What's in your cup/mug ? #7

I hope this is okay. 270-something was feeling like a bit much, and was more than the previous threads #5 and #4.

My mug right now is cold Tim Horton's tea, because I let myself get distracted again. I blame Elton John and my dog.

>snip

Good idea with a new thread. I'm drinking some generic Darjeeling I bought a couple of days ago. Mostly harmless :-)

Drugstore Tetley's "Bold", nothing to write home about. I keep forgetting to buy some fancy water for my fancy teas; tapwater is good enough for the teabags but too harsh (or I so imagine) for the gentle greens.

Tetley's Green and Black is my favorite office kettle tea--requires very little fuss and attention.

At the moment, we've got a little bag from a Tea of Life variety assortment--Cinnamon Chai. It isn't very chai-ey; more like fruit or Earl Grey with a little spice. The others in the same assortment (varieties of white tea and chai spice with various flavorings) are surprisingly tasty for a discount outlet "giftable" set.

I like checking out outlet stores or little gift shops for new teas and such. I like the flavours I found in "For Tea's Sake" brand but the tea itself was too weak for me. One tea of theirs, it was entirely possible to scoop out some leaves and have no actual tea in it, just the blended bits. I think that was Zen Master.

I've got another round of Murchie's Stormwatchers, since it's miserable rainy out today and I had to do errands in down and was thoroughly irritated when I returned. It's one of Murchie's mid strength teas (3 cups out of 5, I think, maybe 4). It felt bland to me last time but that might be because I started the day with Golden Jubilee (5 cup strong) and my tastebuds were a little muted. It's ruined me for tea strength now. My Queen Victoria staple is a 3 cup. I didn't used to think of it as sorta mild but I see it now!

I find I can't drink Tetley. My stomach seems to disagree with it and I get gassy. Not so fun. I've never been attached to it enough to lament it's loss. We have piles from other people though. Maybe it's the cute little round containers.

For today's breakfast pot, I have a nice strong "Czar Nicholas Smokey Russian Blend" from The English Tea Store. Lovely.

A smaller cup of Tea India Chai. With Eggnog. It carries it well, especially with a bit of milk. Not sure why. Maybe the milk thins the 'nog and lets more smell out? Dunno. Makes me think of my dad adding a bit of water to a scotch to let it "bloom."

I have been downing endless mugs of Stash Maple Apple Cider (the foil pack says: Rooibos, hibiscus, cinnamon, natural maple flavor, natural apple flavor, natural caramel flavor). I bought this ages ago in a 100-bag box. I'm finally making a dent in the tea canister. Of course, I have about 100 more bags of other things floating around the kitchen.

An organic "Cream of Earl Grey" from a little tea shop called Sunny Side up in an area that I sadly don't live near anymore, called Deep Cove. A delightful little place. My doctor was there, so while waiting for (or just after) appointments, I'd wander the little shops and things, the parks, and wade around on the beach where the shallows went for quite a while and, if it was sunny enough, were quite warm, too. I want to go rent a kayak sometime and putter around there, maybe when all this covid goes away. (Never mind that I live pretty much next to a lake that I could also putter around with a kayak or little canoe. I feel like a 3 hour drive instead! *sips tea.*)

Since it's technically December 1st here I opened the first slot on the tea advent calendar my friend gave me.

Got Melbourne breakfast (black tea / vanilla). Bit chemically and do not like the vanilla but tea is inherently delicious.

That's a shame. I like vanilla in black tea but maybe it was an artificial thing.

I took the remains of my Golden Jubilee, now cold, and added more hot water and Domo stone ground London Fog Earl Grey. Not sure how stone ground tea works, apart from the obvious, so if it's not that, I'm not sure what but it's a powder. It's okay. Has a bit of that clingy mouth feel that I've gotten from matcha so maybe it's something to do with the process of making the powder.

That sounds interesting. I wonder why ground tea besides green is so uncommon.

2nd was "Gorgeous Geisha" which was Strawberries and Creme Green tea - alright. 3rd is Strawberries and Creme (herbal). I see a pattern. That one has hibiscus in it, not personally a fan of hibiscus but again not bad. :D

Blueberry Peach Crisp -- an advent calendar selection from CuppaGeek, a little indie tea blender. It is my first outing with anything with a green rooibos base and is very pleasant. Tastes like peaches and piecrust.

4th was Lemongrass & Ginger (spicy), 5th was a black tea blend of darjeeling, assam, and rwandan tea. Like the black tea blend the best by far.

That blend does sound good. Lemon and Ginger is a pretty popular mix. Took ages for me to find a lemon black tea that didn't also have ginger in it. My sister ended up getting me some from her trip to Israel!

I have Tim Hortons Orange Pekoe. I was making some Lapsang Suchong, but forgot about it and I really shouldn't be drinking tea that's been steeping for 3 hours.

I've never heard of CuppaGeek. I'll have to look them up.

>16 WeeTurtle: CuppaGeek (cuppageekteas.com, I think) is very good at dessert-y blends. I am gifting some of their Mornin' Waffles to tea friends this Christmas. Tastes less like waffles and more like a cinnamon coffee cake, but oooh! tasty!

I was running low on loose English Breakfast and Earl Grey tea, and the grocery store didn't have it this week, so I placed an online order with a local tea shop, Acquired Taste (https://acquiredtastetea.com/). Of course, I couldn't just order those two, and they threw in a sample of one I didn't order but looks good.

So, in my cup now is "Tippy South Cloud" which is a very nice Chinese (Yunnan) black. Very smooth and just the tiniest hint of smokiness.

The others are Black Dragon Oolong, Lady Londonderry, Glenora Breakfast (a custom blend for a local B&B), the Earl Grey and English Breakfast that I actually needed, and a tiny sample of Queen Mary.

Same old, same old, Tetley's Bold... but I've taken to crushing a few sprigs of mint in it--extremely tasty.

Which reminds me. Must find use for that ginger root drying in the fridge...

>19 LolaWalser: I did have a lovely ginger black blend this morning. 🙂

>20 tealadytoo:

It seems inevitable that this next mug will see a mint/ginger combo. :)

Speaking of, all these mentions of turmeric tea, has anyone tried just dosing their tea with powdered turmeric? What could possibly be the difference?

>18 tardis: I was running low on loose English Breakfast and Earl Grey tea

I ran out of loose leaf Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong some time last year, and neither is readily available here, so I ordered some online in UK to be sent to my nephew's address there and to be included in a parcel of little necessities which he was preparing to air freight to me. He sent it off at the beginning of December and it arrived last week, a transit time of just seven weeks. Not bad, I suppose, considering that sea freight can take at least three months and parcels sent by normal post tend to not arrive at all. So I'm now enjoying those two teas - plus the Horlicks which he also included in the parcel.

A pot of Barry's Gold Blend this morning, and I dug out a bone china cup and saucer just because.

>23 rabbitprincess: a perfect start

I made Glenora Breakfast Tea this morning. A very pleasant tea, but nothing special. I doubt I could tell the difference between this and English Breakfast. I'll have no problem finishing it, though.

Brother got me a tea subscription box (extremely nice gift). Having the Anhui Maojian now - it's drinkable. Has sorta a seaweedy-taste. My favorite one in the box so far was probably the cocoa nib rooibos.

Other tea I'm drinking is Si Ji Chun. Floral oolong. It's okay, I like the oolongs that are more FLOWERS than the ones that are greasy like Jin Xuan, this one seems a bit too greasy for my taste.

(Feel really picky :\ )

Coffee flavored tea! From teamazeshop.com, it's a blend of pu-erh, coffee beans, and cacao. Perfect for a raw, gray January day.

Neat! I have a tin of Jumpy Monkey from David's which is sort of similar, but though I like my test cup, I've yet to do much with the tin.

Need to get away from the computer long enough to get my tea from the kitchen.

>28 WeeTurtle: My kettle chirps after 30 minutes of warming and often that's a reminder that I forgot to drink my tea in just enough time before it's too cold.

Right now I am drinking a little peppermint tea before bed! :D

>27 gmathis:. The August Uncommon tea called Jet Black is also a coffee flavored tea that is really popular. I liked it!

I'm a regular on steepster.com and August Uncommon Tea is getting a lot of love there. I will have to investigate. (Like I need more tea.)

>31 gmathis:. There are several August Uncommon teas that I have found to be quite addicting.

This morning's cuppa was Hot Fudge (Teamaze; teamazeshop.com). Not a substitute for cocoa with marshmallows, but with a little milk, it does help with the late winter "I don't care as long as it's chocolate" carbohydrate blues.

This morning, Typhoo Gold. Right now, Twining's Cold Infuse Watermelon Mint.

Just finished a box of Kericho Gold teabags and now starting a box of Ketepa Pride. Both are bog standard locally produced everyday black teas.

>35 John5918: (U.S. redneck Midwesterner here) I love the turn of phrase "bog standard." I believe that would apply to my currently sloppily steeped tumbler of Tazo Awake English Breakfast with about as much milk as there is tea.

>36 gmathis:

Sounds good to me!

A French Vanilla Chai tea (Can't remember which brand).

I used to like going to TeaVana for loose tea but since they were bought up by Starbucks, I don't think they have stores anymore. :(

> 38, yes, I was just about to order some Throat Tender from them online, and apparently TeaVana is completely defunct.

Twinings Lady Grey, from the "variety" multipack.

I need a good Canadian source of loose leaf tea. Davids Tea is too expensive and also doesn't have what I'm after--just simple tea, black, Darjeeling, Oolong, not flavoured wonders.

>40 LolaWalser: Acquired Taste (https://acquiredtastetea.com/) is a local shop to me, but they ship. I've been happy with their teas.

A nice strong Czar Nicholas Smokey Russian blend this morning.

I unpacked a box this morning containing jars of tea from the old house. Nothing interesting though. I do need to find a source for oolong.

>41 tardis:

Thank you! Will give a go to an Assam and Lapsang Souchong.

>43 2wonderY: What kinds of oolong do you like? Flavored or plain leaves?

Plain, I think.

>40 LolaWalser: That made me wonder if Twinings have a local webshop i Canada. (To avoid tax / customs / delays in international shipping).

Ah, searching for walmart in Canada and loose leaf tea from twinings give me a fresh supply of "Not in Stores" and "Out of stock online".
Hmm, I see your problem.

amazon.ca har 7 tins of "100 g english breakfast" available. I'd drink that in an emergency and it seems like you could get a corner in it :-)
The rest seems to be tea-bags and flavoured teas and ... Not really worth drinking in my opinion.

>41 tardis: to the rescue!

But we already knew that:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/rescue/detail.shtml

(I think we had this discussion before, but without finding a solution.)

>47 bnielsen: mighty leaf isn't a bad tea and they ship to Canada www.mighty-leaf.com

>40 LolaWalser: I have sampled a few David's teas, courtesy of kind swap mates. My first thought upon trying the first one was "Where's the tea?" It was more addenda than anything.

Dipping into old jars, brewed a pot of Orange Mango Zinger. I can see why it has sat so long in my cupboard and is a retired blend by Celestial Seasonings. Too blaring flavors. I might just compost the rest of the jar.

>49 gmathis:

I have to give them credit for the excellent Earl Grey (I think of Indian manufacture), it's just that their selection is very heavy on "concoctions", as I call them, and poor on plain tea. Mind you, my standard of comparison is Upton Teas, who detail their tea by plantation...

>48 genesisdiem:, >47 bnielsen:

Thanks for the help. :) Another recentish problem is that shipping costs have risen so much, only buying more tea makes sense of the cost, BUT, then we quickly get hit by customs... so there's no winning really. I had to stop buying from Upton for this reason. The last time I paid almost 50 dollars extra for a 15-dollar value of tea.

>51 LolaWalser: Well, at least Acquired Taste is Canadian, so no customs/duty. There's also Murchies, although they seem to be heavily invested in teabags.

>40 LolaWalser: My local is The Tea Store, Ottawa: www.teastore.ca. I like their Ontario Breakfast especially.

>51 LolaWalser: I read Upton Tea catalogs with the same drooling avarice I used to apply to the Sears Christmas catalog when I was a kid!

>52 tardis:

Yes, no customs is a must now.

>53 rabbitprincess:

Thank you, will give them a try too. Ontario Breakfast, ha! Intriguing.

>54 gmathis:

Same! I used to read it pencil in hand, pages covered with circles of covetousness... :)

Kericho Gold from Kenya, which I am hoping would fit John's "Bog Standard" grade. :)

It's a grainy tea and I used too much, as even I am finding it too strong. But now I know...

>56 LolaWalser:

Enjoy it!

PS: Where did you get it? I always thought it was just something we picked up in local supermarkets and I didn't realise it had an international market.

>57 John5918:

Truly random find in a tiny convenience I entered to buy an extension cord. I presume there are some African connections because they were also offering some South African snacks made on the premises. Guy behind the counter seemed Middle Eastern though.

Half a kilo cost me 14 CAD, if you're interested in how it appreciates outside home market.

I have two that I use. I had a tea cup and saucer sent to me as a gift exchange. So I use that then I also have my heavy duty death wish coffee mug. It's handmade and it keeps it hotter for longer. ! I also make cups so my next project will be making tea cups 😁

>52 tardis: I'm going Murchies now. Haven't tried Acquired Taste though I'll look at it since Murchies selection is a little sparse on teas that aren't their own blends.

On the blends end though, I'm trying a few. I've found I like smoky teas so their Lapsang Suchong is as good as any other I've tried (which was mostly Davids). "Queen Victoria" remains my favourite blend, but I've also leaped on "Golden Jubilee" as it's very strong. I like that the site allows for people to add reviews so I read through them when I decide what to try. There are shipping costs though, I think.

>40 LolaWalser: I like that box. It's a good mix. :). It's where I discovered Irish Breakfast.

As said above, I like Murchies for certain teas. Where abouts are you? Do you depend on online shopping?

PS. I am also cleaning out old tea bags. I have David's Smores Chai. Not enough Chai and too much of whatever is in there that is trying to taste like graham cracker. I think part of my gripes with Davids (apart from their discontinuing every favourite tea of mine) is that some of their stuff is so flavoured it doesn't have enough actual tea in it. Really, what are the tiny marshmallows actually doing? Why not use vanilla sugar or something? Is it an aesthetic?

>52 tardis: I forgot to add what I meant to say the first time around. Murchies does have loose leave options for most of their teas, I think. I bought loose leaf teas for all of the above I mentioned. I only gets the bags when they are cheaper and I want to sample something.

>58 LolaWalser:

I went to a supermarket today and checked the price of Kericho Gold. Half a kilo of loose leaf tea is KES 395, which the all-knowing internet informs me is CAD 4.55. A cheaper brand, Fahari ya Kenya, is KES 237, or CAD 2.73.

>62 John5918:

Fair enough. Considering the trip it takes, I'm not against paying more, if only the price hike alone could offset the damage to the environment...

>60 WeeTurtle:

I'm in Toronto, which should be OK for tea, but there aren't many good places for one's loose leaf needs. I used to get the greens, Pu Erh and jasmine in Chinatown (Ten Ren's Tea; plus the occasional grocery) but they don't carry plain black, which is what I'd use most (especially Keemun, IF they had any!)

It's where I discovered Irish Breakfast.

You should try it in a loose leaf form... I used to buy a lot of Twinings in the past, when one could find it in tins, in the stores. Their bagged stuff doesn't seem as good to me.

