I’m sure some will disagree with me, but it is hard to find a high quality japanese green in the U.S. Not that there aren’t any available, but they are available through very few vendors at prices that can be, sometimes, prohibitive. All that is perfectly understandable since Japan has a very high consumption of tea and most of what we get is the little bit that “escapes.”
The Yamamotoyama teas are quite good, what you’d call an everyday. Not that they’ll replace a high grade gyokuro, for instance, but you don’t necessarily drink a high grade gyokuro by the teapot on a daily basis due to cost.
This Genmaicha, in the loose form, is quite good, actually as good or better than other more expensive versions I’ve had from Adagio. A big plus is that it is locally available at many asian grocery stores and priced as an everyday tea.
I guess what I’m trying to say is this: I will gladly indulge in a cup of top grade tea as often as my budget permits, which is not every day. For the everyday pot the Yamamotoyama products are quite good at a fraction of the price other vendors sell VERY similar offerings.
