Fine Tea

[Scotto]

I thought I would post on one of my other obsessions - fine loose leaf tea. I know there are other forum members out there who share this obsession. Chime in!

I have tried teas from all of the major online sources, at pretty much all prices. I also work with a diverse cultural crowd at work who are good at bringing me stuff from their homelands. I'll drink a pot of tea in the morning while reading the paper, usually a Chinese red ("black") tea or sometimes an English breakfast blend. In the mid-morning a good Oolong, and later lots of Green tea. I am particularly obsessed with Chinese green teas, especially Lung Ching ("Dragon Well").

I also keep track as best I can of what I taste. I'll attach a spreadsheet as an example for those who are interested. I got lazy for a while, but it has a fair amount of stuff in it for those who are interested in trying some teas. You can also filter it by tea type, vendor, etc. I haven't yet gotten nuts enough to keep track of shaving stuff this way, but perhaps our future B&B rating archive will fix all that.

All right, who are the other tea drinkers out there?


Edited: Apparently you can't attach an Excel file.... Nick?

[guenron]

I thought I would post on one of my other obsessions - fine loose leaf tea. I know there are other forum members out there who share this obsession. Chime in!

I have tried teas from all of the major online sources, at pretty much all prices. I also work with a diverse cultural crowd at work who are good at bringing me stuff from their homelands. I'll drink a pot of tea in the morning while reading the paper, usually a Chinese red ("black") tea or sometimes an English breakfast blend. In the mid-morning a good Oolong, and later lots of Green tea. I am particularly obsessed with Chinese green teas, especially Lung Ching ("Dragon Well").

I also keep track as best I can of what I taste. I'll attach a spreadsheet as an example for those who are interested. I got lazy for a while, but it has a fair amount of stuff in it for those who are interested in trying some teas. You can also filter it by tea type, vendor, etc. I haven't yet gotten nuts enough to keep track of shaving stuff this way, but perhaps our future B&B rating archive will fix all that.

All right, who are the other tea drinkers out there?


Edited: Apparently you can't attach an Excel file.... Nick?

Hey Scotto!
If you can get any good Formosa Oolong I would forever be indebted! :biggrin:

[Scotto]

Ron,

I am actually not a fan of the lower-oxidized Formosa Oolongs, preferring the Chinese high-fired ones. I have had some of the Formosa's from SpecialTeas.com (an excellent vendor), and they are reasonably priced and very good quality. Check them out. If you want to spend more and get even better quality, you can't beat the guys at InPursuitofTea.com in goold old Brooklyn, NY.

[rtaylor61]

Ron said "goog".

Scotto said "goold".

The word is "good". I'm thinking it must be something in the tea.

Randy

PS. Guys, no fair editing your posts!

[guenron]

Ron said "goog".

Scotto said "goold".

The word is "good". I'm thinking it must be something in the tea.

Randy

PS. Guys, no fair editing your posts!
You can tell we have had some lapsang souchong! It smoked...:001_tt1:

[designwise1]

Hey, Scotto.
If you can figure out how to get that Excel file uploaded here I would like to see that.
I'm a big tea fan and have made converts of a few friends as well.

-Gerald

[AACJ]

If you can figure out how to get that Excel file uploaded here I would like to see that.



One way is to open the excel file fully on the screen, do a ctrl-print screen. Then open a picture editor program such as the paint program that comes with Windows. Paste it to the newly opened program and save. Then upload as normal and post to a thread.

It should work.

-edit

I just did this using the instructions above.

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=560

[Scotto]

For those who are interested, I pdf'ed the file. It is not complete - I have sampled hundreds - but it might be helpful. Chime in if you have any questions.

[TimmyBoston]

Scotto - Do you know of any good online stores to purchase high quality teas?

[Scotto]

There are quite a few. I think the best balance of price and quality is www.specialteas.com. I have used them for years and have been very pleased. Right now they are offering a free shipping special if you use the coupon code holiday6. For higher quality (and more expensive, of course) teas, I often buy from www.inpursuitoftea.com. Another one is www.imperialtea.com.

[Groomer Monkey]

Hi,
yeh, being a Brit in America, I got tired of drinking coffee - great for waking up, but no good for relaxing. Recently, my wife bought me a fantastic cast iron tea set from www.teavana.com (you purists are probably going to scold me).
Also, they do nice flavoured mixes, great for different moods or to achieve different aims: strawberry, slender pu-erh, iron buddha, and oolong mix is good for dieting - helps to suppress my appetite, and the jasmine dragon, phoenix pearls, roobis, tropica mix actually helps me sleep better.
But it's not just the tea, it's the act of making a smll pot of tea, and slowly sipping it whilst it stays warm on the tealight - very relaxing.

www.groomermonkey.com

[TimmyBoston]

There are quite a few. I think the best balance of price and quality is www.specialteas.com. I have used them for years and have been very pleased. Right now they are offering a free shipping special if you use the coupon code holiday6. For higher quality (and more expensive, of course) teas, I often buy from www.inpursuitoftea.com. Another one is www.imperialtea.com.

Thanks, Scotto, I'll check out those sites. :smile:

[Stauff]

I think it's cool how obsession seems too develop in a parallel way. Whenever I get a remark of SWMBO that I buy too much of something, it's either shaving stuff or tea.
At breakfast time, I have a small pot of Whittard or Taylor of Harrogate pure Assam (with milk of course), which I find a great tasting and warming tea.
Around ten-eleven, I'll have a cup of Ceylon, Twinings Prince of Wales (the only decent Twinings IMO) or Whittards Original Blend (Ceylon, Assam and Kenya).
Afternoon tea is Taylors Earl Grey or Whittards Royal blend (mix of large leaf Assam and Darjeeling).
Later on: Chinese or japanese green tea, occasionally fresh mint tea.

[Lyrt]

This past few weeks, I’ve tasted some teas of a Russian company that moved to Paris during the Bolshevik revolution. I appreciated their Polish Earl Grey and their Zubrowka tea. Zubrowka is the bison herb that is sometimes used to flavour some vodkas. It is delicious.

I usually stick to classic Earl Grey, Yinhao Jasmine tea and Japanese teas such as genmaicha (with roasted rice, you may love it or hate it), houjicha (average, everyday tea), gyokuro or shincha (when available).

I drink tea and coffee too much.

[javyn]

Great idea Scotto. I drink a lot of tea as well. I get my Chinese greens from Kam at funalliance.com. I'm really enjoying his pre-rain Long Jing and Shou Mei white tea. The Shou Mei was really surprising...it is not the broken bay leaf looking stuff I normally got...this stuff was of such a high quality the dry leaves actually did look like eyebrows! (Shou Mei means "long eyebrow" I believe).

It's stout for a white tea, seems like it could almost be an oolong, but extremely sweet.

By the way, Upton's has a GREAT TGFOP Darjeeling. I believe it's like 5 bucks or so for a 4 ounce tin.

Tonight I am enjoying a big mug of honeybush steeped for an hour with a bunch of ginger i squeezed through a garlic press, lots of honey added too.

[Phog Allen]

Hi Scotto. Were you able to get any of the Spring White Dragon Jasmine Pearls from QED before they vanished? I did and let me tell you, it is superb. I am no tea expert by a LONG shot. However, have you ever tried someting for the first time and simply understood that you were partaking of something that had to be an excellent example of it's type? That's how the QED tea struck me. Such a vibrant yet well behaved taste and aroma. The infusion of the jasmine seemed pefect to my palate and nose. I had never had a white tea before. I didn't know what to expect. The trick really was as Charles said to keep that water temp at about 170F. When you do that this tea is sublime. I swear we are all addicts here with willing enablers all around us.

Regards ,Todd

[javyn]

AHHHH

must...resist...urge... to crusade against flavored and scented white teas....

[chef8489]

I am obsessed with tea. I usually use
uptontea (http://www.uptontea.com)
capitaltea (http://www.capitaltea.com/shop/home.php)
enjoyingtea (http://www.enjoyingtea.com/)
gray-seddon (http://gray-seddon-tea.com/index.shtml)
specialtea (http://www.specialteas.com/)

There are a lot others I use but these I use the most.

[Scotto]

I find Upton's teas past their prime; I stopped ordering from them some years ago. As for Charles' tea, it is nice enough, but not so different in quality from stuff you can find elsewhere.

I notice across the board over the past couple of years that the availability of the really high end stuff seems to be decreasing. Not sure if that is due to increased demand, reduced production, or something else.

[TimmyBoston]

I've been looking to get a good tea pot for quite some time now, does anyone have any recommendations?