>63 LolaWalser: I had a tin of David's Irish Breakfast but I doubt I'll go that far for it. I haven't bought boxed tea in a while either, though we always have the usual Red Rose around which is still the lazy got to for when I don't feel like dealing with tea ware.

There are teas that I used to get from local places that aren't quite so local anymore, so not sure how I'll get refills on those short of a very long drive or pestering relatives that live closer.

I got an order from David's Tea when they had a free shipping day a couple of weeks back. I bought something called "Winter Earl Grey" that I tried for the first time yesterday afternoon. There wasn't enough bergamot, in my opinion, for this to qualify as an Earl Grey, but it was good. There were layers of flavor with vanilla predominant. I gave it a short steep and one re-steep, and there was plenty of flavor there.

A friend sent me a couple of Cedarburg Rooibos sachets from Five Mountains Tea. Either you like straight-up rooibos or you don't; I do.

>64 WeeTurtle: I think that pestering relatives is justified if it will help you get your proper tea!

I refill at a local shop that has decent Darjeeling and Keemun.

gmathis sent me a fun assortment of oolongs, and I blindly picked the Joy Luck oolong to brew this morning. Ah! Now I remember why I used to try different teas! This is nice and mild and a taste so different from my everyday pot. Thank you GG!

Wish I could tell you where it came from definitively; the tin was a Christmas gift. If I find out more about the original source, I'll let you know.

Right now, I've got decaf Red Rose because it's after 3am and I'm being stubborn.

Another GG gift; Kali Cha Oolong. This has a more neutral tone than the Joy Luck; but still soothing. I think I’m brewing it correctly. One spoon for a small pot; three cups capacity.

>39 vwinsloe:

I still see some TeaVana products in the coffee/tea aisle of my grocery store. I know I have bought 2 different ones that have the TeaVana name. Not sure about that particular one though. I don't usually go to Starbucks so I don't know if they sell any of the teas online through their site or not or if they have any of them to sell in bulk at any of their locations.

I have decaf Red Rose again because I am also up late but not quite as late as before. Also painting now. Alas, it is cold tea now as I forgot to turn the room heat on.

I need to pick out a chai for when I go on my next tea excursion.

>72 JenniferRobb:. I will check. Ty.

>71 2wonderY: Truthfully, the Kali Cha isn't one I was really excited about, although it gets very positive reviews.

A tea friend sent me a Pandora's box of samples, one of which was Pineapple Shaman by Wise Ape Tea (had never heard of it). Darjeeling with pineapple and lapsang souchong, plus odd bits of other goodies. It really does taste like grilled pineapple!

I tried Twining's Chai French Vanilla. I always taste new tea plain before deciding what to add but I think this one needs sugar. It reminds me of really milky coffee and is definitely a fall/winter tea.

I have a sampler of a tea that's meant to be a "tribute" to merlot wine. I just brewed up a pot to try it. It doesn't really taste like merlot, and I didn't really expect it to. It took awhile to figure out what the taste WAS reminding me of. Then it dawned on me.

Raisinets. Which isn't really a bad thing.

https://www.englishteastore.com/merlot-flavored-black-loose-leaf-tea.html

>77 tealadytoo: I can't imagine a tea that tastes like merlot. Several years ago I came across a merlot flavored Ghirardelli chocolate bar at Target. I put it in my husband's Christmas stocking and he took it to a wine tasting. It was delicious! Haven't been able to find it since. Sigh.

As usual a Darjeeling :-)

This time a Darjeeling First Flush FTGFOB Millikthong. I havent't tried this one before but it has a really nice taste and flavour, so I'll be seeking out the 2021 version when it's available.

>77 tealadytoo: I had to google Raisinets. It's not what I thought it would be (I was picturing a raisin wine or some kind of retsina). Chocolate-covered raisins are delicious! Now I want some...

I'm having mango-flavoured green tea. It's nice, but I wish I could get hold of a black tea version. Whittards used to do one, and it was delicious...

>80 Dilara86: Perhaps this? https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Tea-Black-Mango-Loose/dp/B005CD3JG2

Kukicha twig tea, purchased in bulk at our local indie grocer. I think it's this variety:

https://www.frontiercoop.com/bulk/teas/green-and-white-teas/frontier-co-op-kukic...

Not my normal morning fare due to the light caffeine, but it's cheerful and nutty and a little bit sweet.

>81 tealadytoo: Yes! Unfortunately, the seller doesn't ship to France, where I live. But it made me realise that I hadn't tried amazon.fr. So I did, and found some - sold by Gaiwa, a German tea seller that's looking very promising!

>76 genesisdiem: Thats good to know, thanks. :). Not sure I've seen it around but knowing ahead of time is handy.

I have Lapsang Souchong with sugar and milk, (as always) and then some Dark Chocolate almost Silk (non dairy thing) since I wanted more drink but less tea. It's not bad. LS is always dependable at poking through whatever I add to the cup so I can still taste it. :).

I like Ahmad Loose Leaf Tea, especially the Ceylon and Cardamom varieties. At the moment I have a herbal infusion of Rodopski tea in my cup, from Bioprogramme, a Bulgarian producer. Its ingredients are rose hips, yarrow herb, wild thyme, apple, blackberry leaves. Lovely and herby.

I have an oolong tea, steeped for round 3 since I heard that it's actually better on latter steepings. I think it's some kind of "milk oolong" though I'm not sure what that means. I do have milk in it, after sipping it a few times plain.

https://www.denfransketehandel.dk/alle-te/milky-oolong (Danish text) claims the taste is milky and sweet just because of the type of tea used. Other sites claim their tea spends time near hot milk before the final processing.

If you like the taste, enjoy the tea :-)

Today I had Twinings, Lady Grey, in teabags, from the local supermarket. It is quite light, with a slight citrus aroma.

Lemon vanilla pu'erh. It's quite tasty, really.

I'm back in South Sudan after an 18 month hiatus due to COVID travel restrictions, and one of the first things I did was have a glass of Sudanese tea (shai in Arabic) at a small roadside kiosk in Juba, sitting outside a corrugated iron shanty with an awning made from plastic sheeting donated by some aid agency or other. Served in a small glass, hot, strong, dark, sweet, flavoured with cloves and cardamom, and it only cost me the equivalent of around 20 US cents.

>90 John5918: mmmm

I have switched to cold tea because the heat index is 100 today and it's not even summer yet. I just can't take hot tea when I am already melting....

We made our first batch of spearmint tea, refrigerated after brewing with stuff picked fresh from the patch.

>91 genesisdiem:

Temperature was around 35C yesterday. But I've always found this type of hot sweet tea to be good in hot climates.

This morning I'm in a conference centre a few kms outside the city and for my early morning cuppa I find myself drinking Lipton's Yellow Label teabags, "imported and packed in Egypt".

Sipping some Long Jing green tea. Working from home in the Covid-19 epidemic has reduced my store of tea but I still have 14 boxes (Twinings 100g tins), so I have some to choose from (although some of the 14 hold the same Ceylon tea).

>90 John5918: Oh! Your description takes me back 45 years to a lonely roadside stop in Libya and my favorite cup of Arabic tea - strong, sweet, with pine nuts and mint. Lots of flies, a filling goat stew and a wonderful glass of tea - mmmm!

>95 TempleCat:

Good memories!

>96 John5918: Good description - corrugated iron, plastic awning, small glass, cloves - it really produced a vivid image!

The grocery chain I shop for Red Rose has discontinued carrying it. So I had to look at the other offerings for orange pekoe black tea. I’ll never willingly drink Lipton, and I don’t recall if Tetley is any good. So I picked up a box of Newman’s Own organic. I was pleasantly surprised. It’s got a similar mildness; never going bitter in the pot. Perhaps a slightly deeper tone than Red Rose.

Tried Celestial Seasonings cold brew Raspberry Tea and it ... kinda tastes like bottled tea. I can tell it has "added flavour" and it's not really all that pleasant. I've not had much luck with cold brews.

>99 genesisdiem: Yuck! That brings back memories of some cheap teas sold here once upon a time. Tea Set Brand, 24. Belcher's St., Kennedy Town. Hong Kong. Thee gearomatiseerd.

All of the flavours were really nasty and not what you would expect. One of them would give me a headache just by being brewed in the kitchen 10 meters away. I think it was the jasmine variant.

>98 2wonderY: It's a fine line between Strong Ceylon Tea and Paint Remover :-)

>98 2wonderY: Tetley has a green and black blend that takes abuse very nicely. Can't find it locally--have to order online--but I keep my office "pantry" stocked with it.

>83 Dilara86: An update on my search for mango-flavoured black tea. I bought a big 500g bag from Gaiwan. It looks and smells exactly like the old Whittard's blend. It tastes OK, but it doesn't have the depth and brightness I remember from Whittard's. I've been trying out different quantities, temperatures and steeping times to see if it makes a difference, but no luck so far. I'll still drink it though.

Murchies No. 10 Blend.
https://www.murchies.com/product/no-10-blend-loose-tea/

It's a green-black blend and my go-to morning cuppa.
Murchies is one of my local tea companies that has shops in Vancouver, Canada and Victoria, Canada.

Czar Nicholas Smoky Russian Blend. Very nice for those of us who like smoky black teas.

https://www.englishteastore.com/1mt-cnrc.html

>104 tealadytoo: I love that one.

Nothing at the moment because I'm visiting relatives and forgot my kettle. :(

>106 Settings: That reminds me of my introduction to a second cousin. I’d never met her, but my dad and I came to town (Milwaukee) for a family reunion, and we were invited to stay with his cousin, Onie. When I walked into her house, I finally understood where I came from. She not only collected decorative tea kettles ( I collect teapots); she also fills her house with books, nature, and bold colorful art.

>102 Dilara86: I have a mango black tea from a place called Pekoe. Not sure if they're still around since it was a store I would visit and I've never really looked online. It was Steeps at one point. Unless I have the names backwards. It changed from one to the other. I like it because it's mostly just mango and black tea, without extra things. I once tried to find a plain black tea with lemon but it was near impossible because everything I found had ginger in it, or some other flavour I didn't want. Eventually, my sister found me a box in Israel and brought it back for me.

Right now though, I have Stash Chocolate Mint Oolong.

>103 Gail.C.Bull: I don't think I've tried that one. Queen Victoria is my staple, and I need to get more of it at some point. I had a container of Golden Jubilee as well. Good stuff!

I'm on my third batch of Kericho Gold.

>108 WeeTurtle:

I went looking for Twinings flavoured black tea, mango and lemon, I had in the early nineties in Italy. Mango I can't find a trace of (incidentally, who knew the tins could be a collector's item some day!!), but their lemon(-scented) is documented here:

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/twinings-lemon-scented-tea-tin-caddy-2373...

AND, apparently still available albeit teabags only, in India (images come up from Amazon India).

>109 WeeTurtle:
I am a total Murchies junkie! No. 10 Blend is my favourite, but I also like Library Blend.
Their Earl Grey is one of the most flavourful versions of the blend I've ever had.

>111 Gail.C.Bull: I'll have to look up Library Blend. I don't think I'm familiar with it.

Just finished some Red Rose before bed. No decaf, but wanted tea. It's been a long couple of days.

I live on black tea; two to three pots a day. And for simplicity, I have relied on Red Rose for the past 3+ decades. Well, the grocery that did carry it has discontinued it. So I tried Newman’s Own, which was fine, but sometimes a bit flat on flavor. Next try is Luzianne. So far, it seems comparable. And it hasn’t gone to individually wrapped bags, which I’m glad of.

>113 2wonderY: You can always order the Red Rose direct from Red Rose.

https://redrosetea.com/collections/explore-our-teas-see-category-page

And they give you the option of with or without the individual bag envelopes.

Found some Ty-Phoo Extra Strong at a local Tuesday Morning store and I'm loving it. Probably comes from burning out my tastebuds with heavy black teas for many years, but it doesn't strike me as that much stronger. Still nice with milk.

Just started a new batch of Golden Monkey from Adagio. "A bit flat on flavor" is an apt description (thanks, >113 2wonderY:). Maybe I'll try a new distributer when this latest bag runs out. Meanwhile, I wonder what mixes well with it?

>116 TempleCat: This time of year, cinnamon sticks work wonders with about anything :)

>117 gmathis: Hmmm ... that *does* sound good! I was thinking about mixing other teas I have in my stash, but cinnamon might just do the trick. Thanks!

-----

Next day:
You know what you get when you stir a bland tea with a cinnamon stick? A cinnamon tea. It didn't really help my flat flavored Golden Monkey this morning, but I think I'll try adding some cocoa tomorrow. I'm a big fan of chocolate!

Follow-up:
Yech, no! It's possible to ruin an already meh cuppa. :-( I think I'll just revert to tea-flavored milk and honey. Sad - I was looking forward to this new batch....

A neighbour is moving out of the building and brought me a carton of their kitchen stuff, quite a different selection to mine. Lots of tisanes and green tea and no black, except for some flavoured Tetleys. I made a pot of "Black currant"--drinkable, although I can't fight off the association to bubblegum or some such...

It's been a crazy week so I am calming myself with a nice cup of Earl Grey.... might accompany it with a nap. :)

Feet up with a cup of Bigelow's Peppermint Bark. There's a good deal of licorice in it for sweetener, but a little bit of milk tones it down nicely.

>119 LolaWalser: That's exactly my take on "Black currant". Drinkable in a pinch but with quite a bit to remind you of boiled candy.

I'm drinking some black tea with "cream" flavour that I was given as a gift by someone who didn't know that I'd preferred something with "tea" flavour :-)

>122 bnielsen:

heh, "boiled candy" nails it.

Next I tried the strawberry (also a flavoured black), somewhat less unusually tasting to me, but probably better left for iced tea.

I'm back on Ketepa Pride teabags, having finished the last batch of Kericho Gold. I have no preference between the two; I just buy whichever is convenient. I like to buy by the hundred, which lasts me about a month, drinking at least three large mugs of tea per day. If I make tea in a pot I use loose-leaf Earl Grey or Lapsang Souchong. I try not to buy tea bags that come in those annoying little individual envelopes, nor with thread and tags attached.

>124 John5918:
I like Earl Grey, too. Have you tried Numi's Aged Earl Grey tea bags? They do have the attributes that you find annoying, but Numi is the only brand of Earl Grey I've tried that doesn't have a very chemical-tasting bergamot (*much* better than Twinings, in my opinion.) They claim to use organic bergamot. They do sell a loose-leaf version as well, but I haven't tried that.

>124 John5918: >125 TempleCat: I agree that Earl Grey is not Twining's shining moment. I'm very partial to the Organic Earl Grey from Two Leaves and a Bud.

>126 tealadytoo:
Hmm ... I've never heard of that brand but I think I'd like to try it. The markets I frequent do not carry Two Leaves and a Bud teas, so I'd have to get them straight from 2L&AB or Amazon. Which do you recommend - the bags or the loose leaf?
----
(a bit later) I just ordered the black tea sampler (Assam, Earl Grey, English Breakfast) from Two Leaves and a Bud. I'm partial to all three (teas, leaves, buds :-), so we'll see how this vendor stacks up. 🫖☕️🤞 It's rather expensive, though, particularly with shipping added in.

>127 TempleCat: I get bags from TL&AB for when I'm on the go and can't brew loose leaf. In fact, I'm sipping the organic assam now at work. Usually I get it from Amazon just for the convenience factor.

