Thread: Calling all tea drinkers

I like Tazo quite a bit. They are readily available, but still quite good in my opinion. I enjoy their "Awake" black tea as well as their organic chai tea very much. I find the chai to be a bit weak for my tastes so I let it steep a little longer, or if I am in the mood for a good kick in the mouth then I use two bags.

Matt

Buy loose leaf only. Twinnings makes the best Earl Gray I have tried so far, although I usually have 3-4 brands of Earl Gray at home. Lipton is a nice change, a bit on the sweater side. Twinnings's is really well blended, with just enough Bergamot to not overpower the blend. Excellent stuff...

From black teas my pick will be the Darjeeling, and from greens, Jasmine and Gunpowder.

I would really like to try the Matcha grade green tea, both for the taste and the properties (you mix the fine Matcha powder, and drink it all, without straining).

Right now I have around 10-15 varieties of different teas at home, and I enjoy them all


Nenad

Gunpowder tea???

Well, it looks like I found my new favorite !!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr

Gunpowder tea???

Well, it looks like I found my new favorite !!!!!!!!

haha, I am afraid I will have to disappoint you.

Gunpowder tea is regular green tea, with the leafs rolled in pellets, each leaf individually, resembling gunpowder of the early days. This was done to keep the tea from loosing the essential oils too fast, and to keep it fresh longer. It has wonderful smoky and earthy flavor to it...


Nenad

I'm a big fan of Rishi's Oragnic Earl Grey and Earl Grey Supreme (www.rishi-tea.com). Also the Wuyi Oolong is a very nice all-day tea. If you're looking for something strong and thick the Ancient Golden Tuo Cha Pu-erh is great and goes well with Rice Dream (Vanilla) or cream. The Sencha Special green is also very good but I've found best results require (even more than normal) rigorous water quality/temp and steeping times. Making it with tap or boiling water or letting it steep a little too long on the first or second infusion results in something that doesn't taste very good at all.

I tend to keep a lot of various teas on hand but usually drink Earl Grey for half of the day before switching to anything else (usually green/oolong or caffeine free). The Pu-erh is for the days I really need a boost since the compressed cakes make a lot of tea and it's pretty strong both in flavor and caffeine.

For bagged tea.. well.... I generally buy good quality tea bags, like this http://www.finum.com/tea-filters.htm, and just bag loose tea. They don't leave a papery taste like most commercial bagged tea does and gives the tea a lot more room to expand like an infuser would.


Ant

Ginger tea is very nice and warming if you feel cold. Lapsang Suchong is one of my favorites as is Russian Earl Grey by Lipton.

Although I am fond of Earl Grey I find that most brands do not get it right: either too much or too little bergamot. Even Twinings seem to have trouble keeping the quality of their Earl Grey constant.

Other than those recommending Lipton, i think most of the good teas have been listed. the best selection i have found it at special teas they are wonderful the only earl grey type from them i would not endorse is "earl grey de la creme" just too different tasting for me.

I keep a large selection to choose from but my favorites are:
Black teas:
Assam: Hazelbank FTGFOP1
Ceylon: #317 Kenilworth OP, #321 Vithanakande FBOPF1, #309 Wewesse FOP(UVA)
China: #502 Keemun Imperial
Java: #360 Java OP
Nilgiri: #332 Thiashola TGFOP1

Darjeeling: #149 Castleton FTGFOP1 (cl)

Green: #544 China green sea Anemone, #531 china Temple of heaven gunpowder

Blends: #820 fine earl grey, #826 fine earl grey lavender, #807 east friesian broken blend, #808 madagascar vanilla sunday blend

That should give you some ideas. I try to keep most of those on hand, but if i run out of the Kenilworth some people think I'm out of tea and i have to place another order. special teas has sample packs for most of their teas 1/2 ounce for a dollar and they have use and serving suggestions printed on the packets. No, i am not affiliated with them but i love their teas!

they are out of stratford CT... quick shipping in the north east!

Thanks everyone for your input. This has been incredible to read. I've just learned about many teas I didn't even know were available. I'm going to have to make a list and try some of the different varieties and brands.

I like some assam teas as well but earl grey isn't something I can develop a taste for.

I find that there are many teas that I enjoy.
My current favourite is oolong. I found a really cheap chinese supermarket to buy it in.
After that, I love green teas like jasmine, sencha and gunpowder. Sometimes I will go for earl grey or darjeeling.
I have numerous arguments with english tea drinkers about my rules on drinking tea. I am considered to be wrong and radical on all accounts with the majority of english tea drinkers.

Never use tea bags. It is much better to get yourself a nice pot and good qualilty leaves and make a small event of it. We don't rush through prep in shaving so why rush through prep of nice tea.

If at somebody's house and they only have tea bags, beg them not to squeeze. I still have to beg my girlfriend to not do it, whilst she looks at me like i am an idiot.

Why ruin a good quality tea with milk? It hides all the subtleties and nuances of each different brand and type. This seems to be my biggest problem in England, where 99% of the population take milk.

Ok sugar, I understand is some peoples taste, but I can't stand it for the same reason as the milk problem. It just seems to spoil my reasons for drinking a nice cup of tea.

Ok those are my four rants about drinking tea in the UK . I love it, but other people don't understand why I approach tea drinking in this way.
Anybody else hate these things, or other things?

Nick