S. Chancellor wrote:
> Just keep in mind I'm very much a novice.

Not a problem, believe me I've spent way more on other teas that were
trash... so I'm not holding you accountable. "Novice" or not - tea is
tea, and just like wine I can respect a "novice" opinion much more than
a so-called "expert." Over time you will really just further explore
teas that interest you personally, you will gain technique, water
temps., brewing times, and even respect for tea... taste will always
remain subjective.

If they had shipped you 2lbs. of lawn clippings or tea dust, then I
would be wary... but it seems like they are a reputable company and
ship a decent product at a good price. Nothing novice about that

> You're probably right. It seems that a lot of decaffeinated teas are
> implicitly Sencha. The tea also isn't 'black' i didn't mean to imply
> that. It doesn't taste like black tea either. It's very dark though,
> darker than the cheap gunpowder I bought. It is almost the color that
> my lipton tea bags make if they're not left in the water too long.

I did read up on the CO2 process and green teas, and from what I have
found *nothing* accounts for the darker brew you are getting. It is
true that most green teas don't produce a green color, but a weak
brown... but sencha generally makes a green brew. The color may be OK,
so I wouldn't worry too much about that. From what I found the CO2
process is actually very simple and does not affect the taste of the
tea much or any other quality for that matter except binding the
caffiene.

How did it taste? Earthy/grassy/fishy or more like Chinese Restaurant
tea?