[Scotto]

I have several Chatsford (http://www.specialteas.com/English+Chatsford+Teapots/cid=98_99_103/category.html) teapots; relatively inexpensive, lots of room for leaves to unfurl, and all around great pot. If you are doing gung-fu preparation, you need a Yixing tea pot, but that is a different story.

[ouch]

I don't think you need to engage in full blown, ritualistic preparations to enjoy the benefits of yixing pots. Just use them to brew in your normal style, and they work great. Your are, however, sort of pidgeonholed into using oolongs.

The Chatsfords, and other porcelain pots, are great for almost all types of tea. They're beautiful, easy to maintain, easy to use, and make a great pot of tea. Really hard to go wrong with one of those.:thumbup1:

[Ben]

I'm a big fan of Oolong and Pu-Erh. I also enjoy Chinese and Japanese green teas. My favorite vendor so far is Rishi Tea.

[ouch]

A lot of pu-erhs taste like dirt, but I hear some of the aged ones can be devine. They're hard to buy- I don't feel like getting stuck with a huge cake of something I can't stand.

Scotto- make with the pu-erh decants, already!

[moses]

What about the Japanese Iron teapots? My girlfriend's chinese roomate swore by them, in part to do with holding the heat very well, I think.

-Mo

[ouch]

The tetsubin teapots are nice, but they rust!

Had to give them up after I started stting off the metal detectors at airports.:w00t:

[Scotto]

Most pu-erhs smell and taste like my wet basement. Nasty stuff.

[jnich67]

Hey there Scotto, I've been wanting to get into the whole tea thing lately. I understand that there are different "grades" of tea leaf - size? Can you comment on these? What would a novice look for.

Also, my sister-in-law is a tea fan and I'd like to get her a gift of good quality teas (she mainly drinks de-caf I think). Have you seen any gift sets that would be nice? Thanks.

Jordan

PS - Do you know of any good tea shops in the City? Thanks.

[ouch]

As far as "grades" of tea go, there are none. One man's "imperial" is another's "special" is anther's "reserve". Only one way to find out- bite the bullet and try 'em.

In the city, Ten Ren Tea, 75 Mott St, has a nice selection, and a helpful, if somewhat homely, staff.:rolleyes:

Their teapots are not genuine yixing (and they make no pretense to the contrary), but they are nice, if ridiculously expensive. I'd suggest starting with a variety of 1/4lb. each of 3rd to 4th grade teas to see what you like. When you find a style you enjoy, you can try out the more expensive ones, or see how cheap you can go and still retain the taste you're looking for.

[Scotto]

Jordan, I know InPursuitofTea has a variety of samplers. I am sure other companies do as well.

One thing to be aware of is that price and lots of descriptors like "Imperial","Monkey-picked", etc. don't necessarily equate to more intense flavors. In fact the most expensive teas and winners of prestigious contests, especially when you are talking about Chinese teas, often are the most subtle teas out there. Very often the same varietal at half the price will have a stronger flavor profile.

[jnich67]

Thanks!

Jordan

[ouch]

Great to see this thread resurrected after 13 months!:thumbup1:

[letterk]

Anyone care to offer a suggestion on one of the tea samplers from specialteas.com?

http://www.specialteas.com/Sample+Collection/cid=126/category.html

Buying for my wife, but I will enjoy them as well. Of recent successful purchases, she really likes the Jasmine Silver Needle from Charles.

[Scotto]

Depends what you are looking for. Their blended teas (mostly breakfast-type offerings) are very good. So are the oolongs and greens. The flavored stuff I would avoid.

[Ben]

I'd hate to think that those who bash Pu-Erh aren't preparing it correctly. Oh well. More for me!

Also, I think it's a tad on the rude side to say what someone else likes essentially tastes like shit. "It's not for me" is a much nicer way to get the message across.


Most pu-erhs smell and taste like my wet basement. Nasty stuff.

Case in point.

I guess Pu-Erh is an acquired taste, or maybe it's a cultural barrier. In any case, I've acquired the taste and crossed the barrier. Or maybe you've just bought and sampled the worst of it. Whatever.

[fuerein]

I'd hate to think that those who bash Pu-Erh aren't preparing it correctly. Oh well. More for me!

Also, I think it's a tad on the rude side to say what someone else likes essentially tastes like shit. "It's not for me" is a much nicer way to get the message across.



Case in point.

I guess Pu-Erh is an acquired taste, or maybe it's a cultural barrier. In any case, I've acquired the taste and crossed the barrier. Or maybe you've just bought and sampled the worst of it. Whatever.

I've only tried one version of Pu-Erh (I forget who the distributor is though), and overall I found it to be good. One thing that I found with it is that is is far more earthy than any other tea and it reminds me more of coffee than what one typically thinks of when it comes to traditional teas.

[letterk]

Depends what you are looking for. Their blended teas (mostly breakfast-type offerings) are very good. So are the oolongs and greens. The flavored stuff I would avoid.

Not exactly sure. Maybe something new and different. My wife has the gamut of the blended stuff, even multiple flavored items (I stay away from them as well). I recently bought her the two teas from Charles, and as I said, she really liked the Jasmine Silver Needel. In fact, I think she said it was her favorite. So I thought one of their sampler packs would be a nice way to try a few things. She's very open to trying most anything. But I wanted to make sure the specific teas on the packs are of good quality. No point in sampling something of poor representation.

[Ben]

I've only tried one version of Pu-Erh (I forget who the distributor is though), and overall I found it to be good. One thing that I found with it is that is is far more earthy than any other tea and it reminds me more of coffee than what one typically thinks of when it comes to traditional teas.

Pu-Erh is not supposed to be a delicate, light-bodied experience. The fermented and aged leaf prevents such a profile. However, if you like bold, very earthy, and very rich, then it's worth a try. Like any tea (or anything else, for that matter), you can get a basic idea by starting with something affordable and readily available. If you like it, you can explore it further and, ultimately, reach a point where you reach diminishing returns on considerable investments. Then you back off until you hit equilibrium between flavor prefence and price point. Pu-Erh is a specialized tea.

[ouch]

I don't care what someone's comments are, as long as they are honest. I, too, have been less than successful with pu-erhs, and here's how it will affect my purchasing strategy:

When I try a tea (or anything else for that matter) that I find decent, I'm always willing to seek out and try better versions of them. I've had many pouchongs, pi lo chuns, lung chings, etc. that were okay, but lacking in depth of flavor. I basically liked them, and wanted to find better examples of the breed. Unfortunately, all of the pu-erhs that I have thusfar sampled have been downright offensive. That leaves me with very little impetus to seek out better versions.

I don't think anyone is saying that fine pu-erhs don't exist, but don't blame me for not trying every one until I'm happy. If I were a purveyor of pu-erh, I would be aghast at the products on the market, as it would make it very difficult for me to sell the real thing.

[Scotto]

I'd hate to think that those who bash Pu-Erh aren't preparing it correctly. Oh well. More for me!

Also, I think it's a tad on the rude side to say what someone else likes essentially tastes like shit. "It's not for me" is a much nicer way to get the message across.



Case in point.

I guess Pu-Erh is an acquired taste, or maybe it's a cultural barrier. In any case, I've acquired the taste and crossed the barrier. Or maybe you've just bought and sampled the worst of it. Whatever.

Rude? I don't think so. I think the description is pretty apt, and gives people an impression of what it is like. Wet basement doesn't have to be a bad thing. If you like wines from the Rhone or Belgian beer (both of which I do), you'll regularly hear descriptive terms like "horse blanket", "musty", etc. which are quite telling. I have tried a dozen or so "fine" pu-erh specimens with some people who were really into this type , but it still isn't my cup of tea. :lol:

[Ben]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu-erh_tea presents an interesting treatment of the subject. Note the following, copied from the article:

"Poor control in fermentation/oxidation process can result in bad ripened pu-erh, characterized by badly decomposed leaves and a flavour and texture reminiscent of compost."

[Scotto]

Getting back to John's question, knowing most of those teas, I would say the "fine tea" sampler to be the best, followed by the oolong. The other samplers contain some poorer specimens they are trying to pawn off on you.

[Ben]

Wet basement doesn't have to be a bad thing.

When followed up by "Nasty stuff" it sort of takes on a negative tone, don'tcha think? Anyway, glad to hear your mean, nasty, foul, wet-basement take on the tea. :wink: :tongue:

I love Belgian beer. So at least we can enjoy that and then smash the bottles over our heads.

[letterk]

Getting back to John's question, knowing most of those teas, I would say the "fine tea" sampler to be the best, followed by the oolong. The other samplers contain some poorer specimens they are trying to pawn off on you.

