Shincha 2020, "the Year of COVID-19"

[S_B]

I "finally" received my order of Shincha from Thes Du Japon. Sent via EMS on May 12, received here in Canada on June 25. I feel exhausted for this tea. In hindsight I should have sent via a faster service, but I had luck on my previous order so figured I would take my chances. After letting the tea rest for a day on a table, it's now tucked away in the tea fridge to chill for a while

Let me know how the tea is for you.

I'm not sure if it is the months of travel (or being stuck somewhere), or the tea being in a warm mailbox for 3-4 hours (I've since moved and my SO didn't grab it when it delivered) and the first tea I've tried after resting a day and opening (I've fridged the others) was bitter and fragranceless. The tea I tried was Mariko Kondo-wase cultivar. I've never had this tea before admittedly, but I can't imagine it was intended to taste like this...hoping your experience does not mirror mine!

[LuckyMe]

My shincha (and other Japanese tea) from Yuuki-Cha arrived from DHL in less than a week. Ended up getting almost a kilo of tea to last me at least through the year. Shipping was $20 which was a lot less than what I was initially quoted. Picked up the following teas:

Shincha
Kagoshima Sencha Shimofuri Masashige
Ureshino Sencha (Tamaryokucha)
Kirishima Asatsuyu Sencha
Miyazaki Kamairicha Okumidori

Matcha
Yame Matcha
Powdered Kamairicha

Other
Sencha Genmaicha
Kagoshima Hojicha


So far I’ve sampled the Shimofuri and Kirishima Asatsuyu senchas. The latter is good but not as impressive as in previous years. The Shimofuri is nice once you get the steeping right. It’s got a nice citrusy/grapefruit like flavor.

The Yame matcha is creamy and makes a delicious matcha latte. A few pics below:

[Noonie]

My shincha (and other Japanese tea) from Yuuki-Cha arrived from DHL in less than a week. Ended up getting almost a kilo of tea to last me at least through the year. Shipping was $20 which was a lot less than what I was initially quoted. Picked up the following teas:

Shincha
Kagoshima Sencha Shimofuri Masashige
Ureshino Sencha (Tamaryokucha)
Kirishima Asatsuyu Sencha
Miyazaki Kamairicha Okumidori

Matcha
Yame Matcha
Powdered Kamairicha

Other
Sencha Genmaicha
Kagoshima Hojicha


So far I’ve sampled the Shimofuri and Kirishima Asatsuyu senchas. The latter is good but not as impressive as in previous years. The Shimofuri is nice once you get the steeping right. It’s got a nice citrusy/grapefruit like flavor.

The Yame matcha is creamy and makes a delicious matcha latte. A few pics below:

DHL option is great. I just did that for the second time in 2 months from Yunnan Sourcing US.

How did your late night session go...were you sleepy enough to go to bed at a reasonable hour, or did it keep you up late?

[LuckyMe]

@Noonie, I managed a few winks as I underleafed and split the tea with my better half. Smaller teaware also helps when you want a late night fix and still need to sleep at night. My 50ml shibo is really good for this but ironically it struggles with Japanese tea. Go figure. Need a metal or sasame strainer to catch those fine particles.

[Chingwa]

DHL option is great.

I just tried the DHL option at Thes Du Japon... $40 shipping for a $120 order.
Nope. I can't do that no matter how much I love their tea. TDJ I will be here waiting for you once things get back to normal.

[LuckyMe]

DHL option is great.

I just tried the DHL option at Thes Du Japon... $40 shipping for a $120 order.
Nope. I can't do that no matter how much I love their tea. TDJ I will be here waiting for you once things get back to normal.

That does seem rather pricey. DHL shipping cost half that amount for my $100 Yuuki-Cha order.

Yunomi is $20-$30 for US orders.