Gyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green Tea vs Shizuoka First-Flush Sencha

Shade-grown against sun-grown, and what three weeks under cover does to a leaf.

Gyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green TeaShizuoka First-Flush Sencha

Measured comparison of Gyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green Tea and Shizuoka First-Flush Sencha
	Gyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green Tea	Shizuoka First-Flush Sencha
Caffeine	85 mg	30 mg
Serving	3 oz (90ml) small bowl	8 oz cup
Strength (per 100 ml)	94.4 mg	12.7 mg
Acidity	Low	Low
Category	Green	Green
Origin	Uji, Kyoto, Japan	Shizuoka, Japan
Best for	Teapot & mug	Teapot & mug
Water	50°C	75°C
With milk	Either way	Either way
Tastes of	Rich Umami Seaweed, Lush Pine Forest, Dewy Melon	Fresh Cut Grass, Edamame, Ocean Breeze

Which one, for what

Worked out from the two records above rather than asserted, so nothing here can contradict the table.

A hard morning startGyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green Tea
Gyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green Tea carries 85 mg against 30 mg.
Drinking it after sixShizuoka First-Flush Sencha
Lower caffeine wins here, and at a five-hour half-life the gap matters more than it looks.
A sensitive stomachToo close to call
Gyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green Tea is low acidity; Shizuoka First-Flush Sencha is low. Acidity is only part of why a drink provokes reflux, but it is the part you can choose.
Taking it with milkToo close to call
Gyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green Tea: either way. Shizuoka First-Flush Sencha: either way.
Something to sit and pay attention toGyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green Tea
Gyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green Tea scores higher on aroma, and much of the pleasure in these drinks is retronasal.
Making it without special equipmentToo close to call
Gyokuro Imperial Shade-Grown Green Tea wants teapot & mug; Shizuoka First-Flush Sencha wants teapot & mug.

sweetnessGreen Tea noticeably higher

acidityFirst-Flush Sencha noticeably higher

bitternessmuch the same

bodyGreen Tea noticeably higher

aromaGreen Tea noticeably higher

Comparative editorial positions within this catalogue, calibrated so entries can be ranked against one another. Not laboratory measurements.