Aha! Thanks Scotto. That's what I was looking for.

[ouch]

Rude? I don't think so. I think the description is pretty apt, and gives people an impression of what it is like. Wet basement doesn't have to be a bad thing. If you like wines from the Rhone or Belgian beer (both of which I do), you'll regularly hear descriptive terms like "horse blanket", "musty", etc. which are quite telling. I have tried a dozen or so "fine" pu-erh specimens with some people who were really into this type , but it still isn't my cup of tea. :lol:

The general term for this, "sauvage" is considered quite a compliment.

[Ben]

The general term for this, "sauvage" is considered quite a compliment.


If you like wines from the Rhone or Belgian beer (both of which I do), you'll regularly hear descriptive terms like "horse blanket", "musty", etc. which are quite telling.

Those terms, on their own, can probably be taken as-is. But if you say feces-stuffed horse blanket or musty rectal odors, the descriptors become a little more negative. :lol: :lol: :lol: :laugh:

[ouch]

I should point out that I made no reference to the odor of my basement. It wouldn't be fair, because that's where I store my collection of human skulls. :001_wub:

[SSLStudio]

Great to see we have some Tea experts on this board because Tea is a big mystery to me ?

regardles of the grades and versions out there how do you proper prepare tea ? what is needed Tools wise?
You all probably think the same about people who use a M3 and edge gel are the same people who use a waterkettle/boiler (hotpot) to brew water and then throw the water on a bag of pickwick/Lipton tea or a bag of any prepared brand from a supermarket ?

I never was so much interested in those because whenever I went out for a good chinese restaurant I would be treated with a nice Jasmine pot of tea so I knew there is something better out there.

Still dont know how to proper prepare it though how much do you need for a cup ? for a pot ? special tea pots ? kettles ?

I always drink Greece Mint tea a day just a few leafes in a cup and some hot water on top 2-3m waiting and its good to go , my friend from Sweden visits his dad in Greece and brings me 3 big bags of mint tea (home grown) and Greece Mountain tea which are very good for the stomach and general health.

So I went looking in my old cabinet where I rememberd I bought some tea from a store in Austria last year.

-Redbush /rooibos after eight
-Poison Ivy -Herbal Tea
-Custom blend aroma blacktea
-Redbush Truffel Herbal Tea
-Sizilian Nights fruit tea
-Honey Bush
-China Lychee black tea
-China Pu erh
-original Yunnan Herbal Tea
-Nepal TGFOPI (kanchanjangha "kba " black tea)
-Assam GBOP 'Teen Ali " black tea

I Always buy jasmin tea when im at the Deli-shop and the green tea but there are so many out there which one is the nice one ? I clearly taste the green tea at the dojo is far superior (lighter more delicate blend. )

I stopped drinking tea for a while when this extreme work-out sect wrote a bible called the Spartan way of training and which food is bad and which food is good I belief Coffee and Tea was a no no. well I quitted coffee a long time ago but Tea seems to me a healthy kind of a thing even though you gotta be carefull some contain as much caffeine as coffee and will cause sleepless nights.

Turkish /Greece/Japanese/Chinese /Indian Tea I guess almost every country makes its own tea .

[moses]

-Poison Ivy -Herbal Tea


:eek:

[javyn]

Redbush/Rooibos and Honeybush are great! I'm drinking a super strong cup of honeybush right now, and it is starting to zonk me out.

You'll need a finer mesh to filter it, since they are much smaller than tea leaves, and since it's not really 'tea', no need to worry about oversteeping. The longer the better.

Anyway, I like uptontea.com's lower grade rooibos the best. It seems more potent than the higher grade and flavored ones. I made my mother a strong mug of it one night, and she fell down the stairs after drinking half of it. Not falling forward either...but backward lol

Their TGFOP Orothodox Darjeeling is good too. I think it's really good for the price actually. I'm not sure if it's a blend or an actual First Flush...but it is so much lighter and easier to drink than all of the Second Flush Darjs I've tried. And not as hit or miss as picking a single estate tea.

[Ken]

Jordan,

There are grades of tea in different kinds of categories. First of all is size. Many teas have some symbol or name for gradation according to size. For example, an OP (Orange Pekoe) has a larger leaf than a BOP(broken Orange pekoe). This tells you something about how the tea will brew. In general, the smaller the leaf, the quicker the brew. I generally prefer large leaf teas, because I find the brew less likely to be overly extracted. In addition, some tea estates, especially in the Darjeeling region, will produce a series of teas with a bunch of letters accompanying , e.g. GFOP, or FGFOP, etc. I don't want to go into what they mean, but in general the more letters, the higher quality the tea compared to others produced by the same estate. Sort of like the difference between a vineyard's cabernet sauvignon and its reserve cabernet sauvignon. It doesn't mean that the reserve is actually better, but the vineyard is presenting it as such. So, while it is true that you can never actually tell what the quality of the tea is from the words or letters that accompany it, it is still worth paying some attention to those descriptions because it at least gives you a clue as to what you may be buying.

Ken

[TimmyBoston]

Great to see this thread resurrected after 13 months!:thumbup1:

Thank you very much, sir. :smile:

[TimmyBoston]

Does anyone know a good site to check out to learn proper ways of preparing tea. I was actually looking at the sampler that Scotto recommended to John, but I don't want to ruin the tea by preparing it improperly.

Also I keep reading about quality tea can be resteeped. How does one do this? And how do you care for the tea in between the initial and resteeping?

[rikrdo]

I dont know much about tea except
I like tea.
Erh......
Pu ?
======================
I enjoy the taste of Perique.....
perhaps I might like some Pu? :confused:

[TimmyBoston]

I just placed an order with Special teas for the blended sampler, green sampler, oolong sampler, green sampler, darjeeling sampler and a 2 cup Chatsford pot.

Can't wait for it to get here. :biggrin:

[dangert]

Does anyone know a good site to check out to learn proper ways of preparing tea. I was actually looking at the sampler that Scotto recommended to John, but I don't want to ruin the tea by preparing it improperly.

Also I keep reading about quality tea can be resteeped. How does one do this? And how do you care for the tea in between the initial and resteeping?

Chinese oolong and green teas may be brewed several times during the session. It is believed that the second brew is the best. Here is a site on chinese tea preparation http://chineseteas101.com (run by Kam from http://funalliance.com).

[TimmyBoston]

What are the best cups by which to drink tea? Does it vary with type? Or does it really matter?

[dangert]

What are the best cups by which to drink tea? Does it vary with type? Or does it really matter?

This pretty much depends on type of tea. I use mugs for black teas ,Yixing tiny cups for oolong teas brewed in a Yixing teapot and gai wan for green teas. Gai wan (from what I remember) means cup, saucer and lid and it is a traditional way to drink green teas. The lid is used to keep the tea leaves in a cup while sipping.

By the way, different teas require different water temperatures, another parameter besides brewing method...

[dangert]

Jordan,

There are grades of tea in different kinds of ... GFOP, or FGFOP, etc.
Ken

An easy way to remember higher grades (a joke from The Tea FAQ) TGFOP : Too Good For Ordinary People, FTGFOP - Far Too Good....

[fuerein]

This pretty much depends on type of tea. I use mugs for black teas ,Yixing tiny cups for oolong teas brewed in a Yixing teapot and gai wan for green teas. Gai wan (from what I remember) means cup, saucer and lid and it is a traditional way to drink green teas. The lid is used to keep the tea leaves in a cup while sipping.

By the way, different teas require different water temperatures, another parameter besides brewing method...

Man, I really like tea, but I must be far from an afficiando. Buy my teas from Stash Tea, not super high quality but still good stuff all the same. Brew my teas but I don't pay ultra cloase attention to water temp, I'll let the kettle sit off the burner for a little longer with teas that require a lower temp, but I don't break out the thermometer just to make the the temp is the ideal... and cups, well I use mugs for all my teas. Guess I'm just a little simple when it comes to my teas.

[Scotto]

Tim,

Don't get too hung up on prep methods, containers, etc. Just enjoy it. I use a standard coffee mug to drink all my tea out of 99% of the time. As for brewing, the most important thing is to give the tea leaves room to unfurl. That is why tea balls and other small containers are a waste. the Chatsford tea pots do a great job. At work, I use a Republic of Tea strainer (http://www.republicoftea.com/templates/detail.asp?navID=1597), which fits inside a mug and which is very large. Their teas are very overpriced, but this thing works nicely. You can often find them at Barnes & Noble bookstores.

