Hojo Tea

[Sunyata]

Didn't expect the shipping to be that high to the US, since the shipping I pay for when I order from the main japanese store is roughly the same as from Malaysia. I dont recall it being more than $30.

Anyway, I've had many Hojo teas and most are way way better than what most vendors can offer, especially Dancong. The only type of tea which didn't impress me is his sheng puerh offerings.

That's interesting. If I'm remembering correctly, I tried to order from Hojo during and just after the pandemic when the only options were courier and EMS. What shipping method did you use? I might ask him if other shipping methods are available now. However, I just spent a small fortune on gaoshan, baozhong, and teaware, so that may have to wait a while...

EMS. And it arrived in 1 week time so that was pretty impressive. It could be that US customs are way more stringent than in Singapore, especially for chinese teas. Speaking of taiwanese teas, HOJO has a Tian Chi Lishan tea. Ive compared that to teamasters DYL and its much better, imo.

[teatray]

Speaking of taiwanese teas, HOJO has a Tian Chi Lishan tea. Ive compared that to teamasters DYL and its much better, imo.

Thanks for sharing. I should put another Hojo order sometime soon. I tried his Li Shan once (non-Tian Chi, described as "flagship" but cheaper) and it was somewhere in the middle between the best DYL and the worst DYL I've gotten from T-M over a few years (at much higher prices), but this doesn't mean that much since I may have tried Hojo's at its best or at its worst. I guess I'll shell out for the Tian Chi as well this time. I found his Ali Shan (claimed 1500-1600m) also superb (the very best I've had) one year, and not so great on another.

[GaoShan]

I just splurged on an order from Hojo. I got a few Dancongs, two lapsangs, two white teas, and lots of gaoshan, including the Lishan Tian Chi. Small parcel shipping was $20. I didn't get any teapots this time. It's incredible that I was able to ship a pound of tea from Japan to Canada for that price, while it would have cost me about $40 to ship 50 g of Fushoushan from the States. I was also looking at Té Company for gaoshan, but they don't ship to Canada at all.

[Sunyata]

I just splurged on an order from Hojo. I got a few Dancongs, two lapsangs, two white teas, and lots of gaoshan, including the Lishan Tian Chi. Small parcel shipping was $20. I didn't get any teapots this time. It's incredible that I was able to ship a pound of tea from Japan to Canada for that price, while it would have cost me about $40 to ship 50 g of Fushoushan from the States. I was also looking at Té Company for gaoshan, but they don't ship to Canada at all.

Took you so long, but once u've tried good Hojo, you will probably ditch most of your favorite vendors (it did put alot to shame). I've tried so many of Hojo offerings over the past 3 years, that I can probably tell you which ones are my favorite:

White Tea: Bai Ying Shan 2017, Da Xue Shan loose 2023,2024
Green Tea: Bi luo chun 2024
Taiwan oolong: Tian Chi Lishan, Lishan, Cui Feng
Dancong: Laocong Ba Xian 2020, Dong Fang Hong 2022, Shi Hua Xiang 2022(?), You Hua Xiang 2022(?)
Red Tea: Zhenshan Xiaozhong Qizhong (i don't think u will find a better red tea than this)

[GaoShan]

I just splurged on an order from Hojo. I got a few Dancongs, two lapsangs, two white teas, and lots of gaoshan, including the Lishan Tian Chi. Small parcel shipping was $20. I didn't get any teapots this time. It's incredible that I was able to ship a pound of tea from Japan to Canada for that price, while it would have cost me about $40 to ship 50 g of Fushoushan from the States. I was also looking at Té Company for gaoshan, but they don't ship to Canada at all.

Took you so long, but once u've tried good Hojo, you will probably ditch most of your favorite vendors (it did put alot to shame). I've tried so many of Hojo offerings over the past 3 years, that I can probably tell you which ones are my favorite:

White Tea: Bai Ying Shan 2017, Da Xue Shan loose 2023,2024
Green Tea: Bi luo chun 2024
Taiwan oolong: Tian Chi Lishan, Lishan, Cui Feng
Dancong: Laocong Ba Xian 2020, Dong Fang Hong 2022, Shi Hua Xiang 2022(?), You Hua Xiang 2022(?)
Red Tea: Zhenshan Xiaozhong Qizhong (i don't think u will find a better red tea than this)

Yes, it did take me quite a while, but this order put a significant dent in Hojo's inventory, as well as in my wallet. I didn't buy any green teas this time, but thanks for the note about the BLC. Have you had the First Pluck Bi Luo Chun from Seven Cups? If Hojo's matches that tea in quality, I may need to check it out. That First Pluck BLC was among the best teas I had in 2024, which was a year of not very exciting teas for me.

