Friday TeaDay 7/2/10 MidTerms, vendor grades?

[Chip]

OK, try this again. Ha, for TD perhaps I should ask if you are satisfied with your IP?

Again, welcome to TeaDay. I hope you will stop by and share what is in your cup.

Yesterday we discussed MidYear TeaExams. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. We continue with MidYear TeaExams. Let's grade your vendors, how are they doing??? Are they improving, staying the same, or regressing. Give your vendors a grade! Please share!

I am looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up.

[JBaymore]

Teavendors... about the same.

ISP...... lovin' it! Just went from 1 Mb to 5 Mb DSL speed and price dropped $12 a month.

best,

..............john

[dooble]

In Finland, improving. At least we got one new expert vendor .
Just drank some thai pouchong.

[Skippyandjif]

The vendors are staying about the same, at "A" level. Most places have actually improved, but a couple of places have stopped carrying some old favorites. (Oh chrysanthemum tisane and sage tisane, where have you gone? )

Pu-erh this morning from an always-reliable Chinese supermarket in NYC. They have an amazing tea section that takes up an entire-- very, very long and very, very crowded with tea-- aisle.

[entropyembrace]

MMmmmmm sage tisane...I love sage...I have some growing in my garden...will have to try that

teavendor grades are A´s and have been staying there for a long time....but I´m finding more A vendors!

looking to make orders from O-Cha, Tea Emporium (the one in Darjeeling), Yunnan Sourcing, Floating Leaves Tea and Jing Tea Shop (the one in China)

I don´t think my tea budget is that big though...will have to prioritize

[Victoria]

My vendors are about the same I guess.

Camellia Sinensis Pinglin Bao Zhong in my cup this morning.

Have a nice day everyone!

[jazz88]

I said: the same. Adagio is my main vendor. I have left the O-cha website without purchasing anything 4 times. I had the best intentions to try their product but their poorly made website annoyed me so much that in the end I just left ....
I love sage as well although I mostly use it as an herb, not tea. The smell is divine regardless.
About to have some Golden Curls.

[Chip]

I have left the O-cha website without purchasing anything 4 times. I had the best intentions to try their product but their poorly made website annoyed me so much that in the end I just left ....

More for us! But they did recently redo their site nevertheless.

I have been on sites that annoyed me and left, but those did not carry Yutaka Midori! Besides, O-Cha is a proven vendor.

Now the Upton site is from the days of the dinosaur.

[Victoria]

Teavendors... about the same.

ISP...... lovin' it! Just went from 1 Mb to 5 Mb DSL speed and price dropped $12 a month.

best,

..............john

Great, congrats! Happy with my provider too. Was down last week, they came over, saw I needed an upgrade in some of their equipment and that my cable cord was old, did new wiring and more all for free. And all within 3 hours of calling.

Floating Leaves Tea AliShan Din Hu currently - really enjoyable.

[nickE]

Now the Upton site is from the days of the dinosaur.

It's true. I dread using that site.

I've been very happy with all the vendors I've ordered from recently so I guess they get an A.

Today I woke up craving some Pu'er as I often do in the mornings. So I broke out a cake of the '09 "Wuliang Lanxiang" which is a pressing by Yunnan Sourcing. It's always been a favorite of mine and today was no different! Lots of floral scents, some fruitiness during the first infusions, with sweet & creamy leather throughout the whole session. Glad I have a cake of this.

Later today I'm planning on sampling the YM Kaoru Supreme LE from O-Cha. Looking forward to this one, and I'll be sure to sit down first (per Chip's advice).

[chittychat]

I had mainly 3 suppliers all in China of which one, Funalliance might have gone bust. Never received my last order and no reply to my inquiries. It's a shame they had good quality tea for the prices and such a large collection of nice yixing tea pots as well as plenty of tea cups to choose from.

My other 2 vendors Teaspring and Pu-erhTea perform consistently to my satisfaction.

In a short while I will continue with Risha Bai Hao Hsinchu, the 7th and so on infusion. this afternoon I will try then Adagio Pouchong.

[Skippyandjif]

Continuing the TeaDay, I had some (really badly timed-- I was cleaning up after the tea session as dinner was starting ) Thai tea from the ever-reliable, hugely-stocked-with-tea grocery in Chinatown. Right now, I'm drinking some genmaicha from Ten Ren, another "A" vendor... Although that may go down to a "B" if they never restock their chrysanthemum tisanes!

[Chip]

Although I got tea from well over ten vendors this year, I limit the grading to the top 5 as these are regulars while the others were more or less just checking them out. I give the top five an A overall.

Great TD, began with a prelim tasting of the Sae Midori from Rishi, this will be in the OTTI Round 4. SweeTea was looking for a tasting while Kati and Fuji were just visiting the TeaTable today.

Next up a prelim tasting of Takumi from Zencha, another OTTI Round 4.

And last was a tasting of Nishi Organic from Rishi ... you guessed it, another OTTI Round 4 prelim tasting.

Sorry, can't say how they were since I don't want to spoil the fun for participants.

[brad4419]

So far all A's from teavendors this year. No problems or anything and the teas and services have been excellent.

[Trioxin]

I can't really say much. I've only just ordered my first tea this year from a vendor I've never used (O-Cha). I don't think I've used a bad tea vendor yet though. Most really seem to care about what they are doing.

Currently drinking 2010 Uji Sencha Miyabi