Any Tea Drinkers?

[Mrs. Pickles]

I drink one large cup of Earl Grey, I purchase from Adagio, each day after dinner. I could easily fall into the Tea game but am avoiding the temptation. I like a number of green teas I've tried but they're a bit mild.

It’s a slippery slope, mate. Between tea and tobacco, I’ve been squandering paychecks on dead leaves for years now.

 

[Flatfish]

I wonder who first took some dried leaves and decided, "I will smoke this" and then another pile of dried leaves and decided "I will make tea with this"

 

[Streeper541]

I like tea. Earl grey. Hot.
I also enjoy Barry's Irish Breakfast tea.

These tins are also full of good stuff... In fact, the Hot Cinnamon Spice is some of the best tea I've ever had.

 

[Pooh-Bah]

I wonder who first took some dried leaves and decided, "I will smoke this" and then another pile of dried leaves and decided "I will make tea with this"

According to legend, some Chinese emperor was hanging out with some hot water one day (as was the style at the time), and some leaves from a neighboring plant fell in.
He drank it, because apparently he didn't see anything weird with drinking water contaminated by an unknown plant, and declared it was tasty. Thus, tea drinking was invented.

I'm skeptical.

 

[NightSkyFlash]

Starting to work my way through a oolong sampler from Adagio. Started with this one this morning. It’s fantastic .

 

[FLDRD]

I enjoy teas of all kinds, but what I drink most of is Tulsi tea.
Grown, harvested, dried by myself.
Look up benefits of Tulsi and you'll be surprised.

 

[pantsBoots]

I enjoy teas of all kinds, but what I drink most of is Tulsi tea.
Grown, harvested, dried by myself.
Look up benefits of Tulsi and you'll be surprised.

3rd year in a row I'm not growing Tulsi basil. It's easily the most fragrant plant in the garden when I have grown it, and attracts pollinators like a magnet.

 

[FLDRD]

3rd year in a row I'm not growing Tulsi basil. It's easily the most fragrant plant in the garden when I have grown it, and attracts pollinators like a magnet.

Of course I can make tea out of lots of other items from the garden as well: dandelion, mint, catnip, fennell...

 

[gervais]

I like tea and drink it occasionally. Yorkshire gold is my quickie. If I'm doing looseleaf, which would be a silver needle, or quality Chinese green/black, it's always "grandpa style" which means toss a pinch of leaf in a cup and keep adding water as you drink it. Leaves stay in the cup.

Having said that..

I have yet to find ANY tea that satisfies like a good cup of black coffee.

 

[cersono]

Hi, my name is Cersono and I'm a tea-addict.

I drink three teapots of strong Black Leaf Tea per day, unsweetened and unspoiled, always accompanied by a pipe.
Among many dozens of different teas I've tried I prefer African teas, like Ruandan, Tanzanian, Malawian, and legacy Rhodesian, but 90% of the teas I drink come from Kenya and I think they're the best in the world. Unlike Indian or Chinese black teas, most Kenyan full-leaf teas are very low in acidity and bitterness and are naturally malty-sweet, which I prize a lot.

There's even such thing in Africa as Dark Fired Tea coming from Malawi. I know no better liquid companion to Gawith Hoggarth Dark Flake/Plug, Samuel Gawith Brown Twist No4 and other blends rich in Dark-Fired Tobaccos. The Dark-Fired Tea doesn't taste much like Dark-Fired Tobacco (a great deal of which originates in Malawi too btw), it gives a baked hint rather than a smoky one, which perfectly complements the smoked tobacco flavours.

I also tried to come to like the smoked Lapsang Souchong tea but all teas of that variety I've tried (even some pricey top-shelf Taiwanese ones) have been obviously tampered with artificial "liquid-smoke" essence which leaves unpleasant and lingering aftertaste. I believe there should exist somewhere in the world unadulterated Lapsang Souchong teas smoked in a pure natural smoke but I failed to procure me any for whatever price.

 

[pantsBoots]

Of course I can make tea out of lots of other items from the garden as well: dandelion, mint, catnip, fennell...

I grow all of those, except the dandelion. Our local variety is extra bitter. Probably better medicine in the bitterness, but I do like teas to be pleasant.

 

[sparker69]

My mom visited recently and left this behind. For anybody who likes Latakia, I highly recommend. I added some honey and pollen and actually really enjoyed it. I smoked a straight VA with it and couldn't believe the Latakia-type essence it had.
View attachment 224798

Lapsang Souchong - a regular, almost daily in my rotation. A local imported brand though - Camilia Sinensis from Montreal.