Today I made a pot of ‘Wild Wuyi’ from Heirloom Teas. Touch of smoke, lots of flavors depending on steep & temp, but nicely hardly any tannin/bitter on my extra long (“oops got busy with work & forgot to take out the tea leaves!!”) steeps.

Drinking a flavored blend called Irish Whiskey from a little shop called TeaMaze in Branson MO ... black tea, cocoa beans, and whiskey flavor. Being a tea-totaler (pun intended), I can't vouch for the accuracy of the flavoring, but it's a nice malty offset to the sweet cocoa.

>130 gmathis:

I've drunk Irish coffee from time to time (hot black coffee, sugar, Irish whiskey, and a layer of cold cream floating on the top) but never really explored whisky or whiskey in tea, except maybe the occasional hot toddy to fend off a cold or malaria, just a dash of the golden nectar in a normal cup of hot sweet tea. You've piqued my interest now. I'll have to experiment with some of the Islay single malts which I have in my collection!

>131 John5918: Happy to oblige!

>131 John5918: I've grown up with the practice of using honey, whiskey, and lemon as a sore throat soother in the wintertime and often just add the mix into tea for a little extra flavoring.

>133 genesisdiem: Me too. A few years ago (well, 19 to be exact), I was travelling with some friends and one of the women was suffering from a sore throat and cold. We were in Stratford-on-Avon and had just come back from a play. Some of us decided to have a nightcap in the bar. We thought we could help our friend out but didn't know what kind of drink would be best. We finally asked for a shot of whiskey, some fresh cut lemons and a pot of honey from the breakfast bar. She mixed it up and proclaimed it the worst tasting stuff she had ever had. The next morning, her cold and sore throat were gone and she said she slept like a brick! She was able to enjoy the rest of the trip without any problems. :)

Red Rose at the moment. My tea stock is dwindling and is even small now as I've just tossed the remainder of my "Glitter Gold" David's Tea into the dung heap. Ick! I made some the other day and it was nasty! I hate wasting, especially my leaf tea, but that cup was vile. Didn't even go back for a second sip. I suspect after reading the ingredients that something in it decided to turn and took the tea with it. I've had teas around for years that weren't that bad. No more David's, or teas with extra flavouring stuff that's likely to go rancid. Ew!

>131 John5918: I drink black tea and whisky sometimes, it's a good combination. I have a pre-bottled cold-brewed oolong and whisky mix also. I'd imagine the relative nuetrality of Irish whiskey would make a good choice. I've always used one of the blended scotches I keep around for everyday drinking rather than one of my single malts.

>136 tallpaul:

Yes, everyday blended scotches generally make better mixers than single malts. Indeed it's almost sacrilege to even consider mixing a good single malt with anything other than perhaps just a drop of water.

>137 John5918: Agreed, though I quite like an Islay Rob Roy. But i have a xmas present non-age statement supermarket own brand Islay for that and, to be frank, it's pretty undrinkable if it's not mixed with something.

>135 WeeTurtle: Life's too short to drink bad tea!

I do like flavored teas with a lot going on, but by the time I get to the bottom of the tin or packet, the chunks of the good stuff (whatever they may be) are gone. And then, hoarder that I am, there sits a tin of tea dregs...I suppose I'm inwardly hoping it regenerates itself.

I’m abstaining from tea this morning.😞 I’ve got cataract surgery scheduled today. (Second one, so there are no terrors.)

>140 2wonderY: Here's to a good cuppa when you get home!

>141 gmathis: I packed a carafe of tea and drank it right away, on the way home.

Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Vanilla, because my stomach doesn't want black tea right now.

>142 2wonderY: You'd think that would occur to me more. I'll have to try and remember for the future. ;)

A cheap Pi Lo Chun bought during the summer vacation. Okay, but not top notch. (It was also way cheaper than expected, so no big surprise :-)

>144 WeeTurtle: A friend of mine gave me an Adagio ToastTEA thermos (this isn't a paid advertisement, I promise!) with a steeping basket that screws into the lid. Pour in your hot water, screw the lid on tightly, and flip it upside down to steep. Using good strong leaves and tea blends, I can get two or three good steeps during the day at work.

>146 gmathis: It won't make the tea too bitter?

Stash Chai at the moment. Trying to find a box chai that I like but no luck so far. They're all kinda meh. Tried Tazo, Stash, maybe Twinnings? No Tetley because I avoid it. Something called "Muskoka Chai" I got at Indigo books.

Wuyi Ensemble, a nice oolong from Adagio, roasty with a little sweetness. Nice late afternoon, watching the rain come in, drink.

>147 WeeTurtle: I wondered the same thing when I tried it, but it's constructed so that your tea isn't stewing in the leaves the whole time you use it. And it does a really good job of insulating. My only critique is that the rubber ring in the seal isn't glued in permanently, but it tucks back into the lid tightly after washing.

Feet up at the moment with a jasmine green tea from Damman Freres. I never thought I was a jasmine tea fan, until friends started sending samples of the really good stuff my way. Lightly scented instead of heavily perfumed.

I'll check that out. :)

Decaf Red Rose right. I was given the remains of someone's tea sampler so I tried the "Maple Syrup Oolong." David's Tea. Of course. It actually wasn't bad. I noticed because I wasn't subtly glaring at each time I went to take a sip.

Nothing at the moment... husband has discovered that the kettle works perfectly with his new French press so it's always in use when I want to make a cup of tea... I might have purchase a second kettle and hide it in my office...

Also, dr has suggested switching to no/low caf teas. Any suggestions for a good tasting black tea that's no/low caf?

>150 WeeTurtle: I was recently gifted a sample of the David's Maple Syrup Oolong. It's very tasty; very mapley, but my first thought was "where's the tea?" because there are so many other fruity bits in there!

>151 genesisdiem: I have been hunting for the holy grail of unflavored decaf black teas for years and I'm not sure it's out there, but the best I've tried is Ty-Phoo Decaf. Still has a little muscle left after the decaffeination process. For foo-foo teas, there are a lot of options, Harney & Sons Vanilla Comoro being one of my favorites. I've also recently discovered Teeccino, a brand that carries the most chocolate-y and coffee-y herbal blends I've ever tasted.

>152 gmathis: Thanks! I'll have to try them.

I found a jar of Bigelow Spiced Chai in my pantry and thought it would suit a frigid morning. Not particularly impressed; though it might be a good choice when serving guests.

>154 2wonderY: I'm picky about chai, too; to me, many of them taste like somebody randomly dumped out the contents of their stale spice rack into the blend.

I think you called it right, gg. It doesn’t have one distinct note, it’s just muddled. Perfectly fine for those who’s (whose?) palates aren’t cultivated for decades in this direction.

Here we make chai by boiling milk (or a milk and water mix) with masala spices, then adding normal black leaf tea and boiling and then simmering a bit more, then pouring it through a strainer to remove the tea leaves. When I'm on my own I don't bother, I just drink teabag tea, but when my wife is around and/or we have visitors (both of which are the case at the moment) I cook proper chai every morning.

>157 John5918: That sounds lovely!

>157 John5918: No sugar added? I'm of two minds here, but sometimes I prefer a bit of sugar in chai. I can buy lots of different kinds of chai powder here, but that's 95% sugar, so I always avoid those.

>159 bnielsen:

For most of my life I have enjoyed loads of sugar in any type of tea, whether English builder's tea or African chai, and traditional African chai is made with large quantities of sugar included in the mix as you boil it. That would still be my preference. But as old age and expanding tummies crept up on us, we reluctantly decided to stop using sugar on a regular basis, so we now cook chai in a non-traditional manner without sugar. If you can get really good creamy milk rather than the tasteless white water which often passes as "whole milk" these days, and especially when you get locally produced milk straight from the cow which hasn't passed through any processing plants, then the chai tastes good even without sugar. When you drink it in a local house you can taste the smoke from the open fire on which it is cooked, either wood or dried cattle dung, and that adds a really nice flavour. But I still add sugar when I'm feeling in need of a bit of extra energy.

I love chai made on the stove. I'm not sure how many variances there are, but I think my favourite would be Indian, since most times I've had it, it's been at an Indian food joint, or in one case, served at a college all you can eat fundraiser for a small school in India. I'm a bit lazy though as well, so I just get back stuff, though I'm on the hunt for a good brand now since my favourite one is long gone.

I have an estate Assam tea right now, from the local tea shop. Hatimara I think? I'm hoping to get my hands on some Banaspaty again but I only know of one place now and that's at a pricey hotel. There's a little tea shop I haven't been to in a while that sells Tarajulie estate (not sure I spelled that right). Hopefully they survived the pandemic.

I near always take sugar in black tea, but I've started being more aware of the sugar I eat and now I find that if I've had sweet things already, I can do without it.

>160 John5918: Thanks! I think I'll go out and mix some spices and make some chai later in the day. (Part of the program today is a 2 x 20 km e-bike trip to work and back, so I'll add sugar to the mix if it rains :-)

>162 bnielsen: mix some spices

Here even the smallest grocery shop sells ready-mixed masala spice for tea, although we often add some freshly-grated ginger to add a little extra zest.

>163 John5918: Not so here. But I can buy a lot of different "masala chai" tea bags. I just prefer mixing some myself :-) A little ginger, pepper and chili will surely help me get warm after the bike trip.

Taste buds change as we age. I found my sister adding two spoons of sugar to her tea now. AND deliberately allowing it to turn (ferment) slightly. Her counter is filled with teapots in various stages of readiness.

Myself, I began remarking on a sweetness aftertaste, so I began testing sugars. For sure, walked away from anything not marked came sugar. Beets are now GMO and subjected to a full season of pesticides before harvest.
I buy less refined sugars now, and switched to using half a spoon of brown sugar in my tea.

>161 WeeTurtle: I've tried both Banaspaty and Tarajulie Assams (LOVE good Assams!) -- they came from https://www.uptontea.com/, if you've never tried that vendor before. I think I dropped off their snail mailing list, but they used to put out a quarterly catalog that I drooled over like the Sears Christmas Wish Book.

Another added Upton treat: I think they still sell sample sizes so that you can test and try lots of things at a reasonable cost before committing to a big tin.

>165 2wonderY:
I find the sweetness of sugar in tea a mite too intense, even if I limit myself to just the tip of a teaspoon. Unfortunately, I also find it necessary to tone down the astringency of black teas, so I've been having fun trying different kinds of honey instead of cane or beet sugar. The depth of flavors and the variation due to terroir makes even blah grocery store tea bags taste good!

Primula white tea. I do love their expensive glass teapots and the glass strainer. But I’m not a fan of this brew. It claims to be smooth, but it does odd things to my tongue.

Steven Smith’s Portland Breakfast. Yummy. A very good blend, stands up to my long steeps (oops, did i make a pot of tea? Oh, yes, 20 minutes ago!) and even 2nd steepings. Gets some tannins on 2nd but as I like my tea dark & strong & bitter, that’s just perfect for me. Perfect for a cold dark rainy Saturday here in the Pacific Northwest.

Turkish Tea from Rize district. Very small leaf style but surprisingly good. Also good for 2nd steeping, but 3rd steepings, no. I've got a 500 g package, so it'll last a couple of weeks at the least :-)

Lapsang Souchong, from Davidson's, no other specs provided. Very smoky, pretty much how I like it, although I suspect the base tea isn't super-great.

>170 bnielsen:

First time I hear Turks grow tea! What a conflict of interests. :)

>172 LolaWalser: Where's the conflict? They've been producing tea in sizable amounts the past 75 years. But I think they drink most of it themselves. Most of the tea sold in Turkish stores here in Denmark is Ceylon tea, so the Caykur Rize Turist Çay is direct import :-) (i.e. a gift)

Another tea producing country you might never have heard of is Portugal. (The Azores) but that will have to do without any recommendations from me. (Unless you like the taste of stale Ceylon tea and if so, you can buy that much cheaper, I'm sure.)

>173 bnielsen:

Turkish tea vs. TURKISH COFFEE

cage match at 10

Co-op 99, well brewed, two heaped sugars, plenty of milk (full-cream). Bone-china mug, leave the spoon in. Get through 80 bags a week. I suspect my taste may be a little more agricultural than some of the others here :)

>175 DuncanHill:

Sounds perfect to me!

Anyone else a sucker for Black Friday sales? Books and Tea get me every year.

This year I made a total impulse purchase of a relatively pricey tea from Harney & Sons called "Japanese Whiskey." And, I was presently surprised! It is without a doubt the smoothest tea I have ever tasted. Highly recommended for anyone who likes strong black tea with a bit of smoke.

>177 vwinsloe: so many friends have been tempted by that one - and liked it!

>174 LolaWalser: I don't think Turkey has coffee plantations, so Turkish Tea won :-) Or maybe NC?

It's not unusual for countries to grow, drink and export both tea and coffee. Kenya and Uganda are both good examples.

>178 camelama:. Good to know! (But don't encourage me, I am supposed to be shopping for others!)

>175 DuncanHill: There is a time for foofy tea and there is a time for good strong sturdy unleaded stuff. You chose wisely :)

>177 vwinsloe: A tea friend sent me a sample of Adagio's Kentucky Bourbon. It's also a really nicely balanced black tea with enough smoke to make you taste the barrel, so to speak.

>182 gmathis: I get some teas from Adagio and will check out their Kentucky Bourbon next time I order. Thanks!

>176 John5918: I imagine it would be very welcome when you've been stoking a loco!

>184 DuncanHill:

Indeed! Boil the water almost instantly in a billycan dangling from a fire iron inserted into the firebox at several hundred degrees Celsius, add tea bags, milk and sugar (or if milk and sugar aren't available, add a can of condensed milk which fulfils the same purpose), and you have first class builder's tea, or as we call it, footplateman's tea. You can also cook bacon and eggs with toast on the shovel, but you have to watch it carefully as the bread tends to burst into flames in seconds if you're not careful. The main reason steam locomotives have a fireman appears to be to make tea for the driver!

>185 John5918: Ha! That reminded me of a couple of Mum's friends years ago when I was a teenager. They had two steam traction engines and I'm sure they used to get them in steam as an excuse for a fry-up!

>185 John5918: Oh that shovel is a good trick! Always good to find out new campfire tricks. Power routinely goes out here in the winter, which is one reason my sister always maintained the wood burning stove: heat, and you can put the old whistling stove kettle on top of it to boil water for tea. (I should give my Kelly kettle a spin next time but I'm not sure where I put it.)

The Kentucky Bourbon tea sounds interesting. I've only tried Lapsang Suchong to smokey teas.

PS. Stash Chai spice right now. I tried the mix at Murchies when I finally made it there. It's a "cooler" sort of spice mix (more cinnamon maybe) or compared to Stash, which I'd call on the warm side (maybe more cardamom?)

>187 WeeTurtle:

We still use a whistling kettle. We're off grid, using solar power, so we can't use an electric kettle as it takes too much power. We boil water on the gas stove. We do have a wood burning stove but we haven't managed to get the flue properly aligned for the strong winds we get up here, so we don't use it as it's very smoky. One day we'll get it sorted out. Then there's always the small charcoal stove, and indeed even my old camping Trangia. If all else fails, at least we can keep calm and drink tea!

Treated myself to opening a new packet of seasonal "foofy tea:" Nutcracker by TeaMaze, our favorite little storefront in Branson MO. Green tea base with coconut, walnut, and pecans. The scent is so good it makes my toes wiggle--like a fresh-baked Christmas sugar cookie.

