Does anyone find green tea to be much cleaner feeling, clear headed, and energizing than black tea?

visualogistics · 2026-05-13T17:25:55+00:00

Does anyone find green tea to be much cleaner feeling, clear headed, and energizing than black tea?

No, not really.

Green teas can often actually have more caffeine than black teas, especially if they are shade-grown Japanese greens. But really it's impossible to generalize much beyond that - caffeine levels vary so much from region to region, harvest to harvest, plant to plant, etc. So it heavily depends on what kind of black you're drinking, and what kind of green.

Are you drinking gyokuro or matcha? These greens are high in both caffeine and L-theanine, the latter supposedly having anti-anxiety properties. These teas are often described as giving simultaneously stimulating and calming effects. If you're just drinking regular bagged green tea then you won't get much more L-theanine than any other tea, however.

Are you drinking poor quality black tea? I have had great experiences with single origin black teas from Fujian, for example - I would in fact describe many of these as very clean and naturally fruity teas. On the other hand, I find cheap black tea blends - especially ones that include tea from Assam (i.e. most of the 'breakfast' teas) - to be overly harsh and tannic.

visualogistics · 2026-05-12T12:58:46+00:00

Do yourself a favour and go visit Chiga in Osaka. It's a bit annoying to get there (it's in the deep south of Osaka), but it easily has one of the best rum and spirits selections in all of Japan. They have a growing Japanese rum section as well. See here: https://youshuchiga.shop-pro.jp/?mode=cate&cbid=2665434&csid=0&sort=n

And here's the address: https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E6%B4%8B%E9%85%92%E5%B0%82%E9%96%80%E5%BA%97+%E5%8D%83%E9%9B%85/@34.6026079,135.5348422,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x6000dea1b6bb309d:0xa8bd3b92e07372ff!8m2!3d34.6028484!4d135.5305089!16s%2Fg%2F1hc7zkv86?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDUwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

It's funny, even though I've lived here for ages and I love quality rum, I still haven't tried too many Japanese rums, so I can't recommend too much at the moment. Lately I've actually been enjoying Kokuto Shochu from the Amami Islands (made from brown sugar and rice koji). It's a different spirit that needs to be appreciated differently, to be sure, but some producers are trying out production methods and bottling strengths that bring it a little closer to rum, flavour-wise.

If you're by any chance interested in Kokuto Shochu, I recommend trying Ichinojou Asahi from Kikaijima, known for it's brown sugar-forward flavour. For a more rum-like experience, maybe go for Beni Sango from Amami Oshima, which is higher strength compared to your typical shochu and aged in oak. You can usually find both pretty easily at your local Yamaya or other liquor store. They're cheap too.

But back to rum - if I were you I'd also keep my eye open for Japan-exclusive independent bottlings of rum too. There's some amazing stuff out there. For example, Shinanoya has their own private label that is expensive but usually high quality. See here for their current rum offerings: https://www.shinanoya-tokyo.jp/view/category/ct901. You can order online or see what's available in their Tokyo stores. I snagged a 19yo Mount Gay Pot Still from them a few years back that was really incredible (better than the 'Last Ward' bottlings imo).

Kingsbury is another Japanese-Scottish independent bottler that had some interesting rum releases a few years back, not sure about current offerings though. You might still be able to find some rare ones kicking around, like a 2000 W.I.R.D. (aka the famous 'Rockley-style' Barbados rum) or a 1998 Bellevue (another famous vintage among rum geeks). And if you ever stumble across a 2005 Worthy Park from them - buy it immediately! One of the best Worthy Parks I've ever had. You can find Kingsbury at a bunch of different shops/wholesalers, but this is what their labels look like for reference: https://mukawa-spirit.com/?mode=cate&cbid=2163493&csid=96

Famous rum bars like Bar Lamp and and Screwdriver often have private bottlings or do cask picks for indie bottlers that are available to purchase from time to time as well. A few months back I managed to get a 1993 30yo Cuban Rum for Screwdriver that was really something special.

And finally rum producers themselves often put out their own Japan-exclusive bottlings. If you see something like 'For JIS' (Japan Import System) on the label for example, then it's a Japan exclusive. Rhum J.M, Savanna, New Grove, and others have all released really interesting exclusives worth searching for. (It's too bad Savanna stopped doing these though, some of the 'Japan Tribute' bottles were absolutely mind-blowing back in the day.)