For brewing, it depends a bit on the tea, and some experimentation is needed. Here is a rough guide to get you started:

Black/blended teas: boiling water, 4-5 minutes
Oolong: just short of boiling, 2-3 minutes
Green: hot water, 1.5-2 minutes
White: warm water, 1.5-2 minutes

Follow the directions on the tea for amounts. I'll use a heaping teaspoon or so per cup as a starting point. Real aficionado's measure by gram, but that is a bit persnickety for me.

[ouch]

An easy way to remember higher grades (a joke from The Tea FAQ) TGFOP : Too Good For Ordinary People, FTGFOP - Far Too Good....

Love it!:biggrin1:

[ravkesef]

here's a good rule of thumb to follow for preparing tea: measurement.
Coffee, for example, requires 2 level tablespoons (i.e, one "official" coffee measure) for each 6 ounces of water, regardless of brewing method. Tea requires 2.25 grams per 6 ounces of water, regardless of the type of tea being used. (n.b., this doesn't apply to herbal teas, which have a different density.) measuring spoons don't work as well because different teas have different densities depending upon size, etc. I purchased a very good English breakfast that turned out to be horribly astringent. I had made one cup and used a slightly rounded teaspoon. I then weighed the tea, and it turned out that this teaspoon, while it worked well for other teas, yielded slightly over 3 grams of tea. I then weighed out 2.25 grams, made the tea again and it was perfect. Similarly, I have an excellent Darjeeling and discovered that if I bend the rule and brew for longer than 2 minutes, I get a vile tasting tannic brew. 1.5 minutes is perfect, 2 minutes is the absolute max. And so it goes.

You can purchase a tea scale with a digital readout that will give you the weight in grams, cupweight, etc. Using a six cup Chatsford teapot, for example, I measure 6 cupwts of tea, place in the brewing basket. scald the pot, then add hot water --temperature depending upon the type of tea being brewed, and brew for the requisite time, again depending upon the type of tea being brewed. It's really not as complicated as it may sound. It comes down to this:
use the correct amount of tea
add water at the correct temperature
brew for the correct length of time.

follow these three simple rules and you'll always have a perfect cup of tea. And yes, I use a thermometer to ascertain the temperature of the water. Hot, warm, etc., are relative terms.
btw, teavana sells a fascinating brewing device (http://teavana.com/Teavana+Easy+Tea+Steeper+18+oz/cid=56/page_no=1/edp_no=4042/shop.axd/ProductDetails). It holds 18 oz of water. Add the tea, hot water, and brew for the requisite length of time. stir, then place the device over the cup and it drains right into the cup. Great for 2 people.
properly made, tea can indeed be one of the great pleasures of life.

[dangert]

here's a good rule of thumb to follow for preparing tea: measurement.
Coffee, for example, requires 2 level tablespoons (i.e, one "official" coffee measure) for each 6 ounces of water, regardless of brewing method. Tea requires 2.25 grams per 6 ounces of water, regardless of the type of tea being used.

The rule of thumb is not quite right for the coffee:

espresso: 6.5-8 g / 1oz
stovetop espresso: 10-12g/2 oz
vaccum brewer (also probably drip and french press) : 6-7g/4oz

[ouch]

Just as lathering requires a delicate balance of water and cream, so does the teamaking process.

It's not all that hard if you let your tastebuds be your guide. Soon you'll figure out (or stumble across) the proper balance of water temperature, amount of tea, and brewing time, all of which will vary slightly for different teas.

One thing I love about tea is that, unlike coffee, multiple infusions are possible. Often, the second infusion is the best.

[jnich67]

Thank you for the info Ken. I'll keep this in mind.

Jordan


Jordan,

There are grades of tea in different kinds of categories. First of all is size. Many teas have some symbol or name for gradation according to size. For example, an OP (Orange Pekoe) has a larger leaf than a BOP(broken Orange pekoe). This tells you something about how the tea will brew. In general, the smaller the leaf, the quicker the brew. I generally prefer large leaf teas, because I find the brew less likely to be overly extracted. In addition, some tea estates, especially in the Darjeeling region, will produce a series of teas with a bunch of letters accompanying , e.g. GFOP, or FGFOP, etc. I don't want to go into what they mean, but in general the more letters, the higher quality the tea compared to others produced by the same estate. Sort of like the difference between a vineyard's cabernet sauvignon and its reserve cabernet sauvignon. It doesn't mean that the reserve is actually better, but the vineyard is presenting it as such. So, while it is true that you can never actually tell what the quality of the tea is from the words or letters that accompany it, it is still worth paying some attention to those descriptions because it at least gives you a clue as to what you may be buying.

Ken

[KingGillette]

Upton Tea Imports aka uptontea.com

[TimmyBoston]

One thing I love about tea is that, unlike coffee, multiple infusions are possible. Often, the second infusion is the best.

What do you do with the tea in between infusions? Seal it up? Let it dry? How is it best preserved between the first and second infusion?

[ouch]

What do you do with the tea in between infusions? Seal it up? Let it dry? How is it best preserved between the first and second infusion?

I never even thought of saving it. I just resteep successive infusions for a second, third, or, occasionally, fourth cup, or until all of the taste is gone.

When I'm done, even after a single cup, into the trash it goes.

[TimmyBoston]

I never even thought of saving it. I just resteep successive infusions for a second, third, or, occasionally, fourth cup, or until all of the taste is gone.

When I'm done, even after a single cup, into the trash it goes.

Okay, I guess when I thought of multiple infusions, it was like you'd brew a cup on Monday, and then brew another cup on Tuesday with the same tea.

[Scotto]

Okay, I guess when I thought of multiple infusions, it was like you'd brew a cup on Monday, and then brew another cup on Tuesday with the same tea.

Gross. If the leaves stand around, into the trash they go. Sometimes I'll wait 30 minutes or so, but more than that I wouldn't.

[KingGillette]

Have you tried Upton Tea Imports, available on the net as uptontea.com. Hundreds of teas from everywhere.

If it's green tea you want, try Ten Ren tea. They're on the Net, too, and have stores in Chinese neighborhoods of some major cities.

[KingGillette]

The Chatsford London Teapot, available from Upton Tea, porcelain version, is very nice. Surprisingly good is the Sunbeam Hot Tea Maker available from Wal-Mart.

[orpheus]

http://www.marktwendell.com/Hukwa.htm

It uses words like "delicate". Perhaps this is an alternate definition of that word, because this stuff is STRONG! It is, by far, my favorite Lapsang Souchong tea. Very smoky aroma and flavor. Some have found it too much so, but I think it's perfect.

(I've never ordered it from the website, as it's available at Zabar's in Manhattan - close to home for me.)

I've found a weird thing recently, though: there are certain kinds of tea I can't drink anymore: Lapsang Souchong & Earl Grey being the main two. My throat starts to feel strange - like it's "closing up". I can still breathe easily, but my voice becomes higher and strained. Weird. And sad, since I really love these two varieties of tea.

But I still keep a tin of Hu-Kwa around, and open it up just to have the aroma permeate the room. Very pleasant indeed.

[Howard]

Concerning the merits of Pu-Erh, about which there seem to be differing opinions.

I believe the orgin of many of the brick teas from Yunnan was the trade through Tibet. They were pressed into bricks for convenience of transport on the caravan routes. Kunming, LiJiang, Zhongdian, etc. are on these old trade routes. Once you get into the northwest of Yunnan province on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau you start to get into the region where there are a lot of Tibetans. They drink their brick teas differently than the rest of the world does. After brewing the tea is generally mixed in a churn with yak butter and salt. You can drink it straight that way or mix it into a paste with parched barley (which tastes vaugely like popcorn). I like it, but it is quite different from the ways the rest of the world drinks tea.

Here's a picture of me and my family in 2004 enjoying some libations at 11,000 feet in Zhongdian. (Now renamed Shangri-La)

http://www.aolisi.net/images/CIMG0737a.JPG

I've run into the same type of tea-drinking in the remote hills of Nepal. This picture is from the late 70's.

http://www.aolisi.net/images/meal(3).jpg

Brave souls among you may want to try brewing up some tea in the traditional Tibetan manner. Yak butter is a little hard to find here but regular butter will do.

Before I get kicked out of here I'll have to mention that I'm clean-shaven now.

[ouch]

Nice shave.:biggrin1:

Apparently, yak butter isn't the only thing that's hard to find.

[moses]

Buttered, salted, Tibetan style tea is actually quite good. When I have had it, it has also been lightly milked. Surprisingly yummy.

-Mo

[Ben]

Yep. Mongolians also may add fried millet to the tea.

