Any tea connoisseurs here?

cantdrv55 · 10-19-2009, 09:40 AM

I'm looking for a strong tasting caffienated green tea. I really like grassy teas so I buy "Sencha" from Peet's Coffee. But I'm looking for something even more grassy tasting. Any suggestions? I thought of going to a tea bar in Chinatown but I wouldn't know what to ask for.

The Gaijin · 10-19-2009, 10:07 AM

Japanese teas are mostly greens. There is a whole world of them. You need a Japanese food store. Any serving the ex-pat community where you live?

masraum · 10-19-2009, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

I'm looking for a strong tasting caffienated green tea. I really like grassy teas so I buy "Sencha" from Peet's Coffee. But I'm looking for something even more grassy tasting. Any suggestions? I thought of going to a tea bar in Chinatown but I wouldn't know what to ask for.

For me the sweetest and grassiest tasting green is "Gyokuro". It's also the most expensive.

Gyokuro is like a super premium Sencha. "Gyokuro tea leaves are shielded from the sun for at least two weeks before being harvested. This causes the amino acids (Theanine) and caffeine in the tea leaves to increase, while catechin (the source of bitterness in tea, along with caffeine) decreases, giving rise to a sweet flavour. The tea also gains a distinct aroma from the covering process."

Another tea that I like a lot is Oolong. The oolong that I get is full leaves wadded up in little balls (not decorative balls, just like you'd wad up a small sheet of paper between your fingers). It's got a great flavor (although different from green) and slightly more caffeine than green.

Tishabet · 10-19-2009, 10:15 AM

Hell yes I am a tea connoisseur... but I stick with black teas, so I'm not so helpful in your green tea search. BRB, it's FTGFOP time ;P

jyl · jyl's Garage

I like green tea but have not become any sort of connoisseur. I drink DragonWell most of the time, Pearl Jasmine for an occasional change.

Post info as you continue your journey to tea geek-dom, I'd like to learn more.

jyl · jyl's Garage

You should go to a tea tasting here.

Far Leaves Tea. Home page.

They are very knowledgeable, local to you, reasonably priced, and very nice folks. The storefront is on College Ave in Berkeley.

The Gaijin · 10-19-2009, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

But I'm looking for something even more grassy tasting. Any suggestions?

Mugi cha is a brown tea and is drank cold - kind of like Japanese iced tea. Very grassy. I think mugi is barley.

Although it technically might not be a tea. Like all that chamomile crap and other flavored stuff.. Tea is made from tea leaves.

cantdrv55 · 10-19-2009, 07:15 PM

Is there a question that can stump PPOT? I doubt it. Thanks for the ideas and link guys. I'll go to a tea bar and let you know what I end up liking.

LWJ · 10-19-2009, 09:19 PM

Exactly. Tea bar.

I am no expert. Just a fan. Dragonwell is my favorite, light, delicate, and lots of caffeine. Also like some Oolongs, A Korean (something) with Ginsing, and love the gun powder! Gun Powder is super cheap, no-collar Chinese green. Very strong, dark tea. Not a lot of caffeine.

My wife bought me some kooky tea tasting with some kind of expert and we tasted about 20 different teas. I generally preferred many of the Oolong varieties. He had a bunch of PuErr (sp?) teas that he was super excited about but honestly, they were lost on me. He claimed to have served us the super good stuff by accident and said it was about a $45 pot of tea! I didn't have the heart to tell him it tasted bad and didn't give me a buzz.

Have fun. Tea is cool. It is the most consumed beverage on Earth.
Larry

masraum · 11-17-2009, 02:42 PM

cd55, have you gotten a chance to try some different stuff? What were your thoughts?

masraum · 11-21-2009, 12:38 PM

I'm enjoying some Tung Ting Jade Oolong right now, but I had some Earl Grey earlier.

cantdrv55 · 11-21-2009, 01:41 PM

Steve, I haven't had a chance to get to a tea bar yet, maybe around Christmas time...

I did buy several tins of tea from Peet's as they have quite a selection. Have bought tins of Genmai Cha and Gunpowder. The latter has lots of caffeine!

spuggy · 11-22-2009, 12:04 AM

I only drink black tea by choice, I only drink green tea in restaurants, and they pretty much all taste like pee.

PG Tips is real tea.

alf · 11-22-2009, 02:33 AM

XiHu LongJing 西湖龙井, Westlake Imperial Dragon Well is the best green tea, bar none. Extremely expensive for the mingqian 明前 version but there are cheaper versions that are harvested later in the season. Like good white wine, you could taste the forest in a cup of good LongJing.

High Mountian Green Oolong 高山青乌龙 is also an excellent green/olong tea, again could be expensive, but you get what you pay.

Could be found at ImperialTea.com

cantdrv55 · 11-22-2009, 05:47 PM

If I can't find anything I like at SF Chinatown, I'll check out Imperialtea.com. Thanks for the link.

I don't think I'm up for tea that tastes like piss.

Zef · Zef's Garage

Maeda-en Sen-Cha is my cup of tea.

alf · 11-23-2009, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

If I can't find anything I like at SF Chinatown, I'll check out Imperialtea.com. Thanks for the link.

I don't think I'm up for tea that tastes like piss.

Imperial Tea is in SF. They should have a tea bar and a good selection of tea. I learnt a lot about tea from their Seattle store which closed some time ago.

Ferry Building Teahouse
Ferry Building Market Place
1 Ferry Building Plaza, #27
San Francisco, CA 94111
415-544-9830

Monday - Friday 10am to 6pm
Saturday - 9am to 6:30pm
Sunday - 10:30am to 6pm

Customer Service and ordering -- 1 (800) 567-5898