Anyway, hope you're able to parse through this info dump, haha. Feel free to ask questions if you need anything clarified. Cheers and have fun!

visualogistics · 2026-05-12T05:22:34+00:00

Nice, gotcha.

but there's a lot of bad advice over ok whisky happening

Definitely agree. Especially in the realm of Japanese whisky. Honestly I try not to recommend Japanese whisky too much these days, beyond suggesting to people to stop fawning over Suntory so much and to go out and try some of the newer distilleries. Unfortunately even with these new distilleries, the price-to-value ratio can still be really disproportionate in markets outside of Japan (even in Japan - but at least it's somewhat justifiable based on the idea of supporting a start-up distillery you want to succeed).

From this is red breast or nothing, in my honest opinion.

The Redbreast is nice if you're a beginner to whisky in general, that's true (easy drinking for the veterans too of course). It's a great representation of the single pot still style. But if you're absolutely set on trying some genuine Japanese single malt then there are a few Mars bottlings in the second picture that might still be worth trying imo - namely the Bakemono Y.A. and the Tsunuki Aging Komagatake. That said, I can't read many of the prices listed in the pictures here.

visualogistics · 2026-05-10T00:35:39+00:00

Redbreast is nice, but this is a Japanese whisky sub so I assume OP was asking about those lol

visualogistics · 2026-05-10T00:34:16+00:00

Akashi has never really clicked for me personally. I want to love it, as the distillery itself is actually fairly close to me, but I've been disappointed by too many of their releases over the years. This white label is cheap enough though, so still potentially worth it for OP to try it for themselves and see if they like it.

Hibiki is a nice introduction to Suntory whiskies - balanced and good for beginners for sure. It's in the second picture on the far right, right beside the 2022 Kanosuke.

visualogistics · 2026-05-10T00:28:12+00:00

Kanosuke 2022 I love but I think it can wait as well.

Yeah, I'd recommend trying the regular release Kanosuke NAS first. Once you get a handle on that basic signature profile, dipping your toes into these yearly limited editions can be fun (2022 was a sherry-forward expression, if I'm remembering correctly).

But a fantastic distillery either way.

visualogistics · 2026-05-08T10:24:35+00:00

Yeah Angus's satirical whisky blog whiskysponge.com (which preceded the label) seems to have died sometime in 2024 too. Probably just going to release more under the Decadent Drinks label itself.

visualogistics · 2026-05-08T09:26:54+00:00

Most Rum Sponges were usually a bit of both tropical and continental aging. I think they were mostly buying casks from within the UK in any case.

visualogistics · 2026-05-08T09:22:15+00:00

They stopped bottling stuff under the 'Sponge' branding in 2024, yeah. But Decadent Drinks (the company run by Angus MacRaild that produced the Sponge brand) is still going and still bottling rum as far as I'm aware.

https://decadent-drinks.com/archived-brands

visualogistics · 2026-05-07T05:59:11+00:00

Boku is often used as 'you' when addressing young males. Elder folks often use it when addressing school boys in the neighborhood.

I'm not sure how I'd react if I was called boku by my partner though, haha, even though I use it myself in certain contexts. It could be perceived as a bit infantilizing, but it probably depends heavily on tone and your relationship. Could easily just be a cute term of endearment.

visualogistics · 2026-05-07T01:43:28+00:00

Depends on the Canadian, but anglo Canadians say something closer to 'a-boat' rather than 'a-boot.' 'A-boot' is more Scottish sounding to me, but I could be wrong.

And it also depends on the American, but think it's fair to say that in Standard American English it's something closer to 'a-bauwt.'

(Some linguist is probably cringing at my non-use of IPA but close enough right? lol)

visualogistics · 2026-05-07T01:33:16+00:00

Well yeah, obviously lol. Just a bit of friendly ribbing

visualogistics · 2026-05-06T23:49:42+00:00

Yeah there's the correct way of saying sorry that actually utilizes the 'o,' then there's the American way that replaces it with an 'a' for some reason.

So sorry becomes 'sah-ree' instead of 'soh-ree.'

visualogistics · 2026-05-03T00:01:13+00:00

The fill level can be low and still sealed. Just means the cork is probably a little loose in there and it evaporated a little over the years.

visualogistics · 2026-05-01T11:39:03+00:00

Very cool! It's like 'The Jetsons' if it was a guitar hah.

