The Tea Thread

[Keyrock]

Hey folks,

 

I may not be British (I'm an American citizen, but I'm Polish by birth), but I'm a very big tea drinker.  I generally tend to gravitate toward two varieties of tea:

 

1)  Earl Grey - A black team spiced with bergamot, an oil derived from orange peels that gives the tea a good bit of bite.

 

2) Oolong - A rather gentle tea with a very pleasant. but very subtle flavor.  If you go to a Chinese restaurant, this is the tea you usually get served there.

 

I generally stick with those tea varieties, what I'm wondering is what tea varieties others drink, and why?  I want to expand my tea drinking repertoire, but I don't want to do so blindly.

[Leferd]

Pu-erh is my favorite. It's a hand selected Chinese tea that's left to age for years and has a rich, fermented taste profile. If you go to a fine tea shop in Chinatown, be sure to to ask the shopkeeper to open up a cannister for you to examine. You can immediately tell the difference.

 

I take this tea as is -no milk, sugar, or lemon squeezes. But for lower quality, or everyday tea, then I'll mix it up.

[Enoch]

I may be an American troglodyte betraying my unrefined tastes, but Ceylon teas are the best. 

 

 

Earl Grey is particularly loathsome.  As far as I can tell from the taste and smell, those awful Greys take a perfectly fine bit of black tea and mix it up with a crock of stale potpourri.  Ghastly.

[Keyrock]

Earl Grey is particularly loathsome.  As far as I can tell from the taste and smell, those awful Greys take a perfectly fine bit of black tea and mix it up with a crock of stale potpourri.  Ghastly.

Heathen!

 

Burn him!  Burn the unbeliever!

[ShadySands]

I'm a pretty novice tea drinker but here are my top 3

 

1. Chai (with a black tea base)

2. Oolong

3. Rooibos

 

I'm with Enoch on Earl Grey and now I'm dying to try pu-erh

[Keyrock]

Maybe ya'll been tryin' some bunk-ass counterfeit Earl Grey tea.  Ya'll need to try some Bigelow Earl Greay team.  Maybe it's just proximity, since Bigelow teas are made right here in the overpriced state of Connecticut, though all the packets are individually sealed, which leads me to believe that Bigelow Earl Grey teas are just higher quality.  Regardless, I've tried other brands, and none of them came even close.  Bigelow Earl Grey teas have a nice sharp bite that hits you hard then fades away clean, leaving you with the nice smooth, yet pronounced, black tea taste. 

Edited May 27, 2014 by Keyrock

[Agiel]

Owing to my East-Asian ancestry, I've been of the belief that the use of additives of any type is for barbarians. Hot, straight, and "strong enough" is the way to go.

 

Unless one were to count Xing Iced Tea, which has enough cane sugar in it to cause a diabetic coma. But in my mind it counts as a soft drink and not actual "tea".

[Leferd]

I may be an American troglodyte betraying my unrefined tastes, but Ceylon teas are the best. 

 

 

Earl Grey is particularly loathsome.  As far as I can tell from the taste and smell, those awful Greys take a perfectly fine bit of black tea and mix it up with a crock of stale potpourri.  Ghastly.

Ceylon tea? Bwahahahahhahah! You know, there is a reason why people add (milk/mint/sugar/etc.) with their "chai" teas right??

 

Earl Grey? Completely agree. I had my doubts first time I tried it, but then again Captain Picard surely knows what he's talking about...bah!

[ManifestedISO]

Where do you think Picard gets the heavy clangers to deal with murderous alien devilry ... yes, Earl Grey, hot. 

[Leferd]

In hindsight, I realize I shouldn't trust a man who likes his tea replicated and blended with all sorts of rubbish.

[Keyrock]

I'm beginning to think that I simply get highly superior Earl Grey than all you poor, unfortunate, downtrodden serfs (I pitty all you underpriveleged, uneducated barbarians).  Do yourselves a favor and splurge for Bigelow teas.  I, as a member of the glorious, highly priveleged, Connecticut class not only get Bigelow teas fresh (they're in seales individual bags so they'll be fresh anywhere), but get them cheaper than other, far inferior peasant brands.

 

On a serious note, I will eventually move the **** out of Connecticut because I'm tired of going through ****ty winters.  Hopefully wherever I move (likely Virginia or Tennessee) I can get Bigelow teas.  If not, I'll have my folks send me several cases at a time so that I can drink the best, like the beourgeoisie member that I am.  I cannot allow myself to drink inferior teas like the common plebian folk.

 

I want all you, highly inferior, peasants to know, I feel for you and I'm praying for you to get halfway decent teas into your miserable lives, because that's the kind of magnanimous,  charitable man I am.  You're welcome.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Keyrock

[Enoch]

 

I may be an American troglodyte betraying my unrefined tastes, but Ceylon teas are the best. 

 

 

Earl Grey is particularly loathsome.  As far as I can tell from the taste and smell, those awful Greys take a perfectly fine bit of black tea and mix it up with a crock of stale potpourri.  Ghastly.

Ceylon tea? Bwahahahahhahah! You know, there is a reason why people add (milk/mint/sugar/etc.) with their "chai" teas right??

 

 

Not sure what you mean by the "chai" bit.  I was referring to black tea that happens to have been grown (and aged etc.) in Sri Lanka.  I find it more satisfactory than comparable products from Assam, Darjeeling, or the various Chinese source-points that I have tasted. 