 

[sparker69]

Huge tea drinker here! Started when I was six at my grandma's and my nana's place - started with 3/4 milk and two good teaspoons of sugar. Ratios slowly changed over time. At my grandmother's, the tea pot would never empty; just boil some more water, lift the cosy and throw a couple more bags in and top it up, (without removing any of the older bags)! Easily 9-10 mugs a day. My favourite go-to was PG Tips, unfortunately no longer available in Canada. Switched to Typhoo which in now no longer available, (am I cursing these brands?!) Ahmad makes a great English blend. Bought all the Typhoo that was left in the store. When it's gone, I'll go over to Yorkshire. If you want a strong one - King Cole from New Brunswick, Canada. All of these with milk - no sugar - although sometimes I'll put some in, when I make my tea in a huge German beer stein - I used to go over to my friend's and he'd ask me how I liked my tea - black - he'd bring it back milky and sugary in these huge mugs! I drink that when I'm working on my bike in the garage.
Love Lapsang Souchong - drink a local imported blend, and Pu'er as well for that earthy taste - I go for the cheap ones I find in Chinatown. For something fancier - Kusmi - especially their Russian Blends - St. Petersbourg & Prince Vladamir. (A little guide from my PG Tips box)

 

[Mrs. Pickles]

Hi, my name is Cersono and I'm a tea-addict.

I drink three teapots of strong Black Leaf Tea per day, unsweetened and unspoiled, always accompanied by a pipe.
Among many dozens of different teas I've tried I prefer African teas, like Ruandan, Tanzanian, Malawian, and legacy Rhodesian, but 90% of the teas I drink come from Kenya and I think they're the best in the world. Unlike Indian or Chinese black teas, most Kenyan full-leaf teas are very low in acidity and bitterness and are naturally malty-sweet, which I prize a lot.

There's even such thing in Africa as Dark Fired Tea coming from Malawi. I know no better liquid companion to Gawith Hoggarth Dark Flake/Plug, Samuel Gawith Brown Twist No4 and other blends rich in Dark-Fired Tobaccos. The Dark-Fired Tea doesn't taste much like Dark-Fired Tobacco (a great deal of which originates in Malawi too btw), it gives a baked hint rather than a smoky one, which perfectly complements the smoked tobacco flavours.

Can you recommend a source for fresh Kenyan full leaf? I love Kenyan tea but have been hard pressed to find a vendor that I really like.

 

[cersono]

I'd lovely recommend a source, but I live far from the USA, so I afraid my vendors' list won't be of help to anyone here.
What I can recommend are the Kenyan tea factories whose teas are especially worth of seeking after: those are Itumbe, Imenti and, the best of all, Kiru.

 

[proteus]

I love tea. I am trying teas with tobacco currently to see which pair well. I have a bit of pride in my state's tea companies. Drinking Harney teas since they were in CT before they moved to NY. I have family in NY so that is still cool. From Harney I drink Assam, Ceylon, Sencha, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri and sometimes Yellow and Blue for relaxing. Bigelow is still in CT and I love their Constant Comment. In the winter I make my own Chai blend with the Assam.

 

[sparker69]

I just bought some Brooke Bond as well for work - a strong blend from India. Not bad. With milk it would be nice.

 

[NightSkyFlash]

I unintentionally aged this in the tin for 28 years. Still tastes like I remember it, but not sure if that’s because the tea is all that or if my taste buds are shot or my memory is toast or…….

 

[cersono]

Unfortunately, there's no benefits of aging for black tea, unlike for tobacco. I tried aging black tea for 5 and 8 years and all what I got was the tea getting bland and loosing much of its fine aromas. There's the only kind of tea that benefits from aging, it's so called Puerh, Chinese fermented tea, especially the green variety. Puerhs aged to 20 or 30 years fetch high prices and acquire very special flavour nuances (I can't say I personally care much for those, but many value the aged Puerh very high).

 

[beerandbaccy]

I drink tea all day!
Commercial brands I love Dorset Tea and Clipper tea (Yorkshire is also good) (with a dash of milk) and Twinings Lady Grey (drink black)
Assam and Orange pekoe are my 'Individual' teas of choice.
I drink English Breakfast and similar blends as I like a strong malty hit and drink this with a splash of milk

Sugar with tea is blasphemy (I have a little sugar in my coffee so many may point the finger back at me! )

If you really get heavily into tea, certain teas brew better at different temperatures, the flavour extraction is better and you get less harsh tannins.- You can get kettles that can be programmed accordingly as well as programmable electric tea infusion kettles (see picture). If there's a gadget to get I'm usually more interested!!

Tea manages to be comforting when you're down, warming when you're cold and refreshing when you're thirsty.