2009 Tea Harvests - Looking forward to what teas?

[Richard Kilgore]

The spring tea harvest season is upon us in tea regions around the world. What teas are you looking forward to drinking this year? Are they your old standbys or are you exploring new ones?

[Richard Kilgore]

I'll kick this off with some of my wishes.

I would like to try more Japanese teas this year, although I have had a little bit of most types grown there. I have accumulated Matcha tea-things, so a tin of high quality Matcha tops my list. Plus sincha, sencha and gyokuro.

From India, more Nilgiri. I hope there is another Nilgiri handmade out there this year that is as good as last year's. And then a couple of Darjeelings of differing character.

China. I am more interested in Oolongs than any other category, but I'll be watching for what's available in green teas.

While I'll be ordering some from US based suppliers, I'll also order some direct from Japan, India and China. I have ordered from China in the past and it has allowed me to sample teas that I can not source here. It's a long wait with some risk, but an interesting way to explore.

I'll post more specifically as we have a chance to tell what the various harvests have to offer.

How about you all? What are you looking forward to this year?

[Naftal]

Hello- I am looking forward to more high quality lapsang souchong.My local tea-house ran out of it early in the year .And there will be none until the current harvest is processed.

Edited April 19, 2009 by Naftal (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

I have a 2009 sheng pu-erh and some loose leaf Mao Cha from Norbutea.com on order, as well as some Taiwanese Oolongs. Already got in an organic sencha from Yuuki-cha.com and several red teas and Oolongs from jingteashop.com. Mixed reports on the 2009 Darjeeling crop so I'm going to wait until the situation becomes clearer.

Any 2009 harvest teas you all are ordering or already drinking?

[Richard Kilgore]

I have in three spring 2009 harvest teas from Norbutea.com - first a Tie Guan Yin Diamond Grade from Anxi County, Fujian Province, China; second, Huang Jin Gui Oolong, also from Anxi; and third, a single bud Bi Luo Chun green tea from Simao County, Yunnan. I'll post at least a brief review of these in the Oolong topic and the Green Tea topic after a brewing session or two with each. I really like tgys; the other two are more exploratory.