I got all the Taiwanese teas you mentioned, as well as the Lapsang Souchong Qi Zhong and 2023 Da Xue Shan White. For Dancongs, I asked him to give me a selection based on my preference for floral and fruity teas and he picked Mi Lan Xiang No. 1, Ya Shi Xiang 2022, Xiong Di Zai 2021, and Jiang Hua Xiang 2022. If I don't enjoy these top shelf Dancongs, I think I'll pause my exploration of this tea type for the foreseeable future. I also got the Ancient Tree White that @teatray recommended so highly a while ago, along with a Yunnan Wild Black, Mi Xiang Li Shan, Mi Xiang Dong Ding, and two Bai Hao.

[Sunyata]

I just splurged on an order from Hojo. I got a few Dancongs, two lapsangs, two white teas, and lots of gaoshan, including the Lishan Tian Chi. Small parcel shipping was $20. I didn't get any teapots this time. It's incredible that I was able to ship a pound of tea from Japan to Canada for that price, while it would have cost me about $40 to ship 50 g of Fushoushan from the States. I was also looking at Té Company for gaoshan, but they don't ship to Canada at all.

Took you so long, but once u've tried good Hojo, you will probably ditch most of your favorite vendors (it did put alot to shame). I've tried so many of Hojo offerings over the past 3 years, that I can probably tell you which ones are my favorite:

White Tea: Bai Ying Shan 2017, Da Xue Shan loose 2023,2024
Green Tea: Bi luo chun 2024
Taiwan oolong: Tian Chi Lishan, Lishan, Cui Feng
Dancong: Laocong Ba Xian 2020, Dong Fang Hong 2022, Shi Hua Xiang 2022(?), You Hua Xiang 2022(?)
Red Tea: Zhenshan Xiaozhong Qizhong (i don't think u will find a better red tea than this)

Yes, it did take me quite a while, but this order put a significant dent in Hojo's inventory, as well as in my wallet. I didn't buy any green teas this time, but thanks for the note about the BLC. Have you had the First Pluck Bi Luo Chun from Seven Cups? If Hojo's matches that tea in quality, I may need to check it out. That First Pluck BLC was among the best teas I had in 2024, which was a year of not very exciting teas for me.

I got all the Taiwanese teas you mentioned, as well as the Lapsang Souchong Qi Zhong and 2023 Da Xue Shan White. For Dancongs, I asked him to give me a selection based on my preference for floral and fruity teas and he picked Mi Lan Xiang No. 1, Ya Shi Xiang 2022, Xiong Di Zai 2021, and Jiang Hua Xiang 2022. If I don't enjoy these top shelf Dancongs, I think I'll pause my exploration of this tea type for the foreseeable future. I also got the Ancient Tree White that teatray recommended so highly a while ago, along with a Yunnan Wild Black, Mi Xiang Li Shan, Mi Xiang Dong Ding, and two Bai Hao.

Nope, I did not. Personally I'm no expert in greens so probably I won't recommend as the price-quality ratio is not justified for good green tea. But just in case you are curious, I do find HOJO teas with the exception of his puerh, to be benchmark level.

For dancong, those are quite representative of his style. His Laocong Song Zhong 2019 was also really good, but its expensive and next level.

As an aside, there's this very (in)famous vendor who so-called specializes in dancong, more expensive yet worse than even the average priced Hojo dancong. How do I know? Well, simple side-by-side tasting.. Even her ridiculously priced sheng pu is quite atrocious. Goes to show, without enough exposure to what's available out there, unscrupulous vendors can market their (lousy) product as veblen goods.

[GaoShan]

As an aside, there's this very (in)famous vendor who so-called specializes in dancong, more expensive yet worse than even the average priced Hojo dancong. How do I know? Well, simple side-by-side tasting.. Even her ridiculously priced sheng pu is quite atrocious. Goes to show, without enough exposure to what's available out there, unscrupulous vendors can market their (lousy) product as veblen goods.

Interesting that you were able to do a side-by-side comparison! I've waffled on ordering from that (in)famous vendor, but the prices were just too high. I don't know if I like Dancong enough to justify a big order. I have 60 g from Hojo on the way, and if I like most of it, I might find a way to do a comparison of my own. I have a feeling that most Dancong is too roasted for my palate. I need to figure out whether I dislike all roasted Dancongs or just lower-quality ones. I've really enjoyed the Mi Lan Xiang from Wuyi Origin, but have been less thrilled by their other Dancongs, which other people have liked.