[javyn]

Out of all the elaborate tea stuff I own to prepare tea, this is probably the most useful.


At work, I use a Republic of Tea strainer, which fits inside a mug and which is very large. Their teas are very overpriced, but this thing works nicely. You can often find them at Barnes & Noble bookstores.

[TimmyBoston]

Enjoyed a pot of Golden Monkey from Special Teas today. Thanks for all the great advice guys! :biggrin:

[TimmyBoston]

A question for all of you out there with more tea experience than me, which is all of you. :smile:

What are your feelings on adding milk and/or sugar?

[fuerein]

A question for all of you out there with more tea experience than me, which is all of you. :smile:

What are your feelings on adding milk and/or sugar?

Tea should be served plain. No ifs ands or buts.

If you are going to use it, please, please only in black teas, particularly the breakfast blends (English, Irish or Scottish). You'll utterly ruin a good green, white, or oolong tea adding milk, sugar, or honey to it.

[TimmyBoston]

If you are going to use it, please, please only in black teas, particularly the breakfast blends (English, Irish or Scottish). You'll utterly ruin a good green, white, or oolong tea adding milk, sugar, or honey to it.

For the record, that's the only place I would personally ever use it. I wouldn't put it in anything but black.

[SSLStudio]

A question for all of you out there with more tea experience than me, which is all of you. :smile:

What are your feelings on adding milk and/or sugar?

Dont do it, I agree with Adam.
if you are a sweet tooth id advice use a 1/2 teaspoon of Kandis instead of white sugar.

I dont Do any sugar in the refinded form so thats a no no , milk I only drink Goats milk with 2 raw eggs in it and a banana , I belief isnt it very British to do milk and tea ? again you ruin the tea.

sugar is bad for you, try to loose it and the benifits are better tasting tea .

[Scotto]

Mmm, Golden Monkey - good choice. This years stuff isn't as deeply chocolaty as previous, but still quite nice.

In (black) breakfast teas I will put milk and sugar, but nowhere else.

[javyn]

Milk and sugar should be left for only the stronger breakfast blends based on Keemun or Assams.

I've got my Brooke Bond Red Label with a splash of milk with me right now :wink:


I'd try to forgo the sugar, if you give yourself a chance to develop a palate for tea, you'll find it is actually sweet enough on its own.

[Tinzien]

What's the deal about putting a squeeze of lemon in tea?

[javyn]

If ya do that, I wouldn't mix it with milk :eek:

[ouch]

I need a pinch of sugar for black tea, but any green or oolong has to be taken straight.

[Buzz]

Okay... we drink Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime tea in the winter. (I'm sure anybody into tea wold gag at the mere thought.)

Obviously I don't know anything about tea, but I'm interested.

I don't know what kind of teas I'll find that I like. I'm sure I want something without caffeine for the evenings.

First thing I need is a decent kettle. Our old one is ready for the trash.

I'm assuming that a stovetop kettle is best. We have a gas range and a lot of stainless in our kitchen. I don't want anything crazy contemporary styled.

In particular, I need a kettle.

Any other recommendations for a starter setup that would let me experiement woiuld be welcome.

[jnich67]

I received my order from Special Teas over the weekend - very good service. I'm enjoying them very much. Another question. I purchased the Finum brewing basket in the mug size and it seems to work very well. For work though, I think I'd like to make a small pot at a time instead of single servings. Does anyone have any advice on a good tea pot for this use? Nothing too expensive, as its just going to be sitting in my cube. Thanks!

Jordan

[fuerein]

Okay... we drink Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime tea in the winter. (I'm sure anybody into tea wold gag at the mere thought.)

Obviously I don't know anything about tea, but I'm interested.

I don't know what kind of teas I'll find that I like. I'm sure I want something without caffeine for the evenings.

First thing I need is a decent kettle. Our old one is ready for the trash.

I'm assuming that a stovetop kettle is best. We have a gas range and a lot of stainless in our kitchen. I don't want anything crazy contemporary styled.

In particular, I need a kettle.

Any other recommendations for a starter setup that would let me experiement woiuld be welcome.

Any real tea, Celestial Season's Sleepytime is a chamomile herbal infusion, is going to have some caffeine. There are some true teas that have been treated to be caffeine "free" (they stil have some, just not enough to be significant). Many tea afficiandos dislike decaf tea because of the extra processing that goes into removing the caffeine from it, but if you want to purchase some many online sellers of looseleaf tea will have a section dedicated to decaf. If you really want a decaf drink in the evening there is nothing wrong with a nice herbal infusion... I have the looseleaf version of Sandman from Stash Teas which is a chamomile infusion myself for just such a reason (IMO you're still going to get a better brew with loose herbs than with bagged herbs when brewing herbal infusions).

As for the tea kettle, I use a fairly cheap Copco stovetop kettle I purchased for about $40 from Bed Bath and Beyond. There are some people who really like the electric water heaters because on some of the more expensive ones you can set the heating temperature and thus be assured of getting water the precise temperature for brewing.

[Stauff]

Milk: only in English Breakfast, Assam, Ceylon or Lapsang Souchong.
Sugar: Never ever.

I'm currently enjoying Taylor of Harrogate's Hajua estate (Brahmaputra valley) Tippy Assam. Beautiful golden tip leaves, round and full flavor, lovely breakfast tea. Had some blend of Keemun and Assam for breakfast recently - very refined little tea.:thumbup1:

[javyn]

I don't know what kind of teas I'll find that I like. I'm sure I want something without caffeine for the evenings.

If you like the Sleepytime you might want to try Egyptian Chamomile. My favorite night brew by far though is Rooibos. I have a stressful, worrisome job, and a big mug of Rooibos is the only thing that can help me sleep through the entire night. It will certainly relax you (perhaps get you a little lifted too! :thumbup: )

[Buzz]

If you like the Sleepytime you might want to try Egyptian Chamomile. My favorite night brew by far though is Rooibos. I have a stressful, worrisome job, and a big mug of Rooibos is the only thing that can help me sleep through the entire night. It will certainly relax you (perhaps get you a little lifted too! :thumbup: )

Thanks for the tip.

Our local kitchen shop carries a massive selection of tea. Their "tea guy" was working the counter today. We talked, he made some recommendations, and I ended up with some Assam and a Rooibos with Lemon & Ginger.

I followed their instructions and brewed a cup of the Rooibos. Very nice.

I'm looking forward to trying the Assam tomorrow.

Still wondering about buying a new kettle. Stovetop or electric... hmmmm.

[TimmyBoston]

Any other recommendations for a starter setup that would let me experiement woiuld be welcome.

Upon Scotto's recommendation I just received my first "real" tea order, which I ordered from www.specialteas.com. I received several sampler packs and a Chatsford tea pot. It's a great little pot and at a good price as well.

[javyn]

I followed their instructions and brewed a cup of the Rooibos. Very nice.

You needn't follow the instructions with Rooibos, it has much much less tannin than tea, so the longer you steep it, the better!

[_JP_]

monkey's cool and refreshing iced tea (http://www.himonkey.net/cooking/icedtea/index.html)

[TimmyBoston]

What's your favorite tea(s)?

[Ben]

Pu-Erh and Oolong.

[allmodcons]

I feel compelled to post to this thread since it is what brought me to this great site.

I too up and went to SpecialTeas and placed an order-Oolong sampler, Beehouse pot, infusion bags for work, a few tins for storage. I haven't brewed any of the Oolong yet, but the sample Irish Breakfast Blend (#803) that ST included as a freebie is quite delicious at the moment. I can't wait to try the Oolongs and am itching to go back to ST and order their green and darjeeling samplers.

[mikey]

hello scotto,

long time no hear...

anyways, i have several questions i hope you can answer so here goes...

first, you state that charles' QED tea is not really different from teas available elsewhere.

second, you state that upton teas are past their prime.

so my question is this:

would you please recommend a source for Spring White Dragon Jasmine Pearls.

you gave a great review of the jasmine pearls from upton's though that was dated almost 5 years ago (before their teas started to head south).

also, some jasmine pearls are labelled as green tea while others are labelled as white. as i understood it, all jasmine pearls were supposed to be white tea (the bud and first 2 leaflets only). if possible, would you provide some clarification.

thanks,
mike






I find Upton's teas past their prime; I stopped ordering from them some years ago. As for Charles' tea, it is nice enough, but not so different in quality from stuff you can find elsewhere.

I notice across the board over the past couple of years that the availability of the really high end stuff seems to be decreasing. Not sure if that is due to increased demand, reduced production, or something else.

