[Jack_teachat]

What are your parameters, Jack? Looks like possibly a little more leaf might enhance your enjoyment.

But the important thing is that you enjoy your tea. Thanks for sharing with us.

4.5g - 160ml - 70*C - 50 secs, 30 secs, 1 min, 2min... (gradually increasing temp)

With most sencha I usually start with around 4.5g just to gauge whether the tea needs more (or less). After this session I would conclude that perhaps a little more leaf (say just under 5g) would be about right for this tea. The 1st steep which I photographed looks a little mild, but the flavour was about perfect and the camera on my phone always makes things look a little brighter than they actually are!

Jack

[Salsero]

Where did you get the nice glasses? What do they hold ... 3 or 4 oz?

[Jack_teachat]

They hold 80ml, so just under 3 ounces. I got them a while ago from Jing UK...

http://jingtea.com/teaware/glass-teawar ... s-cup-80ml

[Chip]

What are your parameters, Jack? Looks like possibly a little more leaf might enhance your enjoyment.

But the important thing is that you enjoy your tea. Thanks for sharing with us.

4.5g - 160ml - 70*C - 50 secs, 30 secs, 1 min, 2min... (gradually increasing temp)

With most sencha I usually start with around 4.5g just to gauge whether the tea needs more (or less). After this session I would conclude that perhaps a little more leaf (say just under 5g) would be about right for this tea. The 1st steep which I photographed looks a little mild, but the flavour was about perfect and the camera on my phone always makes things look a little brighter than they actually are!

Jack

Actually, forget what I said, just looked like too little leaf in your kyusu, but that is a pretty decent amount.

[Jack_teachat]

Just wondering whether anyone had gone ahead and made an order from this vendor? I'm still very much enjoying the Yame sencha I ordered, very little astringency with a little bit of a roasted hint in both the flavour/aroma of the brewed leaves.

[Ed]

I finally got around to ordering from this new vendor. I ordered the Yutaka Midori and Kurogi Fuka-Supreme. They are en route now. And now they just added several new sencha from Shizuoka.

[edit]
Wowsers, my order arrived today! I ordered on Monday. They ship FAST! I am looking forward to brewing.

[Ed]

I opened the umami-chaya Yutaka Midori just now. The leaf has a pleasant aroma of fresh tuna. The first steep was bright green with the same marine/fish aroma. Taste is mild, which seems to be typical of the Yutaka Midori varietal. The 2nd and 3rd steeps offer deep green liquor with lots of body. I would say this is a very good value at $20.

[teaisme]

I would say this is a very good value at $20.

Highly second that. People why have there only been 2 people so far giving this place a try. Wow you all are missing out. Got my order about a week ago, wow 6 day delivery to east coast , impressed.

WELL worth the money on their site, and EVEN better if have ebay because you can get a Yutaka Midori Supreme for $13 !!! Shipping INCLUDED. (100g) WHAT?! WHAT?! Thats freaking crazy prices there. It is a high quality tea, im not going into details, just try it. I notice the price jumps up to 20 dollars sometimes, but as of this post it is at 13 with free shipping. Gotta love those promotional prices.

Don't hesitate like I did, just because its on eBay.

[Ed]

I just opened another bag from umami-chaya -- the "Shizuoka Sencha Fuka-Supreme". There's honestly nothing supreme about it. It's a very average fukamushi sencha. Leaf looks a little rough and you can taste that roughness as well. But it does brew up nice and green and there's some nice flavor there too. It will work as an everyday sencha. I think they are making a mistake in calling it a "high quality, top-drawer.. sencha". Call it what it is -- a decent everyday fukamushi.

I'm still enjoying the Yutaka Midori from the same vendor. I really have no complaints about that one. It's just right for the price. I have 2 other sencha from them waiting to be opened so I am hoping they will be good as well.

[Smells_Familiar]

guys, thanks for the honest reviews!

[Ed]

The "Shizuoka Sencha Fuka-Supreme" is starting to grow on me. It's pretty good. Given the choice, I suppose I would pay just a few dollars more and get something truly "Supreme". But as I tinker with the brewing parameters I'm finding this one to be a good value too. I just wish these vendors would quit calling everything "Supreme". There's good sencha and then there's truly great sencha and in this price range you can't really expect greatness.

[Oni]

I like this vendor, it sells Yame gyokuro, something I am always looking forward to try. I will buy from them soon.

[Ed]

So far I would say they are a good vendor. Good tea at a good price. Their descriptions are a bit over the top with the superlatives. This is not rare hand-picked leaf. This is mass produced tea like most of the others. But it is delicious and the price is hard to beat. There are vendors like O-Cha selling this same grade of sencha for $5+ more. So, in my opinion, the best thing about this seller is the price point.

[Tead Off]

So far I would say they are a good vendor. Good tea at a good price. Their descriptions are a bit over the top with the superlatives. This is not rare hand-picked leaf. This is mass produced tea like most of the others. But it is delicious and the price is hard to beat. There are vendors like O-Cha selling this same grade of sencha for $5+ more. So, in my opinion, the best thing about this seller is the price point.

I agree that O-Cha is over priced. I only buy organics and probably won't order from them again as I think their teas are not commensurate with their prices.

What teas do you think are great? Only organics, please.

On the Horaido site, they talk of the poor sencha crop this year especially in Uji and Shizuoka. That only the top grades are good this year. I wonder if this is why I can't seem to find great sencha except from Kagoshima.