[Sunyata]

As an aside, there's this very (in)famous vendor who so-called specializes in dancong, more expensive yet worse than even the average priced Hojo dancong. How do I know? Well, simple side-by-side tasting.. Even her ridiculously priced sheng pu is quite atrocious. Goes to show, without enough exposure to what's available out there, unscrupulous vendors can market their (lousy) product as veblen goods.

Interesting that you were able to do a side-by-side comparison! I've waffled on ordering from that (in)famous vendor, but the prices were just too high. I don't know if I like Dancong enough to justify a big order. I have 60 g from Hojo on the way, and if I like most of it, I might find a way to do a comparison of my own. I have a feeling that most Dancong is too roasted for my palate. I need to figure out whether I dislike all roasted Dancongs or just lower-quality ones. I've really enjoyed the Mi Lan Xiang from Wuyi Origin, but have been less thrilled by their other Dancongs, which other people have liked.

Better not, unless u want to waste a ton of money on tuition fees - and what's worse the tuition tea (at least the shengpu) saw the bin after 2-3 steeps.

I think the lower grade dancongs are not able to integrate with the roast, hence they feel more "roasted". The better ones should feel like the roast is more integrated in taste, and even if u are adverse to the taste of roast, u will feel like it complement the tea instead. Same goes for yancha, which med-high roast is usually better (there is such a thing as over-roast, though).

It's like wine where the purist in me wants to taste the grape and terroir, but most of the really good wines see some form of oak treatment (extended oak maturation) and the oaky flavors should be there to complement the wine rather than be the focus.

[GaoShan]

As an aside, there's this very (in)famous vendor who so-called specializes in dancong, more expensive yet worse than even the average priced Hojo dancong. How do I know? Well, simple side-by-side tasting.. Even her ridiculously priced sheng pu is quite atrocious. Goes to show, without enough exposure to what's available out there, unscrupulous vendors can market their (lousy) product as veblen goods.

Interesting that you were able to do a side-by-side comparison! I've waffled on ordering from that (in)famous vendor, but the prices were just too high. I don't know if I like Dancong enough to justify a big order. I have 60 g from Hojo on the way, and if I like most of it, I might find a way to do a comparison of my own. I have a feeling that most Dancong is too roasted for my palate. I need to figure out whether I dislike all roasted Dancongs or just lower-quality ones. I've really enjoyed the Mi Lan Xiang from Wuyi Origin, but have been less thrilled by their other Dancongs, which other people have liked.

Better not, unless u want to waste a ton of money on tuition fees - and what's worse the tuition tea (at least the shengpu) saw the bin after 2-3 steeps.

I think the lower grade dancongs are not able to integrate with the roast, hence they feel more "roasted". The better ones should feel like the roast is more integrated in taste, and even if u are adverse to the taste of roast, u will feel like it complement the tea instead. Same goes for yancha, which med-high roast is usually better (there is such a thing as over-roast, though).

It's like wine where the purist in me wants to taste the grape and terroir, but most of the really good wines see some form of oak treatment (extended oak maturation) and the oaky flavors should be there to complement the wine rather than be the focus.

That sheng must have been pretty bad! As someone who doesn't drink much puerh, it seems like a specialist's game. I'm actually surprised that Hojo can source so many types of tea at a level that gets him recommended on this forum.

You're right that higher quality teas integrate the roast better than lower quality ones. (I have less experience with wine, but the few good ones I've enjoyed have a touch of oak while the bad ones taste like they've been marinated in oak chips.) I can't speak for yancha, but this is true with the very few roasted Taiwanese teas I've liked. I seem to be very picky when it comes to roasted tea, to the point that I've almost stopped ordering it because I'm disappointed so often. I ordered the Dancongs, a Mi Xiang Dong Ding, and a couple roasted Anxi Tie Guan Yins from Hojo, and if I don't enjoy them, it will be another indication that for me, roasted teas aren't worth chasing. I love exploring different tea types, but my palate seems to be programmed to appreciate gaoshan and hongcha with a few forrays into white and green tea.

[Sunyata]

Interesting that you were able to do a side-by-side comparison! I've waffled on ordering from that (in)famous vendor, but the prices were just too high. I don't know if I like Dancong enough to justify a big order. I have 60 g from Hojo on the way, and if I like most of it, I might find a way to do a comparison of my own. I have a feeling that most Dancong is too roasted for my palate. I need to figure out whether I dislike all roasted Dancongs or just lower-quality ones. I've really enjoyed the Mi Lan Xiang from Wuyi Origin, but have been less thrilled by their other Dancongs, which other people have liked.

