Yes, I know this issue must come up regularly -- I'd welocme some
specific guidelines.

When I wander into any tea seller -- whether Teavana, the rare
specialty store, Tokyo airport in transit (plenty of quite interesting
items scattered around its mini-shops, Wegman's and so on or get
online, how do I get a sense of the freshness of the teas and when
does it matter most? I don't have the olfactory skills to tell just by
smelling and I can't always make a sound judgement on the look and
feel.

Any advice?

Plus, which teas does freshness most matter for buying? I avoid
purchasing Japanese teas like Gyokuro and while I love white teas, I
take a very cautious approach. I try to buy just a small sample and
race back if it's really good. That's not always possible. It's the
greens and tight rolled oolongs that I have most trouble with. I so
often pick up a nice looking and reasonably priced Iron Goddess or
Pouchong that somehow are just that little bit flat. Maybe it's the
processing or leaf quality but I can't tell.

Lastly, I keep away from Puerhs because I don't have a clue what to
look for when I am buying -- it's a liitle like Cuban cigars; I know
that they age well but if the store has let them dry out thay can be
aged but not fresh, if you know what I mean. Darjeelings are a real
joy and a disappointment. One of my favorites is Hanrutty but my
latest purchase is just a dud. I assume the freshness is the problem.
Is it? How would I tell?


There are a lot of people around like me who are well beyond being
newbies but not experts. I probably buy ten teas a month. About half
of them are ones I haven't tried before. So I am fairly savvy and my
friends tell me I'm an expert, which I'm definitely not and have no
ambitions to be. They are limited to teh green tea is good for you
school of microwaved tea bags and most have never tried a loose leaf
tea of any knd so when I make them even a jasmine green it's a
revelation. It's a sorry commentary that they think that makes me an
expert! But I realy would love to be just a little bit more able to
make better selections among teas I know enjoy and be able to tell if
a new one is a good buy or a bad choice. The name isn't the issue
here. I know there are many great So, friendly help will be
appreciated.