[Scotto]

Hi Mike. The "pearl" shape is a confusing nomenclature, and often shows up under green tea listings at distributors, though technically they are white teas. The main difference being that very young leaf and bud sets are used for the pearls, with no oxidation, which technically makes them white teas. Green teas use older leaves, and are often fired to stop the oxidation process. Some of the best jasmine pearls I have had are from In Pursuit of Tea - they have the regular (unscented) "dragon pearls" as well as the jasmine pearls (http://www.inpursuitoftea.com/Jasmine_Pearls_p/gc800.htm) you are looking for. I have also had the Phoenix Pearls (http://www.specialteas.com/565+China+Jasmine+Phoenix+Pearls/item_no=123+64+00+65+1/product_detail.html) from SpecialTeas, which are also lovely. I am sure you would be pleased with either.

Imperial Tea Court also sells them. After years of skepticism, I have purchased some stuff from them over the past year and have been impressed with the quality, though their prices can sometimes be very high, and I don't like their packaging.

[mikey]

scotto,

much appreciation for your quick response.

also, what was the reason for the skepticism regarding ITC.

thanks,
mike






Hi Mike. The "pearl" shape is a confusing nomenclature, and often shows up under green tea listings at distributors, though technically they are white teas. The main difference being that very young leaf and bud sets are used for the pearls, with no oxidation, which technically makes them white teas. Green teas use older leaves, and are often fired to stop the oxidation process. Some of the best jasmine pearls I have had are from In Pursuit of Tea - they have the regular (unscented) "dragon pearls" as well as the jasmine pearls (http://www.inpursuitoftea.com/Jasmine_Pearls_p/gc800.htm) you are looking for. I have also had the Phoenix Pearls (http://www.specialteas.com/565+China+Jasmine+Phoenix+Pearls/item_no=123+64+00+65+1/product_detail.html) from SpecialTeas, which are also lovely. I am sure you would be pleased with either.

Imperial Tea Court also sells them. After years of skepticism, I have purchased some stuff from them over the past year and have been impressed with the quality, though their prices can sometimes be very high, and I don't like their packaging.

[Scotto]

Their prices seemed very inflated, primarily. After being chided (on this board somewhere, in fact :wink: ) for not dealing with them, I decided to put my money where my mouth was and order some stuff. I very pleased with the tea, but the packages they send them in are not resealable, unlike every other vendor out there. They seem to have tempered their offerings with more reasonably priced fare over the past year or two, and I would do business with them more if IPOT and SpecialTeas weren't so close to me as to get here next day.

[allmodcons]

A co-worker of mine brought me a few green tea samples today and included a small sample of the following. She did not know what it was as the package it came in only had Chinese writing on it. I think she received it as a gift so was not sure what is was either as she didn't purchase it directly. She said she steeps it for about 5 min. and the taste is somewhat acquired.

Does anybody have any idea what this is? Certainly it's not tea leaves. More like little dried buds.

http://my.starstream.net/bearflag/weird%20tea.jpg

[Lyrt]

Gunpowder tea.

Edit: naaah, I need a bigger close-up.

[mlebarron]

Does anybody have any idea what this is? Certainly it's not tea leaves. More like little dried buds.


it looks like dried rolled tea leaves to me... at least from the photo.

[allmodcons]

It is actually little pods, not rolled leaves like gunpowder. Not sure I can get a closer shot with my DC.

[mlebarron]

huh... then I'm not really sure :smile:

[_JP_]

It is actually little pods, not rolled leaves like gunpowder. Not sure I can get a closer shot with my DC.

Set your camera on it's highest resolution and take a picture as close as possible. Enlarge just a small portion of the picture that shows one or two of those buds. Post the enlargement.

[Lyrt]

If nobody finds out, ask your co-worker to photograph the Chinese package and I’ll google it.

[Ben]

Guys, those look a lot like dried chamomile flowers.

[allmodcons]

Guys, those look a lot like dried chamomile flowers.

Interesting, she did say that the cup she made reminded her of chamomile tea.

Package is inbound tomorrow. I'll post a pic of it then.

[ouch]

Looks like pi lo chun to me, but I can't really tell from the pic.

[Scotto]

I think the chamomile guess is a good one. Note the little stems coming str8 out of the buds.

[Lyrt]

Here are photos of dried chamomile. Do your little buds look like that?

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/926/1500319312a84c2ee58mrc8.jpg http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/8427/chamomileherbwl4.jpg http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/8876/45470847tm8.jpg

[dangert]

Looks to me like dragon ball. It is not bi lou chun - dry bi lou chun leaves are not rolled into balls.

[jnich67]

I received some Harney's as a gift. Anyone have any thoughts on their product?

Scotto, the teas I received came from their store up in your neck of the woods. Been there? Is it worth a visit? I also understand that a new tea shop has opened in Scarsdale- if you're ever in that area. I don't have the name handy, but will pay a visit.

Jordan

[Scotto]

Harney runs the gamut from some truly mediocre teas to some very good ones. I am fond of some of their black tea (breakfast) mixtures, but their varietals I find below average.

Their teahouse is quite nice and relaxing. Worth a stop in if you are nearby.

[Kyle Stoner]

That looks like dragon pearls to me, from the pictures I have seen.


edit: in which case it would greatly behoove you and your friend to brew for much closer to 2 minutes!

[frankilinsshower]

i have some very mediocre tea experience and am looking for a good direction to branch out. i started with the jasmine pearls, and quickly moved into a few oolongs that i like alot. i've tried a few blacks, and prefer staying in the green, oolong - or possibly white direction. any reccomendations?

[frankilinsshower]

i have some nice chinese black teas that i purchased a few years ago and have had stashed away in tin cannisters. are these still good - how long do teas typically keep - and if they are on the older side, can good results be gotten by using more than usual for steeping?

finally, i have purchased a few teas from the Tao of Tea and enjoyed them very much. any experience with this company - quality/value/ etc.

thanks

[joselastra]

pu-erh are great teas, an aquried taste but nonetheless great. i usually by a coupl a month to store them, as pu-erh get better with age. im also a huge fan of good japanese green teas. nothing like it.

[fuerein]

i have some nice chinese black teas that i purchased a few years ago and have had stashed away in tin cannisters. are these still good - how long do teas typically keep - and if they are on the older side, can good results be gotten by using more than usual for steeping?

finally, i have purchased a few teas from the Tao of Tea and enjoyed them very much. any experience with this company - quality/value/ etc.

thanks

Tea (except pu-erh) typically is said to be at it's best for approximately a year. After that it starts to lose its flavor. If you purchased it several years ago, personally I'd just purchase more. Everything I've ever read said about 1 year storage from tea, many places also say the tea isn't really bad after that just that it loses flavor from then on. Thats my understanding.

[javyn]

Kam at funalliance.com is my best source for green and white teas. I'd imagine the oolongs he gets are good too, but haven't tried them. As far as blacks go, I avoid Chinese in favor of Indian.

[anarchyburger]

If anyone is looking for a nice teapot I'd check TJ Maxx, if you've got one around your area. I got a sweet whistling Le Creuset for about $30. The thing is built like a friggin tank.

[_JP_]

If anyone is looking for a nice teapot I'd check TJ Maxx, if you've got one around your area. I got a sweet whistling Le Creuset for about $30. The thing is built like a friggin tank.

They have many different types. Can you pick out yours from the link?

linky (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=blended&field-keywords=le%20creuset%20teapot&results-process=default&dispatch=search/ref=pd_sl_aw_tops-1_blended_12969710_2&results-process=default?tag2=amd-google-20)

[allmodcons]

I didn't plan on it, but my current tea binge has all completely suppressed my desire to drink coffee. I used to be 2 cups minimum in the morning then switch to pre-packaged chinese green tea during the day, maybe a cup of coffee in the evening. Now it's all loose tea all the time. :biggrin:

I'm working my way through 3 SpecialTeas samplers, Oolong, Green, Darjeeling, and a 2 small freebie samples of Irish Breakfast and Golden Monkey.
The only sample I haven't cared much for so far is Formosa Oolong Fine Grade #611. Very odd flavor, somewhat reminds me of tobacco. Really tastes nothing like the other Formosa Oolongs in the sampler I've tried, which I thought were quite good (Pouchong #614 and Tung Ting Jade) and had that nice peach-like flavor.

I tried my first Darjeeling this morning, Puttabong First Flush. What a delicious tea! I expected the Darjeelings to be excellent and the Puttabong did not disappoint.

I've opened 2 of the greens so far, one Chinese and one Japanese. Not knowing any better I assumed China green and Japanese green would be similar in taste. Apparently not the case. The Temple of Heaven Gunpowder had a somewhat of a smoky flavor very different from the grassy flavor of Sencha Extra Fine.