Local food store got a few of these for christmas.



I think it is rather weak, but it's drinkable. IMHO. Anyone else seen / tasted this?

We don't see many Twinings options except the very basic ones in SW MO.

I somehow got onto Twinings email newsletter and they were advertising a few different winter/ holiday teas. I haven't tried any yet but I am tempted by a few. Website

>192 genesisdiem: I did find a Twinings Winter Spice on a recent trip to Wichita ... chamomile with some very, very mild spiced cider flavor. Not one you'd associate with heavy Christmas chai or cider, but makes a nice nightcap.

>192 genesisdiem: Citation from the website: "Others are drinking water based on antiquated advice." :-)

I tend to avoid tea bags, which leaves just a few options for getting Twinings here. So I'll probably pick up the rest of the chai tins in the store even though I prefer pure teas. The chai is rather weak but that's fine as I can just add more pepper and/or chili and other spices. For some reason these tins are oversize compared to my other Twinings 100g tins.
H x L x D = 10.4 x 9.3 x 7.3 cm versus 8.7 x 8.5 x 6.9 cm. The bottom is raised and the lid is lowered in the chai tin, so the effective height of the tin is a mere 7.8 cm, i.e. one of the old tins fit inside the new, but you can't close the lid. I.e. bloated packaging but it looks nice.

Round 2 of Murchies "Golden Jubilee" (already had a little pot).

I do get the Chai sometimes in either Stash or Twinnings but I can never remember which. One I know has a "double spiced" chai that's a bit much for me.

I have this old Twinnings tin of gunpowder tea. I'm trying to remember how old it is but it's hard to tell since they still sell it. Definitely more than a decade, quite likely more than two. Whether or not it might be 3 decades old depends on if it's the tin I got from my aunt or the tin that we found in my mother's hoosier.

Well, my Black Friday sale tea purchases were not all good. I stocked up on Pumpkin Chai and Santa's Secret from David's Tea, which are seasonal favorites, and I had a free tea reward. Since we were talking about Bourbon flavored teas, I used my reward on something called "Brown Sugar Bourbon." Sadly, it tasted more like weak, warm apple juice. No bourbon flavor at all. Do not recommend.

Received a tea sampler gift for the holidays and I can't wait to try it. The brand is 'Tea Forte' (world of teas) and has five flavours: Bombay Chai (black), Moroccan Mint (green), African Solstice (herbal), Sencha (green), Estate Darjeeling (black); all loose leaf.

>197 genesisdiem: Tea Forte has some good quality stuff. I do like their African Solstice.

>197 genesisdiem: I got a tea sampler as well from Jolie Tea Company. I've had one cup of the Full Moon Maple which was quite tasty.

Just good old Red Rose decaf because I'm up way too late again.

Since my last trip to the supermarket I'm on Baraka Chai round tagless teabags. Cheap bog standard black tea which describes itself as "a special blend of fine teas", in a pack of a hundred teabags. Makes a nice strong cuppa to accompany the left over Christmas mince pies.

The "chai" in the name is just the Kiswahili word for tea, and doesn't necessarily signify the milky spiced variety. "Baraka" is the Kiswahili word for blessing, as I'm sure all in the USA know from the name of your last but one president.

>201 John5918: I always thought "chai" was from one of the Indian languages. I just looked it up, and apparently it's used in several languages, similar to Chinese "cha."

Chai Masala is the term I'm used to if someone is specifically referring to spiced tea outside the North American context.

No tea yet. I'm currently steeping Golden Jubilee from Murchie's.

>202 WeeTurtle:

Yes, some variant of chai is found in several languages, including Arabic (shai, شاي). Even in England it was often referred to colloquially as cha or char, perhaps a word imported into English from India during the days of Empire.

>201 John5918: Cheap bog standard black tea which describes itself as "a special blend of fine teas"

LOL.

>190 bnielsen: I found a Christmas version of the tea / tin. The inside of the tin is sticky, so I think some of the oils in the bag inside has escaped. Very "Christmas" spicy. I like the tin, but it's the same bloated packaging as the Chai version.

Kusmi Tea's Kashmir Tchai, but plain, no milk. This may be the finest chai mixture I tried ever. The ingredients include bay leaf and eucalyptus, which I don't remember seeing before...

No, I've never seen those ingredients in a chai before!

Yeah, I'm hardly an expert on chai masalas, but it struck me as unusual. Having it again right now...

Just finished a cup of "Breakfast on the Cumberland" from Nashville Tea Company--a very nice blackberry/maple blend. Tastes better because it was a gift from a dear friend!

>208 gmathis: sounds yummy!

Finally recovered from a plain old-fashioned non-lethal head cold...it's nice to taste things again! Last week, I nearly emptied my cupboard of every cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, mint, and chai selection I own trying to clear out the airways.

President's Choice Chai right now (or the generic store brand for Loblaws and Shopper's Drug Mart). Not bad.

The best chai I recall having is the kind that's made by cooking the spices in the milk, (at least I think that's how it's done). I had some at an Indian food buffet while having lunch with a friend. Went back about three times. Had to guess what it was at first because it was a sort of milky brown drink in a coffee pot.

In other news, I was driving my mom downtown for some appointments and got lost (this happens constantly to me, in this particular area of town) and wound up at the tea store. Replenished my Lapsang Suchong, got a new estate Assam to try, and picked up a little bag of Cream of Earl Grey.

Ending a busy afternoon with a cup of genmaicha: green tea with toasted rice (Palais des Thes). This tin was beautifully fresh and fragrant. The rice scent reminds me of sticking my nose in a box of Rice Krispies. A light and gentle change of pace from the heavily flavored and spiced stuff I’ve been leaning on all month.

That's a splendid idea. I've largely stopped buying many green teas but there's a brand of genmaicha that I like and I've forgotten to replace it. I've been looking for something else in the evening that isn't my usual black tea with milk.

Green teas are not normally what I reach for or choose for myself, but when I sample a fine one, I chide myself for not doing so more often.

Another Kusmi Tea (I received a gift of three), Russian Morning No. 24, a blend of Grand Yunnan, Assam and Ceylon black teas. Simply wonderful, dark but citrusy, could drink it by the gallon.

>215 LolaWalser: That sounds interesting. Citrusy sweet or sharp?

>216 2wonderY:

I'd say sharp. It's just a note, but sort of reminds me of what made me fall in love with tea in general.

A friend sent me a small sample of a green tea from the Fairhope Tea Plantation in Alabama--little privately owned tea farm that doesn't do much business online. It's delicious, and that's high praise from this black tea barbarian. Very fresh; reminds me of slightly sweet citrus rinds rather than the typical green-beany-spinachy flavor I associate with straight-up teas.

A Darjeeling Temi, quite astringent, which suits my taste today perfect.

Something called "Cha-Cha-Chai" from a gourmet tea group called Cup of Te (with a little leaf over the 'e.') It's not bad, actually. It's quite heavily spiced, which I don't mind as it still has enough tea to have some tea taste still, though it could use more. I've noticed that a number of the fancy spiced teas I bump into are spice heavy and tea light. I probably won't make it a regular since even on sale it was pricey.

It's a bit chocolatey now as I added in some Dark Chocolate Almond stuff to extend the drink without make it taste too watered down.

Steven Smith’s “Portland Breakfast”. Have been in a rut lately, this tea every morning.

Regular black tea, with a dash of caramel syrup for sweetening.

Taylor's of Harrogate Scottish Breakfast Tea. For lunch. :=)

(Breakfast was a lovely rose congou from Perennial Tea Room.)

I'm sipping Acquired Taste's River Valley Blend, which was originally blended for the John Walter Museum in Edmonton's North Saskatchewan River valley. It is "meant to capture the essence of tea blending in the pioneering days. Black Currants and Rose Petals are blended with a sweet hint of Vanilla and Ceylon black tea." It's a pleasant tea - not too fruity or flowery for my taste.

I'm finally having a taste of my third Kusmi Tea Xmas gift, Sweet Love. I like it much better than I expected, given that it has licorice root AND anise. Pink peppercorns make it look so pretty. It also contains something I had to look up, guarana, a plant that contains caffeine and theophylline and theobromine, so this makes a stimulating cuppa indeed.

Just going through my travelling bag today and I found a lone teabag in a plastic sachet, with "Gourmes Cha Preto", probably something which I purloined from some hotel or other. I gave it a try and it produced a very acceptable strong and tasty cuppa, to which I added a drop of milk.

>224 tardis: "Black Currants and Rose Petals are blended with a sweet hint of Vanilla and Ceylon black tea" sound lovely! I'll see if I can blend my own...

This morning, I picked up some tree wormwood (sheeba) at one of the North-African stalls at the market, and asked the seller how to use it, because I knew it is sometimes added to mint tea, but I didn't know how to prepare it. You make mint tea in the usual North-African way, using mint and green gunpowder tea. You pop a small sprig of sheeba in each individual glass, and pour the tea over it. It is slightly bitter, but not unpleasantly so, and it adds a bit of depth to the tea.

>227 Dilara86:
Apropos of nothing, did you know that the Ukrainian word for wormwood is chernobyl?

>228 TempleCat: No, I didn't know! I shall ask my other half if he'd like some chernobyl in his tea forthwith ;-) On a more serious note, it's a shame that an innocent plant is now associated with a terrible manmade disaster.

>228 TempleCat: There's a town in Ontario called Swastika. Apparently the government tried to change the name but the residents figured they had it first, Hitler can stuff it.

I have decaf Red Rose since it's late. Accidently put two bags in a smaller than usual mug so it's a nice flavour right now. :)

>230 WeeTurtle:

There's a 17th century village pub in Scotland called "The Black Bitch" which has just been renamed, but many local residents oppose the change.

Campaigners to fight on as Black Bitch pub becomes Willow Tree (Guardian)

People in Linlithgow campaigning to stop the UK’s biggest pub chain from changing the “extremely offensive” name of the town’s historic Black Bitch tavern have vowed to fight on after it was announced it would become the Willow Tree. Greene King announced on Wednesday that it would change the name of the popular 17th-century pub in West Lothian despite concerted opposition to the move, which has angered and upset many residents... The proposal to rebrand the Black Bitch – which was named after a 13th-century legend about a black greyhound who brought food to her starving master – has resulted in protests, a 12,000-signature petition and a challenge by the local council. It has also been blamed for a rise in online racist abuse towards the town’s BAME community...

I had another cup of Yorkshire Biscuit Brew today, though I really should start going through my samples.

I have a mug that says "Tea is the finest solution to each catastrophe or conundrum that the day may bring" that I got from London Tea Merchant.

>232 toast_and_tea: Oh, that sounds delicious--had to jump over immediately to Amazon to read Biscuit Brew!

>232 toast_and_tea: Have you tried the Yorkshire Toast and Jam?

Trying Celestial Seasonings Citrus Sunrise tonight.

I usually add sugar to citrusy teas. And it says it's an herbal but it uses boiling/4min steep instead of 200/3. Minor inconvenience is that there's no string to the bag so I need the tea tongs to fish it out of the cup.

It doesn't taste terrible but it has sort of an oily quality to it and the flavor reminds me of Tang... I might try it iced next time.

I tried a new tea today -- https://seriouslychocolatetea.com/collections/tea/products/dominican-republic -- got it from my step-sister. It's really tasty. I prefer lightly steeped. I can't say how chocolatety it is since I don't have a very good sense of taste; but I like it!

A friend sent me a couple bags of Meyer Lemon herbal tea from Stash. I expected it to be so tart that it would make my eyebrows sweat---but it was quite pleasant. Zingy without being painfully sour.

>237 gmathis:

Meyer lemons are actually quite sweet...

I've been drinking gallons of some Persian tea, supposedly flavoured with cardamom, although to me it's nothing like cardamom. In any case, it's fragrant and hugely addictive.

>238 LolaWalser: I probably wouldn't recognize one if it bonked me on the head :)

Neither would I! I think the only visually different lemons I could pick out in a crowd are the sweet Persian ones, they are almost white. I want to say that Meyers perhaps tend to be smaller, rounder, smoother, and very warmly golden, with an orangeish tinge, but here I only get to buy them once a year or so.

Here in the Southern USA, Meyer lemons are usually larger that a standard lemon and have a tinge of orange color to the peel. My brother has several citrus trees in his yard in FL. I've got a fridge drawer full of oranges (different varieties) and a few meyers from Jan. He was handing out citrus to everyone in the family in giant boxes.

>241 lesmel: Fresh-off-the-tree-citrus! Not something we get much in southwest Missouri!

Regarding the chocolate tea you tried, I've fallen in love with Teeccino, which are herbal blends with chicory, cacao, a few dandelion varieties I haven't tried--but their Dark Chocolate variety is like eating a semi-sweet baking chocolate bar.

I tasted two new teas this weekend - they were birthday presents :-)
There was a citrus- and blackberry-flavoured black tea called "Thé du Louvre - Côté cour". It's nice, but it'll be even nicer in a couple of months, once the flavourings have toned down a bit - at the moment it's like sipping on The Body Shop's Blackberry and White Musk body spray from 1995...
I also got some Kahangi Black - a black tea grown in Uganda. The leaves are huge, and it has a very interesting flavour, more subtle than the average black tea. It says on the bag that "This sweet black tea develops woody, prune and honeyed fragrances, as well as vanilla hints". I can definitely taste all this, but then someone who will remain nameless mentioned the fact that it tasted of potato peelings, and that's not wrong...

>243 Dilara86: Belated happy birthday!

I have only sampled a couple of African-grown teas over the the years. I do remember a strong flavor; the potato peeling thing is a pretty accurate descriptor--in a good way!

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic over 2 years ago, our family has only been drinking organic teas. Tea plants are notorious for absorbing any off-flavors or contaminants in the surrounding soil, so in a pandemic, supporting organic tea agriculture is the way to go. From Eden Foods, we're drinking sencha green tea and genmaicha (green tea w/ brown rice). From Choice Organics, we like the chamomile. From Traditional Medicinals, there are too many good organic teas to count, but our most recent favorite is their matcha green tea w/ toasted rice; we also like their green tea w/ ginger, and in hot weather we prefer their green tea w/ hibiscus ... very cooling ... they also sell a 100% hibiscus tea, which we'll try this summer as a sun tea.

>245 MaureenRoy:

Hibiscus is very popular in Sudan, where it grows locally (and indeed can be found growing wild) and is known as karkade (pronounced kar-ka-day). Usually drunk hot with a lot of sugar or honey, it is very refreshing. The cold drink is also very refreshing.

>244 gmathis: Thank you!
This is my first non-Kenyan African black tea. Now that the potato peeling notes have been confirmed independently, I want to see if I can taste them in other teas!

>246 John5918: I have seen the word "karkade" on packaging for hibiscus, but I didn't know whether it was a brand name or a local name for that plant. Now I know! The Wolof word "bissap" is commonly used in France.

I know hibiscus tea as jamaica (ha-MY-kah) or agua de jamaica. And now I want some! Heh

Just drinking a standard English Breakfast tea this morning but using the new mug I purchased from the Crayola store. Even though it has been thoroughly washed, there is still an aftertaste of crayons to my drink this morning... 🤨

Harney & Sons Paris, iced.

