I have purchased this a number of times, and the quality varies from year to year. This 2018 batch is not the best, but it is still a pleasant green tea, with a light vegetal flavor. The price has steadily increased over the years.

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Comments:

Alex Zorach wrote: on April 13th, 2018

I tend to like bancha, but the price on this does seem a bit high, especially given that Upton tends to have unbeatable prices on lower-grade Chinese green teas.

Have you ever seen Hime bancha for sale? It's much cheaper than this one; I can't say what I'd say of Upton's bancha without trying it, but Hime's bancha is less than half the price and it's quite decent. I have noticed though that even it went up in price considerably. I'm not sure what is responsible for the increases in price, but I've noticed a similar trend.

Trailesque wrote: on April 18th, 2018

Thanks for your comments, Alex. I remember a few years back Japanese tea prices went up following the tsunami & nuclear reactor disaster. And I have noticed Chinese tea prices inching steadily upward in recent years. This could be because of the rising value of the Chinese currency, but that is only a guess.

Alex Zorach wrote: on April 18th, 2018

I don't know? Either way, tea, even good tea, still seems a very affordable luxury!

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