A website vendor is getting his tea delivered by the same commercial
packaging you see on the shelves. I'll rank my choice of desired
packaging:

1. Nitrogen packs
2. Tins with aluminum seals
3. Paper with aluminum foil
4. Paper with cellophane
5. You won't see ziploc bags from a web vendor

A rupture is a rupture no matter the product. I think the big drawback
to vendors on the web is unknown storage. You can tell us the
commercial product that doesn't match your friend's estate and grade.
Commercial products are generally blends for a consistent specific
taste at a given price point. Estate teas are geographical and
seasonal with variation in taste and price. If I order popular estate
teas like Margaret's Hope from India, Lover's Leap from Ceylon, or
Milima from Kenya there's no guarantee they'll taste the same from
different vendors. You should be able to A/B the same estate tea from
the same vendor just like any commercial brand. I touched a couple of
bases here because I wasn't sure of your point. Don't doubt your
existence because you find something of the same you like better than
before.

Jim

STJones wrote:
> I have my own opinion about the difference and would request other tea
> lovers to share the idea.
>
> No offence with big tea companies, but I have repented in the past for
> buying teas in caddies etc. One day it so happened that the loose tea
> which my friend sent was of the same grade as that of the caddy that I
> had bought (I won't mention the garden name or the tea caddy company) -
> yes it was from the same garden and grade too was the same, but guess
> what, the loose tea which my friend had sent was fresh and of superior
> quality. It was "the tea" for me and I had to temporarily push the
> caddy aside. I don't know what had actually gone into the caddy and for
> how long had it been there.
>
> Well there always requires an excuse for doubt and you start doubting
> your whole life unless convinced - thats what happened to me.