My wife recently found a fancy tin of English Breakfast Tea packaged for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding in 2018 which she had bought in a discount shop when we visited UK the following year. It's actually first class tea, from Sri Lanka, a genuine strong builder's tea. It's six months past its sell-by date, but that makes no difference to tea, especially when sealed in tin foil and a nice tin. Sadly I've now just about finished the 40 teabags. We'll have to wait until we visit UK again to seek further bargains of discounted tea in useful tins - maybe they produced one for the queen's jubilee this year?

I also came across three remaining teabags of a Kenyan purple tea which I bought some years ago and didn't particularly enjoy. I tried one this morning. Pretty disgusting, weak and tasteless. The blurb on the wrapping says it has low caffeine (I wouldn't have bought it if I'd known - for me the caffeine is part of the whole tea drinking experience) and that it's "rich in compounds that help your heart, blood vessels and brain work effectively". For that New Age gobbledegook you get a disgusting weak tea that costs more than normal decent builder's tea. Strange world we live in. I hate to throw away tea. Maybe if I put the remaining two teabags together in one mug it'll turn out halfway drinkable. Or perhaps if I also add one of Prince Harry's specials to the mix...

I'm still pursuing my quest to find a superb malty loose black tea with some smoke and low astringency. My latest acquisition from Adagio, Scottish Breakfast, comes close to what I'm looking for. It's a blend of Adagio's Assam Melody, Keemun Concerto, Yunnan Jig and Ceylon Sonata teas that, with a splash of milk and a half teaspoon of honey, and after a wait to cool down, exhibits a malty scent and taste, a smooth mouth feel, and a hint of smoke -- not great, but definitely good. Unfortunately, a second steeping is just meh.... I think I'll be buying this one again for my regular cuppa while continuing to search for my Platonic Ideal. Anybody have suggestions?

Malty Assam from Tao of Tea fits most of your description (minus the smoke). My current gold standard breakfast blend is Mr. Shepherd's Blend from Partridges of London -- the wheat toast vibe is exquisite, but it's not readily available in the US and we don't fuddle much with overseas orders. So I'm rationing one precious last tin for now.

A gift from a friend, Oolong with Goji berries, scented with strawberry (I think) and possibly something else. The tin was too beautiful to deface with the label and then I forgot to keep it.

I didn't think I'd like it but actually I do quite a lot (still going to choose plain Oolong whenever possible). Very refreshing, and the taste of the straw?berry is as discreet as it can be.

It's officially Autumn so I am opening up the Cinnamon Apple Spice! 🎃

>255 genesisdiem: Agreed. I've been drinking Pumpkin Chai for a week or so.

Right now I'm in the middle of a second steeping of Golden Eyebrows (Jin Jun Mei - a higher grade of Jin Mao Hou, Golden Monkey, my favorite.) I purchased this for my birthday and I'm not disappointed, but I don't think I'll get any more.

It's blessed with a honeyed scent, warm and earthy; a lovely honey taste, soft, but surprisingly thin, watery; and a small astringency, like a film over the entire tongue. This is a tea for tasting with a sip, less so for drinking. Maltiness and a hint of chocolate develop as the tea cools, as does the astringency, resting on the front half of the tongue.

I tried it because it was "competition grade," whatever that means, Jin Jun Mei tea. I think it's supposed to be tasted Gong Fu style rather than drunk in large mugs with breakfast, as I prefer. Its taste is very good, but it's too thin to satisfy my desire for a full-bodied, robust mouthfeel.

Has anybody else had any experience with this tea? Maybe my qualms are only with this batch and not with the kind of tea. I'm only just learning to appreciate the differences from year to year of batches from the same grower.

I found some Green Pomegranate tea in my cupboard, a mix of green and white tea with pomegranate bits. I made a small pot of it just for novelty’s sake. It woke up my mouth, but I’m just happier with a basic black tea. Will save to serve to guest grandchildren.

I had a nice bold Assam blend from Perennial Tea in Seattle this morning. It's quite good, though I prefer the Khongea Estate Assam that they were out of when I placed my order. :=(

>257 TempleCat: That's a lovely description of the jin jun mei. It's been a long time since I sampled any, but I think I concur--it isn't morning mug tea!

My mug is currently full of Cranberry from Oliver Pluff and Co. Sensible black tea with cranberry pieces that actually taste like cranberry rather than hibiscus and artificial flavorings Fruity and not tart.

I am celebrating having our power back on after a big windstorm (yay work crews!) by having a precious mug of Adagio’s Brigadoon.

One of the Yorkshire loose leaf teas from the grocery--I think "Gold"...

Time change requires heavy unleaded stuff: Typhoo Gold and Murphy's Irish Breakfast. (Extra hour of sleep, my foot!)

Well, I woke early enough to see the lunar eclipse. Of course, I’m going to bed at 8pm now. And the moon personally invited me by shining through my bedroom window just prior to the show. Just the regular black tea keeping me warmish in the brisk pre-dawn air.

Today I broke from routine (first pot of day is usually Portland Breakfast from Steven Smith) and am having a cup of Kanchanjangha Black from Tea Runners … felt appropriate as I am starting a re-read of the Swallows & Amazons series.

Ah, Tea Runners and Steven Smith: two companies I've wanted to sample and haven't cleared off a single tea shelf enough to justify it :)

Winding down with some African Autumn (cranberry orange rooibos) from Harney & Sons.

Drinking some Ginseng Oolong (I.e. Oolong rolled in a bit of ginseng and powdered licorice root). Not bad, but I'd prefer the Oolong on its own.

https://tante-t.dk/ginseng-oolong

It currently isn't in my mug, but was the best cuppa I had all day: Roasted Almond Chai from Fava Tea. The addition of some almond and apple to conventional chai spices made it taste like pastry.

I used to exclusively use Red Rose, a couple of cups (okay, big mugs) of tea per day. It kind of disappeared from local stores during the pandemic. I found The Tea Spot which could send me bulk teas or custom mixed conglomerations. Today I had mugs of Ceylon and will finish the day with the only good conglomeration, lemon-ginger. I'm thinking tomorrow will be a Darjeeling day.

I still use Red Rose for sun tea: 8 bags in a gallon of water on the front porch until it's too hot to pick up. Cool it off in the 'fridge and go for it. A gallon usually lasts a day when the air temperature is 95+ and I'm outside doing yard work.

I keep plain old RR at the office and at home for those times when all you need is "just tea."

>270 gmathis: "just tea"

I've just finished a batch of English breakfast tea bags by New English Teas which my wife got for me in the discount shop T K Maxx last time we were in UK. It came in a nice tin with a picture of Spitfires on the front commemorating the Battle of Britain, so it's probably from 2020, the 80th anniversary. Tins like this are useful for storing small objects. I've now started on a batch of Yorkshire Tea bags from Taylors of Harrogate, which has the slogan, "Let's have a proper brew". Both teas were indeed a "proper brew", or "just tea", making strong no-nonsense builder's tea.

Has anyone found Red Rose without the new individually wrapped tea bags? That has been a real annoyance and a waste of time and resources since they started packaging like that during Covid.

>271 John5918: How funny! I have a tin of New English Teas within arm's reach of my desk at work. A commemorative Queen Elizabeth jubilee edition, gifted to me by a friend who thinks all my royal fan-girling is funny. The assortment includes their English Breakfast, English Afternoon, and Earl Grey. All properly acceptable.

I have been craving Yorkshire Tea lately--you can find it in SW Missouri but you have to hunt a bit--to steep while I'm watching "All Creatures Great and Small" (original edition from the 70's-80's).

>273 gmathis:

I have another decorative tin of New English Teas waiting for me as soon as I finish the Yorkshire offering. This one is a Christmassy tin of afternoon tea.

>274 John5918: It's just a little sharper than the English Breakfast variety--good with milk.

A tea bag - Golden China - which turned out to jasmine flavoured :-(

>272 2wonderY: The last time I had any, Red Rose from Canada did not have the individual wrappings that American Red Rose has. I can't guarantee that this hasn't changed though, since it's been awhile.

Good tea though, somewhat bolder than the American version.
https://www.redrosetea.ca/products/orange-pekoe-72ct/

>272 2wonderY: I switched from Red Rose to Yorkshire tea last year because the RR teabags never broke down in my compost, which annoyed me. I am fairly sure the teabags are still not individually-wrapped here in Canada, but I can shake a box when I'm grocery shopping later today :)

I'm drinking an orange spice tea that came in a cute gift box. Very over-packaged, although at least mostly in recyclable cardboard. Plastic-wrapped outer box containing twelve little boxes, four teabags in a foil packet inside each little box. It's mediocre tea, and some of the flavourings are artificial but at the moment I want heat and caffeine more than anything. I'll make better tea later, after groceries.

I like using loose tea for my morning brew, and am currently drinking Yorkshire tea. I like the Yorkshire Gold better, but wanted to use this up.

I rarely drink flavoured teas, but two I like are Tazo organic Chai, and Twinings Earl Grey.

RR tea has new "plant based" teabags, so I bought some to see if they decompose properly in compost. Teabags are all packed loose in the box - no extra paper envelopes. We only use teabags for the big pot at supper time.

I am now drinking Tippy South Cloud, which is a nice Chinese black tea that I've bought a few times.

GG sent me samples of a variety of Oolong teas (last year?!!) I must have been in a tidying phase, as I recently found them in a kitchen drawer.
I used the TeaMaze Formosa Dragon last week and found it a good mild tea.
Then I brewed the Cinnamon Oolong from them, and thought it improved the taste. The cinnamon did not overpower, but added a brightness to the drink.

Today, I’m tasting Organic Kali Cha Oolong from The Tao of Tea. Wow! Complex. Is that fruit(s) I sense?

>281 2wonderY: Isn't the cinnamon oolong lovely? That's on my re-stock list next time we go to the shop. To me, there's a little bit of floral/fruity in the background of most oolongs, unless they're pretty heavily roasted. Some of them, to me, mimic Juicy Fruit gum :)

Yesterday was rootling around in the basement and I found a few unopened packets of loose leaf tea which I had bought during various trips to England and then forgotten about. Most were several years past their sell by dates, but in my experience that makes little or no difference if you just want a good strong mug of builder's tea. So today I'm drinking a Sussex Breakfast tea which expired six years ago, from Chi Ethical Tea Partnership. Avery nice strong tea, and I resteeped the leaves to make a second cup which was as good as the first.

Frosted Orange Roll from Savoy Tea Company in lieu of the Pillsbury bake-it-yourself orange cinnamon rolls that come in a can. The scent and flavor are spot on.

Ended the day yesterday with Caramel Oolong from The Jade Leaf. With "caramel" in the title, you'd expect that up front, but it tastes more like a conventional oolong--maybe on the roastier side. However, as the cup cools and the leaves dry, the scent of caramelized sugar is amazing.

>284 gmathis: Those sound wonderful!

>283 John5918: I didn’t know you have a basement! Who digs basements nowadays?

>285 2wonderY:

Our house is built on quite a steep slope so they had to dig for the foundations, and the contractor said he could either backfill or we could have a basement. We chose the latter. It wasn't part of the original plan.

>286 John5918: Bonus!

teabags to give myself a rest from gathering wet leaves... Red Rose plus President's Choice Spiced Apple. Further confirmation that one can add anything to RR.

>288 LolaWalser: Hear, hear. Which reminds me I have some flavored honey sticks I've been wanting to try...RR will make a perfect petri dish for the flavorsl

Finished the Yorkshire loose leaf, and am now using Yorkshire Gold loose leaf. It really is much nicer. It makes a good pot of tea, and I sometimes do a second brewing in the evening for a low caffeine option that still has some flavour.

I mixed two darjeelings this morning because one of them was too weak and the other too strong. The mix was perfect but now I'm fresh out of the weak one :-)

>290 NorthernStar: If you're a Yorkshire fan + a flavored tea drinker, Yorkshire has put out a Toast and Jam brew and a Biscuit Brew. The Toast and Jam is a doppleganger for wheat toast (with the toaster set to "6") slathered with my mom's homemade strawberry jam.

>292 gmathis: I'm not a flavoured tea fan for the most part, with the exception of Earl Grey and some spiced teas like Chai. Thanks for the recommendation, though.

I've just opened another packet of loose leaf tea which is five years or so past its "best before" date. This one is an Organic Assam from Capital Teas. It makes a decent cup of builder's tea, and once again demonstrates how pointless a lot of these "best before" dates are.

Broad generalization here, but the only teas I've noticed losing any strength after years of proper storage are flavored ones--they start tasting a little medicinal. Plain unflavored blacks hold up well.

>295 gmathis: I agree. The flavored ones taste like chemicals or metallic after a bit. But plain teas and coffees seem to be ok.

Have I also ever mentioned before that when stored in unsealed containers, I've noticed that the cockroaches visit the flavoured teas as they do most other foodstuffs, but they seem to avoid the plain black teas?

Seems like I've read about which teas make the best bug repellents, but it didn't make a permanent imprint on my hippocampus!

I just had some muesli & sausage & I'm having a cuppa Yorkshire Tea Biscuit Brew, doing some browsing & cataloging. I like it here much better than Goodreads.

I like the Biscuit Brew, but not as much as the Toast and Jam variety. My stash of both is dwindling quickly!

My first-of-the-morning cuppa is usually the Scottish Breakfast from New Mexico Tea Co. It's strong enough to wake me up in the morning without being overly tannic or bitter. I nearly always take my black tea straight (no milk or sugar) but I will occasionally put a splash of milk in this one, especially if I've lost track of my steeping time. :-)

Tetley Black & Green tea bags: an office staple. Nice and crisp, doesn't go bitter if you are interrupted, and is very forgiving, even if you oversteep or understeep.

Neighbor gave me a small bundle of Tetley British Blend premium black tea. I like the minimal packaging, and I’m brewing my first pot. Anyone else have an opinion on this one?

>303 2wonderY: Hmmm. Haven't tried it but I would be interested in your impressions. I have not had good luck with Tetley in general.

First impression - it’s not the taste I’m looking for. I’m shocked that it tastes so different from other basic black teas. It does stand out, but I’m not sure how to describe it - upright?

Most important, does it turn bitter in the pot?
I’ll give it a week to see whether my taste buds just need educated.

A birthday treat: Almond Lemon Panna Cotta from Anna Marie's Teas. Tastes just like lemon shortbread.

>306 gmathis: Happy Birthday GG!

>307 2wonderY: Thank you! For a change, the weather was absolutely delicious. We blew our allowance money and did a run to Branson and Silver Dollar City and acted like 18-year-olds for half a morning until our feet started hurting...

>308 gmathis: Teenagers’ feet don’t hurt! I remember that much.

Tried Twinings Premium Black Mixed Berry. I'm not one for flavored teas usually but this one smells nice and isn't artificially flavored. It tastes pretty good but I might add a little sugar next cup.

This afternoon's cuppa is Organic Earl Grey from Two Leaves and a Bud. One of my favorites! I drink it black, no milk or sugar.

I've just opened another random packet of out of date tea, this one Morrisons' "Everyday Loose Tea", "best before" September 2019. It makes a potent brew of builder's tea. Champion!

I'm on some Pu-Erh tea. The third brew is still scary black :-)

>311 rosalita: Two Leaves and a Bud has a good organic Assam as well...I haven't investigated their other offerings.

This morning's to-go tumbler was a homebrew--some Charleston Breakfast (from Charleston Tea Plantation) combined with a second steep of the Lemon Panna Cotta mentioned a few posts ago. Still tastes dessert-y, but enough muscle to get the eyes open.