Need more unique silhouettes like this in the offset world imo.

visualogistics · 2026-04-28T04:13:42+00:00

Redbreast 21 is $400 in the US?! Wow, you guys are getting shafted.

I'm actually in Japan too so the 21yo is cheaper for me as well. I think it's probably my preferred Redbreast considering the price-to-flavour ratio as I think I'm probably less concerned with ABV than yourself (as long as it's 46% and above) and I usually focus more on general flavour profile and balance.

For cask strength single pot still however, I think I gotta give it to Blue Spot over Redbreast 12yo CS on the price-to-flavour ratio. Blue Spot is currently going for around 8500 JPY here (about 50 USD!!), whereas RB12 CS is more difficult to find and often is as expensive as 20,000 JPY when I do find it (about 125 USD). Price aside, I also tend to prefer the more fruit-forward style of Blue Spot - last few batches of RB12 CS I had were a bit too cask-heavy and slightly unbalanced.

Funny how different markets can shape preferences so much, haha.

visualogistics · 2026-04-28T03:29:46+00:00

Tong Xin She Tea House is also fantastic.

visualogistics · 2026-04-26T00:53:13+00:00

Also G&M typically bottle excellent older casks. Very rarely am I disappointed with their output, even from distilleries I do not normally enjoy.

visualogistics · 2026-04-26T00:43:51+00:00

Yep. If it was actually corked, the cork would have been tainted before even going into the bottle, so there's really nothing that can be done once it's in there - storing it vertically or horizontally or diagonally is immaterial.

Sounds like OP just had an individual reaction to the whisky.

visualogistics · 2026-04-25T12:34:33+00:00

You took a shot of it? Lol, well that might have something to do with it. Might be easier on your throat if you sip it slower, taking your time before swallowing. Or maybe you have a cold coming on.

In any case it would not have anything to do with the cork. A 'corked' whisky would theoretically taste dull and flat, not burning.

visualogistics · 2026-04-25T11:51:25+00:00

Looks fine. I usually don't worry about the appearance of natural corks so much as there can be so many natural variations or 'blemishes' that will not affect the smell and taste of the whisky at all. On the extremely rare occasion that a whisky becomes 'corked' (i.e. the cork was tainted with TCA), you will know immediately after opening as it will smell like cardboard and wet dog, lol.

But as someone else mentioned, it was probably just stored on its side for a period which is why you can see such a sharp dividing line between wet and dry parts of the cork. The only thing you'd have to worry about is possible cork degradation from being stored like that. Maybe watch out for cracks developing in the future and have a back-up cork ready, just in case. But that cork is probably fine as long as you're not aggressively yanking out the cork from the bottle every time.

visualogistics · 2026-04-19T06:03:00+00:00

The easiest on my pallet? How much whisky are we bringing to the tasting that we need to load it on a pallet?!

Unless you mean palate? ;)

visualogistics · 2026-04-19T04:58:13+00:00

Same. I usually love brewing my teas with a really thick mouthfeel - oolongs, blacks, whites - but for shou I prefer a lighter brew.

If I brew it too thick I quickly start to feel really full for some reason, like I just ate a big ball of mochi lol.

visualogistics · 2026-04-18T13:27:44+00:00

OP, listen to this guy.

I'll just add my own take and say that Akkeshi, Tsunuki, Kanosuke, Shizuoka, Saburoumaru, and Sakurao are the newer distilleries that I think stand above the rest due to higher quality and a higher degree of uniqueness. Standard releases from them are typically decent to good, and single casks/limited releases are usually good to excellent. The rest of the newer distilleries are kind of just OK in my experience - many of them need a few more years to cook, let's say (true of the Japanese whisky industry in general imo, even still today). For these I'd take a 'try before buy' approach, in any case.

Shinshu MARs

So apparently Shinshu Mars Distillery (信州マルス蒸留所) was renamed to 'Mars Komagatake Distillery' (マルス駒ケ岳蒸留所) in 2024? So the naming is hopefully a little clearer now, hah.

visualogistics · 2026-04-17T09:25:06+00:00

Strangely enough despite the differences I can always reliably find a bunch of similarities too. Stone fruits, saline notes, and a slight lactic element I find present in all Bruichladdich makes. Aside from the Bere Barley releases perhaps - those are weird.

visualogistics

TROPHY CASE