I really, really like Japanese green tea. Before I bought the sampler I was already working on a bag of Bancha and Gyokuro I'd purchased from Teavana mid-December. I like how you can get a lift from green tea without being all spun out on caffeine if you drink and equal volume of coffee. It is a really nice evening drink. I can't get enough of it.

I'm therefore in pursuit of Japanese greens. Does anyone have recommended site beyond the dealers mentioned in this thread? I've been contemplating placing an order with O-cha.com. Has anyone ever purchased from them? If so, curious how the tea was.

[netsurfr]

I thought I would post on one of my other obsessions - fine loose leaf tea. I know there are other forum members out there who share this obsession. Chime in!

I have tried teas from all of the major online sources, at pretty much all prices. I also work with a diverse cultural crowd at work who are good at bringing me stuff from their homelands. I'll drink a pot of tea in the morning while reading the paper, usually a Chinese red ("black") tea or sometimes an English breakfast blend. In the mid-morning a good Oolong, and later lots of Green tea. I am particularly obsessed with Chinese green teas, especially Lung Ching ("Dragon Well").

I also keep track as best I can of what I taste. I'll attach a spreadsheet as an example for those who are interested. I got lazy for a while, but it has a fair amount of stuff in it for those who are interested in trying some teas. You can also filter it by tea type, vendor, etc. I haven't yet gotten nuts enough to keep track of shaving stuff this way, but perhaps our future B&B rating archive will fix all that.

All right, who are the other tea drinkers out there?


Edited: Apparently you can't attach an Excel file.... Nick?

I have recently become somewhat obsessed with fine teas also. At work I use a 16 oz Teavana steeper and get outstanding results. In the evening, my wife and I share a pot or two of tea using a Japanese cast iron tea kettle.
I am particularly fond of the green teas and the oolong teas. However, I will sometimes use some flavored teas with mint, chai or jasmine.
As an aside, my cholesterol has been in the 190-200 range using 10 mg or lipitor per day to regulate it. Since I started drinking green tea, my cholesterol dropped to 162. The only thing that has significantly changed in my life if my green tea consumption. I did not relate this to my green tea consumption until doing some research on the internet. This may not work for everyone but I will tell you that it certainly cannot hurt you.

Steve

[javyn]

I am enjoying some Ting Tung Oolong now...it is amazing. I want to get a YiXing teapot for just this type of oolong now.

[Ben]

pu-erh are great teas, an aquried taste but nonetheless great. i usually by a coupl a month to store them, as pu-erh get better with age. im also a huge fan of good japanese green teas. nothing like it.

And there is a big difference worth noting. There are two types of pu'er tea: sheng and shu. Sheng is raw, or uncooked, pu'er. Shu is ripe, or cooked, pu'er. Sheng pu'er can be great to drink right away, though most sample the tea early and determine whether it is a good candidate for aging. Some are great right away. Some show great potential and need to rest. Keep in mind that aging crappy tea will only yield old, crappy tea.

Shu pu'er is subjected to accelerated fermentation to make it taste as if it'd been aged for many years. Shu pu'er does not age as well as sheng pu'er. Many who say pu'er tea tastes earthy, or like mulch or dirt, have sampled only shu (cooked) pu'er -- and certainly not the best example, either.

[rjv71]

What about tea baggies? At work we have regular liption tea bags... so I get some hot water from the coffee machine and in goes a bag of lipton.

Do you drink tea from tea bags? If so, what kind? Lipton? Tazo? Republic of tea? anything else?

[setherd]

What about tea baggies? At work we have regular liption tea bags... so I get some hot water from the coffee machine and in goes a bag of lipton.

Do you drink tea from tea bags? If so, what kind? Lipton? Tazo? Republic of tea? anything else?

while I prefer loose tea, I work with a Scottish woman who brings back Punjana (?) tea in bags from the UK. it is an amazingly good tea. it's also very strong we use 1 bag to make 2 large cups of tea:thumbup:

[javyn]

Do you drink tea from tea bags?

Sure, Brooke Bond Red Label with a little milk with breakfast on the weekends.

I hear the Lipton tea bags from India are actually good too. You can get them at Indian Grocers. Since Americans generally don't really care about the quality of our tea (surely because we drink it iced more than anything), we get stuff considerably worse than other countries.

[TimmyBoston]

Considering the recent tea discussion, I thought this might be a good thread to bring back.

[DaveF]

Well, I was able to resist the power of ONE tea thread, but TWO pushed me over the top. I just placed an order with specialteas for the fine tea sampler and the infuser that one places in a mug. Let the journey away from bags begin!

[Flaxorca]

Another tea thread...

Yes I admit I have TAD...

There is this one cupboard in the kitchen... It has more than a shelf full of cookbooks (worth a thread on it's own), but the rest of it is packed with tea's... SWMBO has banned me from buying more tea :crying:, I have to finish what I have first...

If anybody ever visits Stockholm in Sweden, make sure to visit this little shop called Tea Center of Stockholm (http://www.teacentre.se/catalog/). It doesn't get much better than this (at least in Sweden it doesn't :wink:).

[Stauff]

Question for the Londoners here: is every Whittard store in London the same - I mean does it carry the same range of products? During my visit later this month I'd like to buy a few teas in a tin plus a small Chatsford teapot with the Whittard logo. My guess is that the Oxford Street shop ought to be pretty big...

[DaveF]

Okay, my tea arrived yesterday and I had my first cup of non-bagged tea this morning. I normally drink either English Breakfast or Earl Grey (bags), and I take it with a little sugar and milk, so I thought an Assam tea sounded like a natural fit. I tried something called Mokalbari SFTGBOP CL from specialteas.com as part of their "Fine Tea sampler". Following the recommendations on the bag, I added a bit of milk and sugar.

1st infusion: three mins
Delicious but a touch strong/bitter. Also, half a teaspoon of sugar was way too much. Next time I will drop steeping time by 20 secs and cut the sugar in half.

2nd infusion: three and a half mins
Life-altering. :w00t: Dropped to a quarter-teaspoon of sugar and a splash of milk, absolute perfection for me. I drank the entire mug with a huge smile on my face, prompting loving wife to call me a "dork". Pretty sure she said it with love, though.

3rd infusion: four mins
Quarter-teaspoon of sugar, no milk. Brewed this early and then drank it later in the day over ice. Absolutely wonderful.

Conclusion: I have wasted ten years on bagged tea dust. Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread; there are so few things in life that produce a simple, genuine pleasure, and I am absolutely thrilled to add my morning cuppa to that list.

edit to add: Oh, next up, a Ceylon tea called Kenilworth OP. Is it tomorrow yet???

[phaedrus]

Question for the Londoners here: is every Whittard store in London the same - I mean does it carry the same range of products? During my visit later this month I'd like to buy a few teas in a tin plus a small Chatsford teapot with the Whittard logo. My guess is that the Oxford Street shop ought to be pretty big...

All the Whittard stores are pretty much the same, though if you are in London visit Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly who sell some nice teas. I am a big fan of their Assam (tippy golden flowery orange pekoe) which is a superb morning tea. It's also worth looking at the Jing tea website for China teas and more.

[SilkySmooth]

Oolong Oriental Beauty!

[Ciaron]

Another resurrection!

(I think the problem is you can't search for the word "tea" on the forum because the search term length minimum is set to 3.)

Anyway,

Can anyone recommend me an online tea supplier or two in the UK?

[Bowcephalus]

Loose leaf Earl Grey brewed in a brown betty......and some cheap shortbread cookies..........................and a chessboard................................and a thunderstorm outside......

[sweetzen]

Wow! Lots of tea aficianados here!

I have to admit that I am not a very experienced tea drinker, and I know virtually nothing about the local teas I buy. I just sample a few, find one I like, and buy it (since I can't read Japanese, the labels are meaningless to me). But one tea that I've really come to love in the evenings is soba tea. It's a grain tea (more info on soba here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soba), and as such it has a wonderful, nutty flavor and no caffeine. It has become my late night tea of choice. :001_smile

Thanks for the SpecialTeas link. I used to get my Dragon Well tea from an eBay seller, who has since gone out of business. Will look at what this shop has to offer.

[garfinkel]

I can't read Japanese, the labels are meaningless to me.

You should access to some amazing tea there in Japan. Look for a green known as "gyokuro". It looks like a fine, dried, very green, grass. SpecialTeas.com probably sells it. But, you can find it right where you are in Okinawa, I sure. In Tokyo, you can buy tea in the department stores, like Seiyu. I'm sure you'll find similar there.