>314 gmathis: I just bought a bag of the Organic Assam last week, as a matter of fact! I can't remember if I've had their Assam before but I'm sure it's good.

>311 rosalita: >315 rosalita: I regularly drink both their Earl Grey and Assam. Both excellent!

>316 tealadytoo: Indeed!

>315 rosalita: The Assam is a little bit on the light-ish side, depending on how strong you like your breakfast teas. I usually let mine stew a bit.

>318 gmathis: Thanks for the tip!

Returning to my favorite tea - Golden Monkey mixed with Jin Jun Mei black tea (a higher grade of Golden Monkey) - after several months on a coffee kick. Yum! I want to lick the cup and the spoon afterwards!

In South Africa at the moment drinking Joko and Five Roses black teas with occasional cups of South Africa's very own Rooibos.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry from Anna Marie's Teas (Liberty MO). It's a good one--can start a summer morning with a few good sips while it's hot, then it ices down nicely as soon as the temps start to climb.

Just my regular black tea; but I was grumbling this morning that I had to wait half an hour before drinking my first mug.
Started a medication that mitigates osteoporosis. Thankfully, its dose is just once a week. Concerningly, its dose is just once a week. We shall see if I can remember to take it.

>323 2wonderY: Good old faithful PG Tips (Extra Strong Edition) to open the eyes. Rogue severe thunderstorm interrupted the sleep cycle today.

Sorry about the time delay! Friend of mine is on a thyroid medication that requires the same protocol. She keeps it on her nightstand and knocks it down before her feet hit the floor to minimize caffeine waiting time.

A young internet acquaintance from the Czech Republic recently sent a small package with goodies that can't be easily found on this side of the ocean...today's entry was Frosty Afternoon by Basilur, which despite the title, was rather tropical in nature: black tea with orange peel and passionfruit. Tasty both hot and on ice.

Masala Dream Chai from Teapigs with breakfast. Lots of milk and honey. Feeling the need for warmth and comfort....

>326 TempleCat: I've seen several Teapigs varieties at our local Natural Grocers, but haven't succumbed just yet.

Today's best cuppa was some Harney & Sons Egyptian Chamomile. Most of the time, I claim that chamomile tastes the same whether it's cheap, bulk, or fancy, but this variety is just a bit less musty. Very pleasant when I needed to un-knot a tense neck.

Good ole' Louisiana Community Dark Roast. Best coffee imaginable, being a reluctant Southern Louisiana Transplant to Virginia some 20 years ago. My Acadian Flag coffee mug has seen many late night volumes from my library go down in a blaze of midnight glory. I do tend to drink a rather astute but yet soothing Ginger tea while reading though.

I mostly drink iced tea in the summer, and the last few weeks I've been drinking Metropolitan from August Uncommon Tea, which is described as a "bergamot plum Earl Grey black tea" with flavor notes of bitter orange zest, neroli flower, tart black plum, blackberry and clove.

I love Earl Grey so I thought I'd give this one a try. It makes a nicely flavored iced tea, but I never tried brewing it as a hot tea so can't really compare it to actual Earl Grey. And now I've used up the whole tin, so I may never know. I'm glad I tried it and I liked it well enough, but I'm not sure I'd re-purchase.

I was gifted a Sonoma Rosé Iced Tea ("fine wine grape skins with strawberries and apples"). Haven't tried it yet but it doesn't seem to contain actual tea leaves at all so I am hesitant. Has anyone else tried it?

I bought some Pilo Chun green tea during the summer holidays, but it tastes like a stale gunpowder green tea. To be avoided in the future :-)

I had some Rishi black masala chai yesterday that l really liked.

Another packet of 5-years-past-its-expiry-date tea, this one called "Irish Breakfast (organic)" by Capital Teas (spelt "capital teas"). A good strong builder's tea. Must have been packaged for the US market as it gives a recommended brewing temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe that's where I bought it, so long ago that I can't remember!

Glengettie tea--Kenyan/Assam combination packaged by a proprietor in Wales. Half the fun is reading (or attempting to read) the product description and ingredient list printed on the box in Welsh.

>334 gmathis: Ooh, Glengettie is one of my favourites! It's nice and strong but not too strong for me.

>335 rabbitprincess: Agreed. It's very no-fuss, which is always a plus for a sloppy steeper like me. Three minutes, five minutes, it's all good.

There's an unintentional theme in my weekend teacups: Today's cuppa is Caramel Buttercup from Savoy Tea, a little shop near us in Arkansas. Reminds me a little of un-sweet kettle corn. Yesterday's was (I won't even try to spell the French moniker) a salted caramel oolong from Damman Freres, a treat from a fancy-pants tea friend. I've had two cups now with the same result, but I can't figure out how oolong plus salted caramel ends up tasting like bananas. (Bananas Foster, maybe.)

>334 gmathis: Add me to the Glengettie fans — a colleague brought some back from a work trip to Wales and I love both the taste and what gmathis calls the "sloppy steep" flexibility. It never seems to get too tannic if the steep goes a bit too long.

Savoring, slowly-sipping a malty mix of Golden Monkey and Jin Jun Mei black teas. MMMmmm, heavenly!

I am going to get some Glengettie after these posts!

Today on the first cool morning in a long time, I brewed up a pot of Big Snow Mountain of Mengku, from Tearunners. So happy that temps in the 10 day forecast never get above 80F!

Although I usually go for a more robust black, I'm currently in an oolong mood, and I have been sipping Ti Kuan Yin/Iron Godess Oolong. Very nice and sharp.

>339 camelama: What do you think about Tearunners? I've read some reasonably favorable reviews on steepster.com and I'm a Firefly geek, so the connection to one of my favorite actors from the ensemble is a plus :)

I'm at a church centre in South Sudan this week where we're drinking Lipton teabags. It's described as Kenya tea but the small print says it may be blended with other sources including Vietnam, Tanzania, Indonesia and Malawi. It's packaged in UAE for export to New Zealand of all places, so not sure how it found its way here, probably via a shop in Uganda. But it's decent enough tea.

>342 John5918: Hmmm... I grew up on Lipton teabags - they're the only kind we ever had in the house and if you asked for tea in a restaurant, that's what you got. That's what I thought tea was. I don't remember ever being offered the option of sugar or milk in my tea, so its tannin was its main feature, for me, at least. I hated it. It wasn't until 25 years later that I tried drinking tea again - in North African souks. B'zong! I learned that tea can actually taste good! I've been hooked ever since, no thanks to Lipton tea bags.

My neighbor gave me some Lipton tea bags recently. It’s not as bitter as I remember it. It’s acceptable, but it lacks the aroma of my staple, Red Rose.

The Lipton blend in the U.S. is pretty desperate, though sadly, there are worse tea bags you might see in a restaurant. U.S. Red Rose, is quite drinkable, and Canadian Red Rose is actually desirable, to my taste, anyway.

I usually just bring my own tea bags if I am dining out, in case the ones on offer are nasty. And hope that the water is hot. :=)

It's been a while, but I discovered that Lipton's U.S. loose leaf is far less acidic that whatever's in those bags.

This morning, just a good, no-frills Assam with milk. It's a bulk buy from a local store, but they get their leaf from Frontier Co-op.

>346 gmathis: Mmm - I love a good malty Assam with a tiny bit of honey and just a splash of milk. It's now after midnight and you've got me desiring a cuppa!

>347 TempleCat: Oh, for a decaf Assam that carries the proper amount of punch! (Ty-Phoo decaf comes close, but nope.)

This morning: Congou from Oliver Pluff and Company; purported to be the variety that our forefathers pitched overboard at the Boston Tea Party. Sacrilege, even in the name of liberty. Good Keemun Congou tastes like fall to me--apple peels and burlap and a little saddle leather.

>341 gmathis: i like that it is customizable, even beyond the first major category choices. I do the pure box, as I am not a fan of flavored teas. And i like that a lot of it is tea you won’t find in, say, sipsby, who kept sending me commercial bags of tea that i could buy for myself locally. Fairly good choice of loose leaf un-flavored blacks, which is what i want. Lots of herbals & flavored teas, too. Towards the end of a year of subscribing you might see some repeats, but then you can customize & try different things - like i picked a few herbals. But they do good work on buying new teas to make the selection worthwhile.

Even better is that it’s simple to pause your subscription. I paused all summer, because I don’t do as much black tea 8n summer, and started up again in September.

And if you really like a tea from your box, you can buy more of most. I made sure to grab more High Mountain “Tu Cha” Black this month.

>349 camelama: Christmas is coming...that might be a good thing for the wish list!

>348 gmathis: I gave my sister, who has recently had to switch to decaf for health reasons, a gift basket of decaf teas that I picked up based on kind suggestions from the folks here (Thanks!). I talked to her this week and she said that the Typhoo decaf was the clear winner of the bunch.

>351 tealadytoo: A British expat at my church originally tipped me off to Typhoo decaf. I asked her what she considered the quintessential British builders' breakfast tea (leaded, not unleaded) and it wasn't Typhoo, but I've forgotten the correct answer. I'll have to ask again!

>349 camelama: I popped on this morning just to say that I brewed a cup of Numi's Aged Earl Grey for breakfast, but then I read your review of Tea Runners and the follow-up comments from others. That Earl Grey post went by the wayside as I hit the internet to see what Tea Runners was all about. I ended up doing a three month subscription of the pure box. It sure looks better than Earl Grey tea bags (though I do prefer Numi's version over others.)

Saturday evening cuppa: Carousel Dreams from Savoy Tea. It's an herbal hodgepodge with apple, beetroot, almond slivers, and cinnamon--as edible as it is drinkable. The scent is spot-on carnival candy apples, although the flavor isn't as intense , even after the 10-minute recommended steep. Still a nice treat to accompany a much needed feet-up.

made a pot of english breakfast tea to try and power through an essay i need to write, wish me luck

>355 Rbach1989: Hope it went well!

This morning, Typhoo Extra Strong with milk.

I'm currently steeping a citrus black tea blend that I picked up from a local vendor at an art market over the weekend. She labels all her packages with drawings of her cat. It's very cute!

Yorkshire Tea Bedtime Brew: decaf tea with lemon balm and nutmeg. A nice change of pace from nighttime tisanes that are mint and chamomile heavy.

Steven Smith Teamaker Portland Breakfast.
I'm always keen to try breakfast teas, this has an interesting flavor, but there's just not enough flavor, I steeped for 6 minutes.
I wonder if I could get this in loose leaf.

Tea Runners Organic Nepalese Black
A hint of honey, a hint of malt, a hint of astringency.
That's it - a serviceable black tea, displaying only a whisper, a hint of character. 3☕️ (my grade: ☕️s, not ⭐️s)

Czar Nicholas Smoky Russian Blend from the English Tea Store. Very nice and smoky.

>361 tealadytoo: That sounds nice for a raw fall day. It's taken a while, but I am finally learning to appreciate lapsang blends...in small measures, steeped lightly.

An office-grade Earl Grey by New English Teas. EG is another variety I have finally made peace with, in light concentrations, after years of thinking it tasted like floor cleaner.

It's the time of year for David's Tea's Pumpkin Chai. So that's what I'm having.

>363 gmathis: LOL!

Another try at Tea Runners Organic Nepalese Black. This time at boiling point and a minute longer steep. Not bad. Not great, mind you, but definitely better than my earlier mugful. Now it's much closer to an Assam.

I'll be buying an Assam one of these days, since my wife and I took a trip to Kolding yesterday and visited the museum Trapholt where the café served High Tea:

https://trapholt.dk/ditzel-high-tea/

and to my pleasant surprise the servings were accompagnied with a very nice Assam tea served in a Georg Jensen teapot called Bernadotte.
The tea filter in the teapot was quite good at taming the small leaf Assam, so I had a refill :-)

>367 bnielsen: That looks like a lovely, elegant place for tea!

In a hurry this morning, so I tossed a Typhoo Gold teabag into my tumbler like a Frisbee. It's a decent "just tea" that's more malty than brassy and acidic.

>368 gmathis:. It was very nice! We had a table with a view over a nice calm Kolding Fjord. Currently the whole city have problems with a huge storm surge, but the museum should be safe. (The Baltic Sea is pressing lots of water towards the Southern parts of Denmark because of a long period of wind coming from the east. So a lot of the coast line is facing an extra two meters or so of sea level.)

Meanwhile I bought some pure Keemun and some flavoured "Chinese Spring Tea" whatever that might be :-)

Both teas are very nice on a stormy, rainy day and evening.

Three Red Rose teabags plus one of Tazo Sweet Wild Orange in the pot. The latter strikes me as more sour than sweet, but that's ok.

>369 bnielsen: Keemun is one of my favorite autumn teas. The good ones remind me of the burlap feed sacks in my grandma's barn (in a very good way)!

Baked Apple Rooibos from English Tea Store in my cup this evening.

>369 bnielsen: Any (well, almost any) tea is good on a stormy rainy day! That's what it's like where I am right now, too, and I'm happily enjoying a mug of Golden Yunnan from Tea Runners while reading an ARC of The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden for a review I've promised.

Today started out foggy and I could hear nearby fog horns helping ships navigate, so I brewed up a pot of Maritime Breakfast from the Just Us Coffee Roasters. I was given this tea by a friend, as she liked it. A light breakfast tea, enjoyable. I might even buy some.

>373 camelama: That made me think of a sample shared by a teabuddy last year: Bold Coast Breakfast from a company called Cup of Sea. English Breakfast paired with a little bit of kelp. Weird, but weird good-for-a-rainy-morning good!

(If you're into kinda adorable company logos, they have one.)
https://www.cupofsea.me/products/bold-coast-breakfast?variant=37392152101031

I just had a mug of Tea Runners Yun Wu "clouds and mist" green tea. Yum! Double yum! It has a buttery full mouth feel and a mildly sweet green vegetal flavor. I think I'm going to be drinking a lot of this.

>374 gmathis:

Looks interesting, but is there an anomaly in that website with the nice logo? It says 15 oz of loose leaf tea makes 15-20 cups, while 16 oz (a mere 28 grams more) makes 175-200 cups, ie ten times as many! I'd love to try it, but there's no doubt I'd go for the 16 oz version and look forward to my 200 cuppas!

>374 gmathis: That's interesting! Great gift idea.

>376 John5918: Oops! I was so captivated by the cute little sea lion, I didn't look at the specs ;)

Another of my well past their sell-by date teas, this one Twinings Assam "strong and malty" loose tea, best before February 2021. A very nice strong cup of builder's tea. I steeped it again for a second cup and that was also very nice.

A friend shared a bit of strawberry hazelnut pu-erh from Old Barrel Tea Compmauy. I usually associate strawberry flavor (it is a little candy-like in this blend) with spring and summer, but the pu-erh/hazelnut base grounds it; gives it a good deep end. Light on the hazelnut.

If you’ve ever read any of the Redwall novels from Brian Jacques (aimed at middle grades, but delicious grown-up reads as well), you’ll get it when I say that this is something the abbott would have served the Dibbuns at teatime.

>374 gmathis: oh thank you, i love trying new teas!

It's raw and rainy outside and I've nearly downed a large mug of Vanilla Nut by Teeccino--a chicory-based herbal blend. This particular variety tastes like cocoa with hazelnut and I'm regretting the fact that I didn't throw in some marshmallows or marshmallow creme.

I'm drinking a young pu-erh from Perennial Tearoom. Very smooth and earthy.