Better not, unless u want to waste a ton of money on tuition fees - and what's worse the tuition tea (at least the shengpu) saw the bin after 2-3 steeps.

I think the lower grade dancongs are not able to integrate with the roast, hence they feel more "roasted". The better ones should feel like the roast is more integrated in taste, and even if u are adverse to the taste of roast, u will feel like it complement the tea instead. Same goes for yancha, which med-high roast is usually better (there is such a thing as over-roast, though).

It's like wine where the purist in me wants to taste the grape and terroir, but most of the really good wines see some form of oak treatment (extended oak maturation) and the oaky flavors should be there to complement the wine rather than be the focus.

That sheng must have been pretty bad! As someone who doesn't drink much puerh, it seems like a specialist's game. I'm actually surprised that Hojo can source so many types of tea at a level that gets him recommended on this forum.

You're right that higher quality teas integrate the roast better than lower quality ones. (I have less experience with wine, but the few good ones I've enjoyed have a touch of oak while the bad ones taste like they've been marinated in oak chips.) I can't speak for yancha, but this is true with the very few roasted Taiwanese teas I've liked. I seem to be very picky when it comes to roasted tea, to the point that I've almost stopped ordering it because I'm disappointed so often. I ordered the Dancongs, a Mi Xiang Dong Ding, and a couple roasted Anxi Tie Guan Yins from Hojo, and if I don't enjoy them, it will be another indication that for me, roasted teas aren't worth chasing. I love exploring different tea types, but my palate seems to be programmed to appreciate gaoshan and hongcha with a few forrays into white and green tea.

Ive also more-or-less given up on finding top quality yancha recently because its exceedingly rare to find a batch that satisfies me. Due to overharvesting + demand for fragrance over mouthfeel, oolongs are becoming processed in this new modern style that is low fermentation and super aggressive in rolling/shaping to bruise the cell structure for release of flavor, which won't age well at all no matter the roasting. The last oolong which truly impressed me was a Shui jin gui 2022, which cost $3/g, and even if im willing to pay more now its already gone for good. What's remarkable is the same farmer's SJG for other years harvest was nowhere as good.. so the stars really have to align to give that singular batch its quality - i recall being able to get 12 strong brews out of it. No other dancong, tgy or taiwan oolong that ive tried can reach a fraction of that level. Hence I understand the sentiment well.. it's less about the roasting but the quality of the material itself - old tree translates to more "bones" and hence durability in tea soup. And there simply is very limited number of old tree even in zhengyan region. It's actually easier to find good puerh than yancha.

[GaoShan]

Ive also more-or-less given up on finding top quality yancha recently because its exceedingly rare to find a batch that satisfies me. Due to overharvesting + demand for fragrance over mouthfeel, oolongs are becoming processed in this new modern style that is low fermentation and super aggressive in rolling/shaping to bruise the cell structure for release of flavor, which won't age well at all no matter the roasting. The last oolong which truly impressed me was a Shui jin gui 2022, which cost $3/g, and even if im willing to pay more now its already gone for good. What's remarkable is the same farmer's SJG for other years harvest was nowhere as good.. so the stars really have to align to give that singular batch its quality - i recall being able to get 12 strong brews out of it. No other dancong, tgy or taiwan oolong that ive tried can reach a fraction of that level. Hence I understand the sentiment well.. it's less about the roasting but the quality of the material itself - old tree translates to more "bones" and hence durability in tea soup. And there simply is very limited number of old tree even in zhengyan region. It's actually easier to find good puerh than yancha.

I agree, the stars need to align to get exceptional tea. I'm not sure how important old tree material is in Taiwan, but good processing is key. I'm sure we could have a whole discussion on what factors influence quality. For gaoshan, elevation is important, though I've had high elevation teas that were just okay. I've had a few very good organic oolongs and some really terrible ones. Price does seem to correlate with quality, but not completely and not always. Over roasting or improper drying/oxidation (or whatever it is that produces those grassy oolongs) is something you only discover once the tea has been bought and paid for. In my opinion, good roasted teas shouldn't taste like charcoal.

I enjoy aroma-forward teas and am sceptical about cha qi and other intangible quality descriptors. However, higher quality teas do tend to have a nice mouthfeel and long aftertaste, as well as better longevity. It's amazing how many oolongs turn vegetal after the sixth steep or so. I'm not sure if this indicates lower quality or just means I should have shorter gongfu sessions.