[sweetzen]

You should access to some amazing tea there in Japan. Look for a green known as "gyokuro". It looks like a fine, dried, very green, grass. SpecialTeas.com probably sells it. But, you can find it right where you are in Okinawa, I sure. In Tokyo, you can buy tea in the department stores, like Seiyu. I'm sure you'll find similar there.

Thanks! I'll look for it the next time I'm at the local Jusco.

While not "fine" tea, I forgot to mention something particular to living in Japan: bottled/canned, unsweeted green tea is available EVERYWHERE (I'd wager you couldn't walk more than a few blocks without coming across a vending machine selling it). So actually the biggest quantity of tea I drink comes in this form. And on a summer day in Okinawa, it does wonders to help beat the heat. :biggrin1:

[Hobbesoxon]

Ahh, tea! Homeground here for me, it's my primary passion alongside exercising my Merkur. :)

With regards to shops in London, never think about entering a Whittards. It's average tea, at best, at truly outrageous prices. My recommended spot is TeaSmith (http://www.teasmith.co.uk/), in Spitalfields. Every time I come down to London (I live an hour away), I try to head there. Great tea, great atmosphere, very knowledgeable host (John) who plays the role of the barman to a tee. (I should add that I have no connection, other than being a satisfied customer.)

As for buying tea over the Internet, Jing Tea UK (http://jingtea.com/) are good, but my favourites are the similarly-named www.jingteashop.com (http://www.jingteashop.com/), based in Guangzhou, South China. The latter are truly excellent, and thoroughly recommended. Likewise, www.houdeasianart.com (http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php?main_page=index). Among Internet tea-freaks, Jing (China) and Houde are the cream.

If you're interested in tea-related scribblings, I've been writing about it for quite a while (half-dipper.blogspot.com (http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/)), and there are some great tea-blogs linked from there that you can navigate your away around to your heart's content. The internet tea community is big'n'friendly, much like B&B.

Dive in. I was always brought up with the saying that there are three great things in life: wine, cheese, and tea. I think I'll add "traditional shaving" to that list when I pass it onto my own children one day... :)


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Eastree]

Actually, it was a fellow member of a tea forum who caught my attention for wet shaving. I haven't purchased anything new recently, but I have a fair amount in reserves at the moment.

And yeah, several of us at that tea forum are fans of Hobbes's blog.

[Hobbesoxon]

Actually, it was a fellow member of a tea forum who caught my attention for wet shaving. I haven't purchased anything new recently, but I have a fair amount in reserves at the moment.

And yeah, several of us at that tea forum are fans of Hobbes's blog.

Most kind, sir.

It was also a member of the tea community that first raised traditional shaving in my mind (Doddy (http://www.stevendodd.com/journal/)). Then, the Zenhabits article finally tipped me over the edge!

In fact, I'm just off to gongfucha some Xizihao prior to my shave this morning... I wish all days could start this way. :)


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t24/HobbesOxon/2004-6FTM-55thAnniversary-03.jpg

[ouch]

Beautiful rig you've got there, Hobbes. Thanks for the blog link- looks like there's a lot to digest there. :thumbup1:

[Hobbesoxon]

Beautiful rig you've got there, Hobbes. Thanks for the blog link- looks like there's a look to digest there. :thumbup1:

Thankee kindly, sir...

Making tea in the "traditional" Chinese way is really similar to traditional shaving. You keep your bowl'n'brush at hot temperatures with water, I do the same with pot'n'cups. It's all about learning the process, feeling your way, learning through making mistakes - the result is something "just right" that you can't pick up from books. The best teas are old, rich and smooth, like whisky/cigars/wine.

Plus, you can easily get TAD in the same way as RAD... (which my wife knows only too well). :lol:


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[analog_kid]

Beautiful rig you've got there, Hobbes. Thanks for the blog link- looks like there's a look to digest there. :thumbup1:



+ infinity! That's really awesome!

[ouch]

Plus, you can easily get TAD in the same way as RAD... (which my wife knows only too well). :lol:


Toodlepip,

Hobbes


Really? :lol:


http://www.necessiteas.com/

[Scruff McGruff]

...It was also a member of the tea community that first raised traditional shaving in my mind (Doddy (http://www.stevendodd.com/journal/))...

Well, I suppose I'm continuing the lineage of tea bloggers (mine is http://www.teanerd.com, if you want to look at yet another one) who move on to real wet shaving. It was largely Mr. Dodd who got me interested in the idea as well, but it certainly helped that there were other tea junkies (Hobbes and Eastree) with the same interest.

Also, I can assure you that TAD is certainly a real disorder, as is TWAD (tea ware). :biggrin:

[Hobbesoxon]

Welcome, Brent! Glad to see you aboard the good ship B&B. :)


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[LukeInFlames]

Wow! Lots of tea aficianados here!

I have to admit that I am not a very experienced tea drinker, and I know virtually nothing about the local teas I buy. I just sample a few, find one I like, and buy it (since I can't read Japanese, the labels are meaningless to me). But one tea that I've really come to love in the evenings is soba tea. It's a grain tea (more info on soba here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soba), and as such it has a wonderful, nutty flavor and no caffeine. It has become my late night tea of choice. :001_smile

Thanks for the SpecialTeas link. I used to get my Dragon Well tea from an eBay seller, who has since gone out of business. Will look at what this shop has to offer.

Grain tea? do you mean mugicha? that stuff is the bomb. check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mugicha to compare. it's made from roasted barley. if you like that, you might like the Korean Oksusu Cha as well, it's made from roasted corn - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oksusu_cha

mmm, tea.

-L.

[Hobbesoxon]

Grain tea? do you mean mugicha? that stuff is the bomb. check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mugicha to compare. it's made from roasted barley. if you like that, you might like the Korean Oksusu Cha as well, it's made from roasted corn - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oksusu_cha

Great for curing "tea stomach" too, if you've had too much tea in one sitting. :)


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[tim]

It was largely Mr. Dodd who got me interested in the idea as well, but it certainly helped that there were other tea junkies (Hobbes and Eastree) with the same interest.

Welcome! Pardon my brevity, but with todays' posts my head is aswim in swirls of lather, chocolate, and tea :biggrin:!

[iron maiden]

I'm a fan of assam Jorhat....strong and dark

[Hobbesoxon]

I'm a fan of assam Jorhat....strong and dark

I need to drink more good Assam. I know so little about it, drinking mostly Chinese. Any recommendations for vendors?


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Scruff McGruff]

Hobbes: Tom Antony, aka Salsero, has recommended Tfactor (http://www.tfactor.us/) to me in the past, though I don't have any personal experience with them. I've also liked the teas I've had from Lochan Ltd. (http://www.lochantea.com), but I have only tried their Darjeelings, not their Assams.

Apparently the Assam region has not been doing well lately, so it may be hard to find an Assam that's truly great nowadays-- I know Tom has had a lot of trouble finding one that lives up to his expectations.

[Hobbesoxon]

Great stuff - thanks, Brent. I'll give Tfactor a shot!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Dennis]

Bumping this thread, well, because it deserves a bump. All the B&B tea nerds started somewhere. :001_smile

[Hobbesoxon]

The classics die hard :)

[TedK]

I'll place a resounding second for http://www.imperialtea.com/ as a source of good tea online.

I got started drinking good teas a long time ago, purchasing tea from a spice store in the Italian market in South Philly (Philadelphia). When I moved away from the Philly area, I lost that easy access to fine loose teas. (not to mention cheesesteaks, hoagies, strombolis and good delicatessens.)

Most so called good teas sold in the chain stores are just a flavor step away from steeping the cardboard box they came in. Rather than spend the money, I limped along with the national branded teas made into iced tea (a favorite drink).

Somewhere along the way I found (discovered) Imperial tea. Since then I've tried a few online sites, but I keep returning to Imperial tea. The teas are, to steal a phrase, "Lovely and quite yummy".

I was a confirmed tea drinker and happily drank tea instead of coffee; that is, until I got a job where bathrooms are not available. I had to substitute a stiff coffee for my tea just to preserve public opinion of mailmen and for my convenience and propriety's sake. Coffee is not a drink for me late in the day though, or I'll stay up all night.

That said, there are few civilized or lazy joys sweeter than a nice cup of tea. What I prefer is dependent on my mood. Sometimes a good rich dark tea like Darjeeling or Yunnan black:thumbup:; other times I want an etheral fragrant tea like Imperial Silver Needle Jasmine :thumbup::thumbup:or Silver Needles, then there is gunpowder or oolong tea just for basic quaffing during the day.