Dear Mr. Prasad.

I don't normally respond to these posts replies myself, but I had the
unexpected luxury of a little free time this afternoon, so I figured
I'd take a stab. The Makaibari Silver tips first flush we are offering
is the last of that tea that has not already been purchased or sold
elsewhere. Take a stroll around the internet and try to find it and
you will see what we're talking about. Can you buy Makaibari FTGFOP1S
silver tips somewhere else? In addition, if you manage to find it, how
has it been stored? In a bag or some sort of "airtight" container?
And is it the tea they are actually claiming it to be? Many places
offering Darjeeling tea are reluctant to list the year of harvest, and
it is quite telling to say the least. Kasora will always list flush
years because they are important. And Kasora will always dispose of
tea that is past its freshness window, no matter the financial loss.
It is what our customers expect, and it is what they get.

Darjeeling teas are extremely delicate teas. They require storage in
airtight, inert gas environments, and after as little as six months
they have already lost much of their precious spirit. You quote prices
for a first flush 2005 tea that are low. As they should be for such an
old tea, most likely stored under inferior conditions.

We stand by the high quality of our teas, and we do understand that
they are out of the price range of many people. It is our experience
that there are serious tea lovers who are willing to pay for the
highest quality, and that is what they get with Kasora.

Thanks for your feedback,
S. Hudson Bedell
C.E.O Kasora Special Reserve Teas

Aloke Prasad wrote:
> To add as example:
>
> From kasora (http://www.kasora.com/servlet/Detail?no=11)
> Makaibari Silver Tips (FTGFOP1S) 2006 1st Flush
> 1 oz = $38
> ----------------------------------
> From Silvertips (http://silvertipstea.hostasaurus.com/)
> Organic Makaibari Estate 1st Flush 2006 FTGFOP1S - Fair Trade Certified
> 2 oz =$4.50
>
> Organic Makaibari Estate Silver Tips 2005 - Fair Trade Certified
> 2 oz = $15.75
>
> Yeah, 1t's 2005 and not 2006 .. but still the price for Silver Tips is 5x !!
> --
> Aloke
> ----
> to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com
>
> "TeaDave" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Thank you for your gracious introduction, appropriate vendor notices
> > are appreciated. The site seems nice enough, but a little low on
> > information, and the prices are waaay out of my range.
> >