Imperial Gold Needle from Tea Runners this afternoon. Tried two steepings, 1st for 5 minutes @ 200° F, 2nd for 6½ minutes at 200°. Both resulted in a soft mouth feel, hint of honey and malt, and a slight astringency. A nice tea with no particular faults, but nothing really good about it, either. Meh....

Twinings Winter Spice. It's a very gentle chamomile-based herbal with a little apple, cinnamon, and cardamom. More like mild spiced cider than chai. It's one of my favorite no-brain wind-downs; bag kept in cup; no fuss; all comfort.

>385 gmathis: Mmm, sounds good, so long as it's light on the cinnamon. The cinnamon in chais are frequently too strong and burn my throat, so I'm really picky about which to drink.

>386 TempleCat: Extremely mild on the spice. Sometimes I spike mine with a cinnamon stick.

The cats stole a blanket from on top of me last night, so I am chilled deeply this morning. Made a large pot of Second Breakfast from Chapters. Sipping it, warming up slowly, glaring at the cats who are now napping, cozy in their heated beds…

https://drinkchapters.com/collections/tea/products/second-breakfast?variant=4722...

Oo. NOT a long steeping tea. Yikes. Note to self: Get those leaves out of the water! First cup was great. Every cup after got worse & worse. My fault, not the tea - I am lazy about removing the tea leaves.

Thanks for mentioning Glengettie, everyone! I acquired a box & had the first pot this morning. It will go in the rotation of my work day morning teas!

Glad you liked Glengettie!

Just finished a lovely cup of fancy-pants oolong: "70's Oolong" by The Jade Leaf. You've got your floral-tasting oolongs and you've got your roasty-toasty oolongs. This one leans toward the roasty toasty with little bit of damp basement thrown in there (in a good way).

>391 gmathis: damp basement! What a great descriptor! You've nailed a taste I'd given up on defining. LOL

>392 TempleCat: It's one I associate more with puerh than with oolong. Some puerhs just taste like you're licking a rock. Good Keemuns remind me of Grandma Schubert's barn: sweet hay and burlap, which is another flavor profile that you just have to have been there, done that to get it.

>393 gmathis: Oh, I like that one, too - sweet hay ... brings up many emotions and feelings! Barns are more of a mixed bag - spent too many months mucking out the stalls. Now, that reminds me of some teas I have had!

Edited to add an updated review of BIG SNOW MOUNTAIN OF MENGKU BLACK:

I modified the amounts and times from earlier (see below), now trying 2 heaping spoonfuls of tea and brewing them at boiling (212°F) for five minutes, then adding ½ teaspoon of honey and a quick splash of milk. This time the tea tastes pretty good, but not actually much better than grocery store bags of black tea. At least, with the small changes in brewing, it now deserves 3☕️ and can be used for that all-important 1st morning cuppa.
-----------------
First review:
Got a new shipment from Tea Runners and this morning trying out BIG SNOW MOUNTAIN OF MENGKU BLACK TEA.

After a steeping of 5:00 @ 200°F, the brew developed a brownish-bronze color, a delicate nose of new-mown hay, and a wine-type dryness and full mouth-feel, but no astringency and no immediate real taste. As the brew cooled, it became drier and a tad astringent, and the scent of hay increased, but it still did not develop any strong taste.

This is a tea for contemplative tasting and discernment of its subtleties, but I prefer an oolong or green tea for that. I'd give it 3☕️, maybe 3.5 (out of 5). Unfortunately, it just doesn't supply the robustness I require from my first-of-the-day waker-upper cuppa, so for that use, 2☕️.

Tried another Tea Runners selection this evening with supper: YUNNAN PINE NEEDLES.

It was yummy! A four minute steep at 175°F yielded a delicate yellow brew with the scent and light taste of mown grass with an infusion of umami, a buttery mouthfeel, and a lingering sweetness, pretty much exactly like the packet blurb described. I was surprised by how smooth this tea was, like an expensive brandy. I'll definitely buy this one again! 4☕️

>395 TempleCat:, >396 TempleCat:

With reviews like these, I almost don't need to drink tea. :)

>397 LolaWalser: Thank you, Lola. I have seven cupboards in my little kitchen and two of them are filled with tea! Whenever I've tried a new tea I've always written a small review of it for myself, just so I can keep track of what's worth buying again and what isn't and how I brewed it. I never shared any of them until I found this chat room, but here it feels appropriate. I like learning from others what teas they're enjoying, or not, and take that advice to heart when I'm shopping, so I thought I'd chime in with my perceptions.

Besides, I'm a Virgo. The pencil I use to make lists in my notebook sits next to me right now. It has embossed on it "List-making Pencil." I blame the stars and planets.

>397 LolaWalser: For further leisure tea reading, steepster.com is a lovely hangout. Lots of nice people over there!

A friend sent me a sample of Rukeri Estate Rwanda tea from Upton Tea Imports. It's an unflavored black tea that's got kind of an unsweet black cherry vibe. Much subtler than my previous samples of African-grown tea.

Red rose staple, with milk. I've cut out the sugar in my tea since I've needed to put some effort into weight management. Now I save my sugar for deserts or honey and such. :)

Just tore open a packet of tartary buckwheat tea with coconut. No caffeine, no sweetener; and it tastes like coconut cookies! (Brand: Nature's Own Factory) Move over, Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride ... I think this is going to be a regular nightcap from now till Christmas!

I’ve switched to a late evening mug of cocoa with a slurp of Irish cream.

Another disappointment - YI MEI REN BLACK (from Tea Runners)---2☕️

Tried it on two separate days, the first time brewed at 200° for 4 minutes, per the directions provided; the second time brewed at 212° for 5 minutes.

Both times pretty bland - some astringency and a hint, just a whisper, of malt, but little else. The second day I added ½ teaspoon of honey and a splash of milk, but that only made the drink taste like milk and honey (good, but missing the tea).

>403 TempleCat: Remind me ... is Tea Runners all subscription, or can you order onesies?

This morning, it was Yorkshire Toast & Jam Brew, which is fast becoming my go-to for cold mornings when I don't want to crawl out from under the quilts and cats (I didn't).

>404 gmathis: you can order one-offs.If i like something that month i get more. And they will do sales sometimes to move stock out to prepare for the next month/quarter/year’s incoming batch. And sometimes sell teas that maybe they didn’t get enough for subscriptions but still wanted to make available.

>404 gmathis: Tea Runners is both. You can order onesies and/or subscribe. I just ordered a onesie that hasn't been on any recent subscription and was out of stock a couple of weeks ago, so I know you can order ala carte, as it were. I took advantage of their Black Friday 25% off sale and picked up some Golden Monkey, my favorite tea. 🥳

Stash chai with egg nog. Not entirely a dairy substitute but good enough. :)

A cup of Sencha Ariake form Palais des These--a neglected gift from a couple of Christmases ago. It leans toward the toasty, grassy side of the green tea spectrum instead of tasting like liquid spinach.

>408 gmathis: "Liquid spinach" - I am enjoying your flavor profiles! 😅

>409 TempleCat: My pleasure! Green tea tends to get neglected at this establishment...I need builders tea to boot my eyes awake in the morning, and have to switch to herbal in the evenings. So the opportunity to hang out with some afternooners this long weekend has been wonderful.

>409 TempleCat:

Although "liquid spinach" does conjure up memories of how spinach was cooked during my childhood in Britain, boiled into tasteless oblivion - I prefer my spinach to be at least a little bit chewy!

>411 John5918: I'm totally with you, John! My childhood spinach was the same, though a splash of vinegar or lemon did make it somewhat more palatable.

This morning it's MUMBAI CHAI from Tea Runners, brewed for 5:00 @ 212°F, with ½ teaspoon honey and some milk.
This resulted in a cloudy saddle brown brew (obviously before the milk is added. BTW, to the brim of the cup is too much milk.) This chai is milder (i.e. less cinnamon) than the grocery store tea-bagged varieties, but much more nuanced, with cardamom predominant. I really like it! I think I might have more than 2 cups this morning. 😋 Rating: 4☕️

My first cup of the day is Passage from August Uncommon Tea. It's described as a hazelnut chocolate black tea. The ingredients include cocoa husk, hazelnut brittle pieces, cocoa beans and "flavoring".
From the packaging:
Tastes Like: Nutella, French Chocolate, Roasted Chestnuts, Dark Rum
Feels Like: Secret pleasures from the streets of Paris.

My thoughts: The olfactory profile is heavy on the chocolate notes — it almost smells like a mug of hot cocoa rather than tea, very pleasant. Unfortunately the flavor profile doesn't quite live up to the smell. The predominant taste leans toward slightly burnt melted chocolate chips. I usually drink my tea straight (no milk, no sweetener) but I added a splash of milk this morning and found it did tamp down the bitterness and allowed the hazelnut notes to assert themselves a bit more.

Overall, it's a fine, drinkable tea but probably not one I'll re-purchase once I use up my 15-cup sampler. I definitely recommend a bit of milk for this one.

>414 rosalita: It's hard to get a chocolate tea right. I have, however, heard good things about August Uncommon...someday when I need no further tea...

Currently drinking Whiskey Rebellion from Oliver Pluff & Co. It's really just a take on Lapsang Souchong, but just a little milder and fruitier, which is fine in my book. Smoky apples rather than burnt bacon.

>415 gmathis: I love chocolate in just about any form so I've always been a sucker for a chocolate tea and I've always been disappointed to varying degrees. I think I need to accept the impossibility of finding a good one and just drink hot chocolate when I need a cocoa fix.

Whiskey Rebellion sounds tasty. I'm not familiar with Oliver Pluff but I'll check them out.

>416 rosalita: The thing I love about Oliver Pluff (other than saying "Pluff," which is just fun) is that they find a historical connection of some sort for each tea they sell. Their Congou, shamefully pitched overboard during the Boston Tea Party, is very good. Independence is one thing; wasting good tea is another.

This is more coffee than chocolate, but this is my favorite cocoa alternative, especially when the weather is raw:
https://www.teamazeshop.com/shop/coffee/

>417 gmathis: Oh, that info about Pluff (it *is* fun to say) definitely appeals to this History BA holder!

I love the smell of coffee but not the taste, so I'm not sure if the TeaMaze option is the answer, but I'll keep it in mind.

>416 rosalita: >417 gmathis: Have you tried Chocolate Pu-erh from Numi? I'm a big fan of chocolate, too, and that's the best one I've found so far.

>416 rosalita: >419 TempleCat: I totally agree about Numi Chocolate Pu-erh. It's not going to match a cup of hot cocoa, but it's a lovely chocolate fix.

>419 TempleCat: Haven't, but that's going to have to go on the list! Numi's Breakfast Blend was my waker-upper of choice this morning.

HIMALAYAN GOLDEN BLACK (Tea Runners) --(4☕️)
(1st) 4:00 @ 200°F
(2nd) 4:30 @ 200°F
A mild taste with a hint of astringency and a very smooth mouthfeel, a tickle of honey, a hint of plum and a wisp of vanilla. Second steeping even smoother, more honeyed feel, all of the tastes diminished but still there. Nicely nuanced black tea from Sandakphu in eastern Nepal!

A friend recently sent me a little sample of small leaf chrysanthemum herbal tea from Mountain Stream Teas. I had mentioned to her that my only experience with chrysanthemum tea was like drinking lawn clippings. She rectified that quickly--these are petite little flowers that unfurl in the cup, a little lemony without being tart; a little honey-like without being sweet. A little sunshine in my cup on a gloomy and rainy weekend.

Keemun Black Tea from Golden Turtle. Some nice smallish tea tins with rather small amounts of tea in them.

https://www.asianfoodshop.eu/search?phrase=golden%20turtle%20tea

The Keemun was as expected. Next up is "Romance in the moonlight" which is green tea with jasmine flowers inside.

>424 bnielsen: Oh, I like green tea with jasmine - my favorite accompaniment to a bowl of rice. Numi's is my go-to for that because they use real flowers like you describe in your next up, not jasmine juice (or whatever "essence of jasmine" is.)

Another gift tea called Golden Orchid from Whispering Pines ... the leaves are long and fresh and golden indeed, but not sure where the "orchid" part comes in, as it's replete with vanilla. Not imitation vanilla flavoring, but real-thing vanilla bean vanilla. Very posh and elegant!

Genmaicha (loose) from Harney and Sons, one of the most relaxing teas on my shelf. The less intense, dry green tea combined with the nuttiness of the toasted brown rice hits me just right and enhances my calm.

Morgan Blend from Perennial Tea Room

Nicely smoky with a bit of bergamot.

>427 armature: I'm not a huge green tea fan, but genmaicha is on the favorites list along with dragonwell and kukicha (stem tea/twig tea).

Trying to sweeten the post-Christmas "where do I start cleaning up this mess?" blues with some French Macaron from TeaMaze (teamazeshop.com). Reminds me more of an almond sugar cookie than a fancy-pants macaron, but either way, it's got a nice baked-goods vibe.

Mumbai Chai from Tea Runners: with the cardamum and the cinnamon, bright enough to wake me up and the tea part is strong enough to keep me up! (yawn)

>429 gmathis: Oh, those teas sound good as well. I will have to try them!

>431 armature: Kukicha was a little bit of a surprise to me: just a little bit sweet.

Nightcap: White Peony--a sample from Adagio; mostly just "plant" flavor with maybe a hint of floral flavor.

>432 gmathis: I also saw a roasted version called Hojicha, which sounds intriguing.

Tonight: Murder on the Orient Express (sachet) from Harney & Sons; a distinct blend of flowery (jasmine), citrusy (bergamot) and smoky (more on the palate than in the nose).

CRANBERRY NUT MUFFIN GREEN (Adagio) -- (3½ ☕️)
3:00@175°
This really does taste and smell like a freshly baked muffin! I'm feeling blah and it's a dim, cold, rainy afternoon, so I'm trying a sample Adagio sent me a year or two ago. It doesn't perk me up so much as it's comforting, actually very comforting! Adagio's packaging says it consists of green tea, apple pieces, cocoa ribs, cranberries, raspberry leaves, orange, natural cranberry flavor, red cornflowers, pecan flavor and natural vanilla flavor. I'm not tasting any of those flavors individually, but am enjoying the warm muffin flavor they, combined, invoke.

Winding down with White Christmas from TeaMaze. It's an herbal blend with chamomile and apple, which I love together. A little cinnamon to perk up the mildness.

Russian Country (loose) from Harney & Sons. Not as aggressive as their Lapsang Souchong, but smoky and full-bodied enough to stand alongside a dark chocolate covered marshmallow.

My usual brew is Clipper Organic teabags https://www.clipper-teas.com, but as I'm having a few, I'm having Northern Tea Merchants https://www.northern-tea.com/ loose leaf orange Pekoe small leaf

English Breakfast (loose) from Harney & Sons, faintly smoky with hints of apricot, paired with a delicious lemon anise biscotti.

Lapsang Souchong (loose) from Harney & Sons. Intensely smoky and just the right thing after shoveling snow.

Some amazing-sounding teas here!

