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I own a couple of yuzamashi but use them as pitchers, not for cooling water. The built in thermometer on my kettle eliminates the need. With Japanese greens being so temperamental, I would rather use precise temperature than trying to wing it.

@Victoria, thanks you just confirmed what I suspected. I think the 24 hour wait after opening is the key as I steep it right away with poor results.

I've noticed that whenever I open a new pouch of gaoshan, the first session with it is kind of lackluster. After a day or two, however, both the aromatics and flavor improve significantly. That led me to wonder if tea that comes in airtight packaging needs time to breathe and wake up before drinking...

Winter 2019 Fushoushan. Fresh and flowery though taste doesn’t quite live up to its price tag.

Very interesting. I didn’t expect to see Iran or Argentina up there and was surprised to see Japan slipping from the top 10. I know coffee has gained tremendous popularity in Japan in recent times. Wonder how much that has affected demand for tea in Japan.

I use Simplenote to jot down tasting notes as I’m drinking and then log the tea on Steepster. Even though it’s spam ridden and hasn’t been updated in years, I still find Steepster very useful as a database for maintaining my tea drinking history.

Question, what water to leaf ratio are you guys using with the stated time and temperature? I typically use about 0.5g per oz of water. I typically use 4g for about 100ml. This is what I used for the temperature tests above. Many would use more leaf than that, in which case the temperature drop due...

Question, what water to leaf ratio are you guys using with the stated time and temperature? I typically use about 0.5g per oz of water.

nasalfrog the one I just had was the winter harvest. I do have a pouch of spring picked Shibi that I haven’t opened yet. In general, spring high mountain tea and baozhong seem fuller, complex, and more viscous. Winter tea has a clearer flavor and more nectar sweetness though it may not give as many...

@Baisao I don't think I want to try my hand at home roasting either. Excessive humidity isn't really an issue for me here in the upper Midwest so doesn't seem to be any reason to attempt it.

Iced Shibi high mountain oolong. The best gaoshan in TTC's lineup in my humble opinion. Good to know if I start finding some of their others underwhelming. I just finished a sample of that and found it very enjoyable. I’m new to TTC and have very little experience with Taiwanese tea in general. Shi...

Iced Shibi high mountain oolong. The best gaoshan in TTC's lineup in my humble opinion.

Baisao thanks, this is good information. I'll be sure to check out the two that you recommended. I wish vendors would offer more aged yancha than the newest harvests which aren't ready for drinking right away. Careful what you wish for... you pay a heavy surplus for aged tea! Better and more econom...

@Baisao thanks, this is good information. I'll be sure to check out the two that you recommended. I wish vendors would offer more aged yancha than the newest harvests which aren't ready for drinking right away.

I notice pour time affects the flavor of sencha in a couple of situations. One is when I'm pouring back and forth between cups instead of directly into a pitcher or single teacup. Although serving tea in this manner is fun, it naturally prolongs the pour thus bringing out more bitterness. Another i...