[Leferd]

I am pretty dismissive about tea from or about the East Indian subcontinent (and am grouping Ceylon/Sri Lanka) whose tea drinking traditions include mixing spices, herbs, milk, and sugar into a "chai" tea.

 

*edit* although to be fair, I actually do enjoy chai, especially when it's offered by my in-laws and at Indian food establishments.

 

But generally speaking, the finest East Indian tea leaves can't compare to the higher grade Chinese or even Indonesian teas.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Leferd

[Keyrock]

If you're mixing copious amounts of sugar and/or milk into you tea, OBVIOUSLY your tea is not palatable to stand on its own.  A real, refined gentleman drinks their teas either straight or very lightly sweetened.

 

/raises nose to signify superiority

[Leferd]

If you're mixing copious amounts of sugar and/or milk into you tea, OBVIOUSLY your tea is not palatable to stand on its own.  A real, refined gentleman drinks their teas either straight or very lightly sweetened.

 

/raises nose to signify superiority

Salud. Though like Picard, I don't know if I can trust a man who champions blended tea from the New World served in *shudders* tea bags for convenience. This is akin to serving pre-ground coffee or frozen orange juice concentrate.

[Keyrock]

 

If you're mixing copious amounts of sugar and/or milk into you tea, OBVIOUSLY your tea is not palatable to stand on its own.  A real, refined gentleman drinks their teas either straight or very lightly sweetened.

 

/raises nose to signify superiority

Salud. Though like Picard, I don't know if I can trust a man who champions blended tea from the New World served in *shudders* tea bags for convenience. This is akin to serving pre-ground coffee or frozen orange juice concentrate.

 

I understand yor reservations, Leferd, and you are right to doubt.  I cannot presume you would take my truths...  I am sorry, awfully presumptious of me, my teachings, as fact without trying the deliciousness, the glory, NEIGH, THE SPLENDOR of Bigelow Earl Grey tea for thyself.  I do not doubt that the old country has teas to not only rival, but maybe even surpass what the fine folks in Fairfield, Connecticut put together for our refined drinking pleasure.  However, us colonists can only strive to duplicate the sublime, fragrant, splendiforous bouquet of true Earl Grey flavour known...  NEIGH, FAMOUS, throughout the old world.  Here is the url.  They may be new world, but the attention to quality is nothing short of the highest the old world has to offer.

[Zoraptor]

I have a shelf of chinese teas that I get for being a good sport and eating things like chicken feet, tendons, some sort of deep fried tripe and 7 year egg. I don't know what most of them are though as I cannot read mandarin and know I would spend a huge amount of time diving through wikipedia looking for what they are if I started, but I do rather like the ones that make a sort of floral arrangement when infused as that rather tickles my fancy.

[ManifestedISO]

Hay, like neigh, and possibly chai, is for horses. 

[Leferd]

 

 

If you're mixing copious amounts of sugar and/or milk into you tea, OBVIOUSLY your tea is not palatable to stand on its own.  A real, refined gentleman drinks their teas either straight or very lightly sweetened.

 

/raises nose to signify superiority

 

Salud. Though like Picard, I don't know if I can trust a man who champions blended tea from the New World served in *shudders* tea bags for convenience. This is akin to serving pre-ground coffee or frozen orange juice concentrate.

I understand yor reservations, Leferd, and you are right to doubt.  I cannot presume you would take my truths...  I am sorry, awfully presumptious of me, my teachings, as fact without trying the deliciousness, the glory, NEIGH, THE SPLENDOR of Bigelow Earl Grey tea for thyself.  I do not doubt that the old country has teas to not only rival, but maybe even surpass what the fine folks in Fairfield, Connecticut put together for our refined drinking pleasure.  However, us colonists can only strive to duplicate the sublime, fragrant, splendiforous bouquet of true Earl Grey flavour known...  NEIGH, FAMOUS, throughout the old world.  Here is the url.  They may be new world, but the attention to quality is nothing short of the highest the old world has to offer.

Lols. It's finally come out! Keyrock is a West India Company man!

[Keyrock]

Lols. It's finally come out! Keyrock is a West India Company man!

 

I am only a messenger, Leferd.  Just a simple, humble, unassuming messenger.  Is it so wrong of me to spread the word about high quality teas to the masses so that they, even the lowliest of the low, may enjoy the delicious, refined, sophisticated, taste of high quality teas?  Is it so wrong of me to try to empower the downtrodden plebians to enjoy the exquisite pleasures of the gentiles?  I only wish to empower the masses, Leferd.  I only wish to empower the masses.  Do not misake me for a prophet or a God, I am but a messenger of good taste.

 

 

[Oerwinde]

We have all sorts of tea shops here that sell a multitude of blended or specialty teas. One I liked was a winter blend that had dried apple and almond, it tasted like christmas.

[Leferd]

Ok. Blended teabags are receiving far too much disproportionate amount of attention in this thread.

 

[Sensuki]

My favourites are:

 

Southern Sunrise (Fruit Tisane)

Senscha Sensation

Oolong (straight or flavored)

Gen Mai Cha Bancha

Rooibos Raspberry Vanilla

Cinnamon Apple Chamomile

 

and others I forget

 

There's lots of good tea

[Oerwinde]

Tetley had an Orange Pekoe with added caffeine to match the levels found in coffee, called Perk. Our house lived on it. Then they took it away from us.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Oerwinde

[Sensuki]

I bought a really nice Orange Pekoe Earl Grey from a Chinese tea shop in Melbourne last year.