>426 gmathis: Regarding your Golden Orchid tea - real Vanilla actually come from the seed pod of an orchid native to central America.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla_planifolia and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla_(genus)

I'm drinking something called "Dorian" that I found in a well sealed tin in the back of my cupboard. I remember that I ordered it from Adagio when i drank the last of my chestnut tea. "Dorian" comes from something that Adagio calls "Dragon Age: The Black Emporium Tea Collection" and the tin says that it is a personal blend of Adagio's teas. Well, it isn't my personal blend, so perhaps they allow you to purchase tea blends that others create? I'll have to find out. In any event, this black tea has chestnut flavoring, cinnamon, and cream, accented with safflower, cornflower and marigold flowers. It's really nice - the cinnamon adds a slightly sweet finish, and like my previous Adagio chestnut flavored tea, it stands up well to a second steep even for someone like me who likes strong tea.

>441 vwinsloe: Yes, Adagio has a huge line of do-it-yourself "fandom" teas that allow shoppers to create their own blends, and it's possible to buy someone else's selection. I've had a few (gifts) that were OK, but I prefer to leave the blending to the professionals :) The chestnut sounds lovely for winter.

>442 gmathis: Thanks. That's an interesting concept. I'll have to check to see if I can create some black tea with cedar tips and juniper berries.

Kudos to the creator of "Dorian." It is really lovely.

Been fighting a bug since Wednesday, so I threw up my hands and tried a sample of Throat Therapy from Adagio. It was a freebie--I would never voluntarily purchase anything with licorice as the primary ingredient. However, the non-medicinal ingredients (cinnamon, orange) cut the sweetness just a little bit and it has smoothed out the sandpaper in my gullet a little.

>444 gmathis: Sounds good. I used to get Throat Tender from the Tealuxe store in Harvard Square, which sadly isn't there any more. I remember that it had Slippery Elm in it, which really coated the throat. I haven't found a replacement for it yet.

>444 gmathis: I hope you beat that bug soon. My wife and I are trying to get over something ourselves.

Tonight's cup is Death on the Nile (sachet) herbal blend from Harney and Sons; I'm out of biscuits or other tea accompaniments, so I was looking for something flavorful and spicy (chamomile, ginger, peppermint, coriander, cinnamon, fennel and cloves).

>446 armature: Thank you! I was the doc's third sinus infection this morning. However, I've been advised that the shot they gave me may make me a little wakeful tonight, so I am on decaf/herbal the rest of the day. Hot cup of Ty-phoo decaf at my side.

I live on builder’s tea. But for a change, I brewed a pot of Green Pomegranate today.

I’m experiencing broken sleep and some sleeplessness. I should probably cut off tea by the afternoon.

>448 2wonderY: I live on builder’s tea

Me too! But I'm lucky that tea has never kept me awake. When I was growing up, tea (that is builder's tea, which was the only tea that we knew) was often a bedtime drink.

Change yesterday's "little wakeful" advisory to "good grief, will the brain not shut off??" As such, I'm nursing a strong mug of Murphy's Irish Breakfast. The company closed several years ago and I am down to my last couple of packets, but some mornings, only the tough stuff will do.

EVEREST BREAKFAST (Tea Runners) -- (4☕️)
4:00 @ 200°F + 1 tsp honey + milk
This mix of Assam and Yunnan black teas makes a good waker-upper. Confusingly, its fragrance as it steeps is vegetal, like wet hay, while the taste is anything but. After it cools a bit, I get the strong intimation of Ovaltine from my childhood (or, even better, Bosco! Anyone remember that?) Mmmm, chocolate and malt! Then some astringency kicks in, but not too much - I can just feel it across my tongue. This is a good breakfast tea!

Just opened a tin of Jasmine tea from Sunflower...you've probably seen the square yellow tin at your local import store. A Christmas gift, and a welcome one: mild green tea and just enough jasmine to sweeten it without making it taste like Grandma's perfume or floor cleaner. Looking forward to more!

This morning it's Golden Needle, a black tea from Fujian, China, part of the latest tranche from my Tea Runners subscription. Brewing for 5:00 @ 212°F offers a nice fragrance - sweet, warm, earthy, tobacco. With the addition of ½ tsp honey and a splash of milk, the taste is a little sweet, carob & malt. There's a bit of astringency, lingering. This is a nuanced black tea, quite pleasant. 4☕️

And here it's a Salimbong Darjeeling 1. flush. TGFOP. Nice astringency and slightly flowery in taste.

Today i went for Portland Breakfast from Steven Smith .. i wanted a simple breakfast type tea in a rush, the teabags were at hand. The tea, with bags in, has been sitting in my corporate swag large insulated cup all morning, never getting bitter (for my tastebuds). It’s not a big robust breakfast type, but it’s tasty & hot.

>455 camelama: That sounds lovely. There are a few Steven Smith options at a couple local stores, I just haven't availed myself of them yet.

Currently unwinding, or attempting to, with Loyd Manuka Honey, Cranberry, and Ginger. Looks like it's a variety that isn't available any more, and I know these bags are getting old, but they've held up nicely. Fruity but not tart--not laced with hibiscus just for the sake of making it zingy.

I started the morning with my go-to blend, Rocky Mountain Breakfast from Ku Cha House of Tea (Colorado, USA). I have now moved to their Winter Chai, which is spiced up with a bit of cayenne pepper.

A green tea with supper (Pollo en Coco over a baked potato) - POKHARA CLASSIC GREEN TEA from Tea Runners (3½ ☕️)
Brewing for 3:00@175°F develops a solid green tea! Fragrance and taste are both strong, grassy, earthy - wet turf, but with a metallic tinge, very slightly astringent.

Scottish Afternoon (loose) from Harney & Sons, 4:00@212°F. It's a brisk, rather strong black tea I'm having as a pick-me-up. I keep meaning to try it with milk sometime. I don't usually put milk in my tea, but I might like it in this.

I was craving something with a little mint (should have cut the cheesecake brownie in half)... Traditional Medicinals Peppermint has a good, strong bagged mint that sticks with you and eases tummy trouble, clogged sinuses, or whatever else ails you.

just made a nice cup of green tea in a pot and its still steaming and it is delicious!!

I find myself on the receiving end of a lot of teas that other people don't want, and recently I've received a number of herbal blends from a friend. My current cup is The Republic Of Tea Gingerbread, which is a rooibos and spice blend with stevia. Not gingery enough for my tastes, alas, but it's a warm drink on a chilly evening. I may take the remainder of the tin to work and abandon it in the break room.

I am not a fan of tea blends that include stevia. I can sweeten my own tea if I so choose!

>462 eclbates: Cool!

>461 Arson_lover: Now you’re cookin’.

>461 Arson_lover: There's something about preparing the tea that's just as enjoyable as tasting it!

I have been drinking the stuffin' out of my packet of Sweater Weather from Savoy Tea. It's got an Assam tea base, some cardamom to give it a little chai vibe, and mint. I'm not a huge chai fan, but this is a really nice blend.

>465 gmathis: cool!

Started the morning with Holiday Apple Frost green tea and have now moved to my daily favorite, Organic Rocky Mountain Breakfast. Both are from Ku Cha Teas, in Colorado, USA. (I have to mail order them, as I am in the DC suburbs.)

Franken-tea this morning. Had some leftover Irish Breakfast leaves, dumped in an extra teaspoon-ish of a no-name China black from a local indie grocer (a generic Congou, I think) ... and it did what it needed to do, which was boot my backside out the front door.

>468 gmathis: I love the term "Franken-tea." I do that quite a lot with tisanes that well-meaning people gift me. Tisanes are fine, but I need my caffeine so I add black tea.

>469 vwinsloe: I like to mix chamomile with black tea. Efficacious either way!

>470 gmathis: I'll have to try that one!

had some mc. donalds tea had to get my dad's earl grey to wash it down

>472 Arson_lover: I hear you. The only fast food place, IMO, that has drinkable tea is Tim Hortons.

Tazo Elderberry/Blackberry tonight, to keep my appetite at bay without keeping me awake.

>474 armature: Not sure I've had that Tazo berry combination. Is it very tart? I'm a hibiscus-hater, and it gets thrown in a lot of fruit blends.

>475 gmathis: It does have hibiscus, I'm afraid. Less tart than some blends, but still there, so you'll want to steer clear. In the end I thought is was OK, but wasn't a big fan - I just grabbed it out of a massive bowl of random teabags my wife has.

just had a nice cup of herble tea im super sleepy

>477 Arson_lover: It's nice to find an herbal tea that you know will help you relax. Most don't make me sleepy, but teas with tulsi (tastes a little like lemon + mint) come the closest to helping me unwind.

Just finished a nice Darjeeling called Grand Himalaya from Palais des Thés. A little fruity and grapey, but it doesn't dry out your tongue like some Darjeelings tend to do.

Deep cleaning my kitchen cabinets and countertops this morning. Found an old jar of Cinnamon Citrus loose tea. Still good. Soothing.

Finished up a Christmas gift of Mystica "The Holly and the Ivy" tea from the Mystic Monks. It's a seasonal blend not in stock at the moment. They specialize in coffees, but this was a very nice spiced blend that is reminiscent of Constant Comment but without the astringency CC can have.

https://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/collections/tea
https://steepster.com/teas/mystic-monk-coffee/56027-the-holly-and-the-ivy-tea

I was in need of "a good tonic-in'," as Granny Clampett would say, so I've got a cup of what used to be called Pappy's Sassafras Concentrate diluted in a mug. Evidently the purveyors decided the name was too antiquated, and it's now "Ancient Infusions," but it's still the same stuff. I always find myself craving it this time of year, about the same time I'm ravenously craving spring weather. Leaves a lovely A&W Root Beer aftertaste with each sip.

>481 gmathis: It enriches the blood!

>482 2wonderY: I did feel a little less draggy this morning!

Almost a month after ordering, I finally received and tried the "Side Quest" blend (Ceylon tea, cedar tips, juniper berries) from Raven and Reverie. It definitely was worth the wait. (But I am still a bit miffed about the wait.)

Thanks to a mention here, i purchased a few teas from Tiree Tea. This morning I am trying Crofter Breakfast. A blend of Assam, Kenyan & Sri Lanken black teas. Light for a breakfast tea, but very smoooooth. Even with a very long steep (“wait, did I already make tea? Oh! Oops, an hour ago….”). Been sipping this slowly while I watched the night turn to day, as the wild winds & rain remove yesterday’s ice & snow. Yay insomnia.

>485 camelama: I love teas that are sloppy-steep friendly!

Just finished a tumbler of Chocolate Vanilla Mate. I am a fan of the effects of mate in the morning, but not so much its flavor. In this case, the chocolate and vanilla smooth it out nicely.

Just a reminder that as Leap Day is upon us on 2/29, Adagio teas will be selling their Brigadoon tea on that day only. I have hoarded my last purchase for these four years & will be brewing up a pot of my last tea leaves tomorrow - but wanted to post a reminder today to catch anyone who needed it!

>487 camelama: That's a fun little marketing gag...I have a pouch of the Adagio Bella Luna, that's only available when there's a blue moon.

Tonight, with dinner, a big mug of EMPRESS GREEN from Tea Runners, brewed for 3:00 @ 175°F. This is a very nice green tea, aromatic, full mouth-feel, a light sweetness, a robust green taste, but not vegetal or grassy.

I'm blissing out on Junshan Yinzhen from Masters Teas (君山银针). It's a very delicate brew, with subtle fruitiness and floral notes (it's a yellow tea). I usually prefer a bolder tea, but this one is just so beautiful and complex.

>490 mabith: I've only tried one yellow tea, which was very heavy and silky textured, but I couldn't coax much flavor out of it. I'll have to check out your version.

>491 gmathis: I've not tried many myself either. It's the fruity note at the end of the sip that really keeps drawing me into this one, I think.

Black Cask Bourbon (loose) from Harney & Sons, 5:00@212°F. It's a smooth tea with a smokiness like charred oak, and while not exactly bourbon flavored, definitely bourbon adjacent.

>493 armature: I like that one in the winter when the weather is raw.

Trying to wake up with a bag of strong Murphy's Irish Breakfast tea. The company has now closed, so I'm rationing a bit.

>494 gmathis: The company has now closed, so I'm rationing a bit.

It can be a bummer when a go-to becomes unavailable. I suppose it helps to look at it as an opportunity to try new things.

>495 armature: There are other decent builders' teas out there, but this one was goof-proof.

Yorkshire Toast & Jam this morning. I may have mentioned this one before; strong breakfast tea that courteously provides your burnt toast and strawberry preserves in a single cup.

>496 gmathis: Hah! I've never had Yorkshire Toast & Jam, but your description of "burnt toast and strawberry jam" sure does get across a notion of what it tastes like!

I started today with a couple cups of Black Dragon Pearls from TeaRunners. Not bad - slightly astringent, cigarette tobacco, minerals - but much better than my last tasting a couple of years ago of this same tea from Adagio, which was just blah. Hard to compare, though - it was most probably from a different year's crop and could have been a different estate as well.

>497 TempleCat: T & J is highly recommended. Yorkshire has also done a "Biscuit Brew" that brings in the flavor of animal crackers or arrowroot teething biscuits. (Sounds weird, but so tasty!)

Currently drinking The' au Jasmin, just a low-end jasmine green--you've probably seen the square tins, gold in color, at your international grocery. The brand stamped on the lid is Sunflower. The jasmine is a little sweet without tasting like grandma's perfume, and it isn't a fussy steeper.

>498 gmathis: I've added the Yorkshire to my shopping list. We'll see if any of my local grocery stores carries that brand!

>499 TempleCat: I had to order mine, but our little corner of SW Missouri isn't home to very many juggernaut grocery stores.

I finally got to one of the samples from Raven and Reverie. It was something called Thorns & Roses and the ingredients are: rose congou black tea, rose petals, and natural cardamom flavor. It was really different and very good. The problem is that Raven and Reverie's customer service is really bad. To order or not to order? That is the question.

It's a marketing gimmick-and-a-half, but I am currently in love with Adagio's Brigadoon, which is only sold every four years on Leap Day. Here's their write-up:

Like the fictional Scottish town of Brigadoon, this special Leap Year tea only appears once every few years. Luckily, it's every four years instead of a hundred! Celebrate Leap Day with this Scottish Breakfast Blend of Assam and Keemun teas. We've added a touch of Silver Needle and blue cornflowers to evoke the blue and white of the Scottish flag that Brigadoon would fly.

The cornflowers and silver needles lighten up the heavier base teas and add sort of a starchy marshmallow vibe that makes me smile when I drink it.

>502 gmathis: I tried Brigadoon last leap year and had a very different reaction! To me, it had no taste at all. I drank (over time) 8 cups of the stuff and it ended up only to provide, after I brewed the daylights out of heaping spoonfuls, a slight astringency on the tongue but no taste. I think I may have had a very early mild case of Covid, but the only symptom I had was loss of taste and that was before anyone realized that to be a covid symptom. Maybe I should give Brigadoon another try next leap year!

>503 TempleCat: I enjoyed it in 2020, but not enough to drink it instead of my usuals, and then eventually forgot about it. As a result, another leap year has come and I still have my brigadoon from the last one sitting around at the back of the cupboard. I LOVE a good gimmick, I have to say. Eventually I shall empty out the tin and put things in it, because it is quite cute.

>504 eclbates: >503 TempleCat: Most Scottish breakfast teas have underwhelmed me. You'd think they'd be brawny enough to boot yer hindquarters awake of a morning, but not so much. In this case, the additives add a little personality rather than strength.

Give me PG Tips, Extra Strong, for an eye-opener.

I fell in love with Brigadoon last leap year, am so happy my budget allowed me to buy a large amount this time. No more counting the days between cups!