Shincha 2008 Lineup

[Victoria]

How many other teas did you order, Chip?

He ordered so much, they had to go pick more. It will take a little longer but they will be days fresher.

[chamekke]

How many other teas did you order, Chip?

He ordered so much, they had to go pick more. It will take a little longer but they will be days fresher.

And then we will all be tea-green with envy at Chip's fine shincha collection

[Victoria]

And then we will all be tea-green with envy at Chip's fine shincha collection

Yes indeed, and his TeaFridge will be fully stocked!

[Chip]

How many other teas did you order, Chip?

He ordered so much, they had to go pick more. It will take a little longer but they will be days fresher.

And then we will all be tea-green with envy at Chip's fine shincha collection

I am still ordering, but I think I am around 1200 grams. But that is a little misleading since a couple hundred grams are for a shincha tasting I am doing.

My main order is with O-Cha...with Hibiki not far behind. Lots of really good stuff coming my way.

I am looking at one of the gift sets from Dens, maybe a second shincha. And maybe one from Zencha. Anything else would be...excessive.

But I just want one bag right now...JUST one!!!!! Is that asking too much?

It is so strange for me being so far behind everyone on the shincha receiving end. I am usually first out of the gate. Everyone has caught up to me, but that is pretty exciting too.

[Chip]

And then we will all be tea-green with envy at Chip's fine shincha collection

Yes indeed, and his TeaFridge will be fully stocked!

Yezzzz, I have a whole shelf of the TeaFridge reserved for shincha only.

[Cinnamon Kitty]

For the Fukamushi Sencha Supreme from O-cha, I actually followed the directions on the package

Wow, CK, I was also tempted to follow the directions on the paper, but that just seemed so wrong! Besides, I didn't want to do the math to convert from their 10 oz to my 6 oz.

Nevertheless, your description matches my own almost exactly, except you said slightly fishy in first infusion and I observed (after the third), no marine. The Yutaka Midori I have been drinking (also from O-Cha) can have a fairly pronouced marine taste and very brothy. After that, this one is pretty close to no marine.

Isn't shincha fun!

I got my package of tea between classes, so I only had 20 minutes to play with brewing parameters. There was no way that I would be able to sit through my afternoon class without trying the tea first. I figured that it would be safe to try the package directions and then play with it later. The directions resulted in good tasting tea, but I think I will have to try it with how I made Den's Fukamushi Maki before with 1.5 to 2 tsp to 10oz of water and 30 to 45 seconds steep time.

There was not a lot of marine smell to it, just enough of a hint to remind me of standing by the edge of the ocean with the faint smell of fish in the air. It might be because I used less leaf with longer steep time so it brought out that note a little more. I will see if it is still there when I try it with more leaf and shorter steep times.

Shincha is definitely fun!

[bambooforest]

Lots of really good stuff coming my way.

Possibly. Depends on how good I am at the art of interception. Be wary, young Chip.

[Cinnamon Kitty]

I figured it out! With more leaf and shorter steep times, the marine scent that I was getting from the package directions completely disappeared. I tried brewing the Fukamushi with a little less than 2 tsp of leaf to 10oz of water for 30s at 160*F. It was stronger, slightly more astringent, and tangier but it didn't have any of the marine scent. I like experimenting.

[Salsero]

Shincha Sencha Kinari from Maiko arrived today. This is starting to take on more the character of a responsibility!

Boy, those Japanese do know how to wrap stuff to make it gorgeous and still simple.

The deep blue pack of tea was wrapped in the heavy decorative paper, just wrapped, not taped or sealed. Just an extra little feast for the eyes. Wonderful!

[Chip]

Lots of really good stuff coming my way.

Possibly. Depends on how good I am at the art of interception. Be wary, young Chip.

You are tooo late!!!

See, there is a reason for everything. I stopped home for lunch, at 12:15. Mr. Postal Carrier pulls up, gets out of his truck with a box, opens my screen door, and drops the box from about 4-5 feet ...clunk onto the ground. I open the door forgiving the pakage abuse, and pick up a really really warm package. (the carriers here have a big front window where they place trays of mail which just happens to sit in the direct sun, nice). I quickly open my box to save my poor shincha, the packages are warm, though not as warm as the box.

This is SHINCHA ABUSE BY A POSTAL CARRIER and it should carry a mandatory jail sentence with a cell mate named Bubba!!!

Drinking Hatsumi at this writing. This is once again different from the previous year's shincha...changes are quite noticable each year.

[Wesli]

I sit here, during a break between classes, 2 bags of shincha open, drinking 07 guricha. Why?

Because I have found that shincha is amazing in later steeps. I feel that to drink any less than 4 steeps is a waste of the shincha. While some sencha drop off in the 3rd or 4th steeps, this shincha carries true, only dropping off at the end of the fifth.

[Chip]

I figured it out! With more leaf and shorter steep times, the marine scent that I was getting from the package directions completely disappeared. I tried brewing the Fukamushi with a little less than 2 tsp of leaf to 10oz of water for 30s at 160*F. It was stronger, slightly more astringent, and tangier but it didn't have any of the marine scent. I like experimenting.

For almost all fukamushi, I use more leaf and shorter brew times...it is the way of the Fuka leaf.

Thanx for sharing, you are learning grasshoppa. You learned in 2 days what took me...well, a lot longer.

Are you sure the marine smell was not "grassiness" which is very common with many sencha.

[Chip]

I sit here, during a break between classes, 2 bags of shincha open, drinking 07 guricha. Why?

Because I have found that shincha is amazing in later steeps. I feel that to drink any less than 4 steeps is a waste of the shincha. While some sencha drop off in the 3rd or 4th steeps, this shincha carries true, only dropping off at the end of the fifth.

In this Wes and I are ONE, we have mastered the sencha Force.

After peeling away layers of differing flavor profiles, by the 5th steep (which I always brew with BOILING water) all that is left is a lovely mellow sweetness. It is not strong, I call it tea water, but it is really enjoyable and why not enjoy it. A smoker could not taste it.

[Chip]

Shincha Sencha Kinari from Maiko arrived today. This is starting to take on more the character of a responsibility!

Boy, those Japanese do know how to wrap stuff to make it gorgeous and still simple.

The deep blue pack of tea was wrapped in the heavy decorative paper, just wrapped, not taped or sealed. Just an extra little feast for the eyes. Wonderful!

Yes, Sal. I can never just throw them away. I put the wrappers and even the cut package in the bottom drawer of my TeaChest, a 3 drawer dresser saved from the attick of my parents house.

They are fun to just look at from time to time...and remember what once was inside.

[Jeremy]

Forgive my ignorance here, but I am new. Could someone give me a brief primer, or a link to one, on Shincha varieties, attributes regions and the like.

Also a top 3 list of must have would be awesome!

I am sitting here with my finger on the enter key to buy one of the ones that you guys have mentioned earlier in the thread, but I have no idea what differentiates them.

Thanks

Jeremy