Any good Aussie websites/vendors?

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Twistedoolong6
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:01 pm
Location: Australia

Fri Aug 19, 2022 1:45 am

As the title suggests, I am in Australia, and most of the websites I’ve found are based overseas and don’t really want to pay the exorbitant shipping prices. (Sometimes 50 usd)

So, does anyone have suggestions for good quality Australian based sites or perhaps any sites that have low shipping costs to Australia.
Andrew S
Posts: 704
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:53 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Fri Aug 19, 2022 3:21 am

Nice to see another Australian around here; I thought that Pants404 and I were the only ones...

My short answer is, no, nothing within Australia so far as I'm aware, but it's been a very long time since I've looked.

My longer answer is that it depends what stage of your tea journey you're at, and what you'd prefer.

There are some overseas vendors who offer free shipping for an order over $X (eg, Tillerman Tea who is a member here, Essence of Tea, Thés du Japon, and no doubt various others, but that depends upon how big an order you're happy to place). Others might offer flat rates (eg, it looks like Jing Tea Shop offers a flat US$7.90 shipping charge, and again, no doubt various others). .

However, if you are at the stage where you don't have specific preferences regarding regions or styles, and you're not sure where to start, then you might enjoy going to a physical shop to try some out.

It's been a very long time since I bought any tea locally, but at the start of my journey I did try some things from places like The Tea Centre and a tea shop in Sydney's Chinatown which may or may not exist anymore, but helped to introduce me to Taiwanese high mountain tea. There are probably some others around.

The quality of what you can get locally within any given price bracket can't compare to what you can get from overseas, but I think that bricks and mortar shops still have their place, especially when people are starting out, and especially if people don't expect them to be capable of providing the same value or quality as something closer to the source.

Just don't necessarily believe everything you're told by such shops; they're usually aiming to be a jack of all trades and master of none, at best, and the world of tea can be as complex as any other. But that's just my view.

Andrew
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Iizuki
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2020 12:23 am

Fri Aug 19, 2022 3:32 am

Not an Aussie but Kuura is a White2Tea style vendor down there. Mainly fresh puer.

Would like to try them myself if they weren't so far away.. :D

Fun fact: Kuura means morning frost in Finnish.
Twistedoolong6
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:01 pm
Location: Australia

Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:26 am

Iizuki wrote:
Fri Aug 19, 2022 3:32 am
Not an Aussie but Kuura is a White2Tea style vendor down there. Mainly fresh puer.

Would like to try them myself if they weren't so far away.. :D

Fun fact: Kuura means morning frost in Finnish.
I’m giving them a go, they have tiny samplers so I’ll see how I fare with their puer teas.

I did happen across another au based site called “heychina “ they seem to at least list origin and have a fairly broad section of Chinese greens so might order a few samples from there too.
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Pants404
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Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:16 pm
Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:36 am

I can second Kuura. I really enjoy a lot of there offerings, even if they can be a bit pricey for what they are.
If you drink young sheng I can send you a cake of their "quantitative unease" huangpian which I paid a dollar for with a large order in 2020. I can also see if I have any samples of theirs that I haven't touched.
If you would like to please pm me.

I just had a look at "Hey china", which I hadn't seen before. Their products look decent enough and may be worth trying out, but they almost look like a one-stop shop and I worry their quality may be a bit lacking. I'm more than happy to be proven wrong there.
Kuura, on the other hand, I know does travel to China and sources the material for all of his products. This also explains why they haven't released much new stuff since 2020.

Also white2tea is currently offering free international shipping with code BACK2SCHOOL this weekend
Andrew S
Posts: 704
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:53 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Fri Aug 19, 2022 5:59 pm

I've now learnt about two Australian tea shops that I didn't know about; thank you.

Both stores seem to price their teas at the 'premium' end. Not having tried them, I can't speak to their quality. If you do try them it'll be interesting to hear what you think.

But a historical search in respect of the ABN listed in Hey China's (rather onerous) terms and conditions is... interesting: https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/ ... 8430116365

Of course, that's not to say that they didn't buy the business from a previous owner who specialised in different products, or that they haven't transitioned to tea after dabbling in those other products for a year...

Andrew
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Pants404
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Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Fri Aug 19, 2022 6:58 pm

That was an enlightening read. I don't think I'll be in a hurry to try their (potentially honest and well sourced) products.

@Andrew S have you tried teas from kuura? If not, Are their products something you may like? I'll extend the same offer of a cake to you if you would like.
Andrew S
Posts: 704
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:53 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:02 pm

@Pants404: I'm grateful for the offer, but no, unfortunately young puer is pretty much the only tea that I don't drink.

As to that little nugget about Hey China, my instinctive impression is that we can probably file it under 'The importance of doing due diligence; or, how buying a $2 company can end up costing you more'.

Andrew
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Pants404
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:16 pm
Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Fri Aug 19, 2022 8:17 pm

I do find it funny how how a once undrinkable tea has become such a trendy variety that all the cool kids seem to be all over.
I'll admit that I have been through a fair bit of the stuff to try and see where the hype is, and have managed to find some (a couple of the higher end offerings from kuura) that are reminiscent of their aged counterparts, and barely like the more common harsh young sheng.
I'm sure I have just fallen for the hype but now I enjoy some of it. All my young stuff is in a mildly warmed fridge so hopefully something comes of it some day.

Enjoy the weekend mate.
Twistedoolong6
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:01 pm
Location: Australia

Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:02 pm

So, I’ve decided to try samples from both sites, I will post an update when they come in the mail, still trying to determine what types of teas I’m into as of yet but excited to try many different options.
Twistedoolong6
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:01 pm
Location: Australia

Tue Aug 23, 2022 2:26 am

Ok so, a bit of an update, I purchased a 2016 golden bud ripe puer.

My thoughts are as follows:
I really cannot judge the quality as of yet, this tea I am definitely not a fan of, the taste is very earthy, wooden flavour which really is not for me, I don’t mind roasted tones but this one is very intense, a bit too much for me.

I will say it is extremely smooth and mellow however unfortunately the taste isn’t for me.

I’m going to try my other sample pack of sparrow tongue and give my tbh oughts on that shortly.
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Turin611
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Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2022 11:12 am
Location: Australia

Mon Nov 21, 2022 11:30 am

Hi new user here based in Australia. I know the struggle of the shipping costs.
You should check out Tea Angle and ValleyGreenTea (both based in Sydney).
I’ve had a really nice dancong from Tea Angle and a great Keemun from ValleyGreenTea.
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