Tea Drinkers Check In

I'm a coffee drinker (espresso is much preferred), but tea is my real cup. About 8 cups a day if I'm at home.

Loose tea brewed in a nice pot is the way for me.

'Cuppa Cha' as we say. SWMBO had to learn all about tea when she met the family.

Must be others here with me...

Yep, lots.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/89-The-Cafe

Legion said:

Yep, lots.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/89-The-Cafe

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Well then, I obviously didn't know that forum existed...

StubbleTrouble said:

Well then, I obviously didn't know that forum existed...

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You're in trouble now We have lots of ways to spend money in the subforums.

I love drinking ice tea and hot tea.

Had some 2008 Peacock of Menghai for breakfast, while the ladies sipped some Dayuling oolong.

I mostly drink what you see below (it's an Irish blend of Assam and Kenyan) as my daily cuppa. At two boxes a month (250g ea) I suppose I'd recommend it!



I've dabbled in green tea and the good stuff is simply amazing. A client in CA introduced me to something she brings back from China and gave me a tin before I left. I wish I remembered what it was as the packaging was void of even pinyin.

I'll take any advice given on what hard-to-find green tea I can coax SWMBO to fetch for me the next time she's in HK! Of course, comparable Asian teas available stateside will also do!

Shed loads of black tea with a little sugar.. no coffee ever as it gives me atrial fibrillation!!!

oc_in_fw said:

You're in trouble now We have lots of ways to spend money in the subforums.

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Six months at B&B and I only found the Café today (or should I say I was shown here today).

StubbleTrouble said:

Six months at B&B and I only found the Café today (or should I say I was shown here today).

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How are you set on fountain pens? Do you enjoy fine tobacco?

oc_in_fw said:

How are you set on fountain pens? Do you enjoy fine tobacco?

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Fountain Pens? My handwriting is atrocious from all the note taking.

Tobacco? Going take some time off very soon, and I will definitely be enjoying a few cigars! (I actually did find the Brown Leaf some time ago)

StubbleTrouble said:

Fountain Pens? My handwriting is atrocious from all the note taking.

Tobacco? Going take some time off very soon, and I will definitely be enjoying a few cigars! (I actually did find the Brown Leaf some time ago)

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By bad handwriting is what inspired me to jump into the Nib. It has improved.

I am a tea drinker for just over a year. I have a birthday coming up and am dropping hints with the fam for tea related items. Loos leaf samplers etc...

So far Stash, Tazo and Kroger private selection. Earl Grey, English breakfast in the AM.
Chamomile, mint in the PM. An Oolong if I get Tea at a local coffee shop.

I'm looking forward to upping my cuppa

Here's my method for black tea:

• Partially fill teapot (1.5l teapot for my measures) with boiling water and replace lid / tea cozy
• When teapot is completely hot, dump heating water
• Place well-rounded tablespoon of loose black tea into pot (no teaball needed!)
• Pour freshly boiled water Over the tea to fill pot to rim
• Set timer for four minutes, stir the tea once, replace lid and tea cozy
• Pour a splash of milk into tea cups for serving if desired
• At about 3.30 minutes, stir pot once again (most steep three to five minutes)
• At four minutes, serve tea by pouring over the milk. Pour the last cups slowly and the loose tea will stay in the pot. Add sugar as desired
• If you're drinking the tea alone, you don't want to let it continue to steep in the pot. Empty the pot into another container using a strainer, rinse the pot and fill again with the filtered tea. Cover with the tea cozy

I keep an electric kettle full of hot, filtered water (at least very warm) at any point in the day so that I can bring it to a boil at a moment's notice. A good electric kettle is a modern staple in any Irish or English kitchen.

Chlorine will greatly diminish the nuances of tea or coffee as far as I'm concerned. There are quality filtration systems that greatly exceed pitcher filters in performance and price!

Tea bags are generally inferior in quality to loose tea. 'Good in a pinch, though.

I feel that loose tea steeps much better with no tea ball.

A tea cozy is essential (for me, anyway) for brewing proper tea.

Some similarities of tea culture in different places are striking. I have a great reluctance to wash my teapots with soap. Only tea and water goes in there! The Chinese are much the same!

Not a big fan of black teas, and I tried many of what are purported to be the very best. I think the 100% oxidation kills a lot of the flavor. If you enjoy black tea, I'd suggest trying some of the darker oolongs, which are much more complex. Fujian yancha (the "rock teas") and the heavily oxidized Bai Hao (Oriental Beauty) oolong from Taiwan can be really great.

I like teas in general, but I have a feeling that teas from South Korea may surprise you. The best teas are semi-fermented - green oolong. Mountain Tea is a good, reasonable source, and Medium Roast Dong Ding is a special treat.

Try out their sampler.

ouch said:

Not a big fan of black teas, and I tried many of what are purported to be the very best. I think the 100% oxidation kills a lot of the flavor. If you enjoy black tea, I'd suggest trying some of the darker oolongs, which are much more complex. Fujian yancha (the "rock teas") and the heavily oxidized Bai Hao (Oriental Beauty) oolong from Taiwan can be really great.

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I'll have to do a search for either of those and give it a go. Any pointers differentiating the prep from my own?

Thanks for the recommendation!

poikkeus said:

I like teas in general, but I have a feeling that teas from South Korea may surprise you. The best teas are semi-fermented - green oolong. Mountain Tea is a good, reasonable source, and Medium Roast Dong Ding is a special treat.

Try out their sampler.

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Two tips in a day!

Well, I do like my daily, but tea is like wine; 'So many to try and I readilly admit I've gotten into a rut!

Thanks!

I love Lapsang Souchong.

StubbleTrouble said:

I'll have to do a search for either of those and give it a go. Any pointers differentiating the prep from my own?

Thanks for the recommendation!

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You may be oversteeping your tea a bit. A good rule of thumb is to use more leaf and less time. This is taken to an extreme in the gong fu preparations, particularly for pu'er, where the steep times may literally be just a few seconds. Some are so strong you have to start pouring out the tea immediately after filling the pot with water.