Tea Tasting

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crashthegrey

Lifer
Dec 18, 2015
3,810
3,566
41
Cobleskill, NY
www.greywoodie.com
So I love pairing my tea and tobacco. And now I am growing some of both to learn how to process each and all of the nuances. This company is doing a huge giveaway and launching a blind tea tasting subscription. Blind tasting is a cool idea with both tea and tobacco. It is a cool way to figure out how much we read and put into tasting without ever actually tasting it. Check them out, you can win teaware or subscription without any purchase. Tea giveaway

 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
I don't know much about tea, but I will say that I've found regular ole sweet tea to really sooth a bit of tongue burn, and also to substantially cleanse the palate. I suspect it could be the tannins in the tea that have the effect, but whatever it is, it works. In on tea / tobacco pairing thread.

 

crashthegrey

Lifer
Dec 18, 2015
3,810
3,566
41
Cobleskill, NY
www.greywoodie.com
I have never had much of a sweet tooth, so I rarely do sweet tea, but boy is it good once in awhile on a hot day. I absolutely find tea to help with any bite. I would love to see more people with tea and pipes together. There are a few of us.

 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
I have other teas that I like as well, besides just sweet tea. I've got some honey vanilla chamomile tea that I like plain, or with a small bit of honey. I would be interested in trying some more varieties, especially whatever it is that the English drink at tea time :puffpipe:

 

magicalgibbon

Lurker
Jul 15, 2018
39
0
UK
I’m so with you on this. Tea is my drink of choice with a pipe. My favourite pairing so far (and done on an almost daily basis for my last pipe of the day) is a mug full of good quality Assam with a bowl of Cabbies Mixture or St James Flake. Booootiful!

 

crashthegrey

Lifer
Dec 18, 2015
3,810
3,566
41
Cobleskill, NY
www.greywoodie.com
Lawdawg, now says it is PG Tips. But if you want to do it right, get a good Darjeeling black tea or an Assam. If you want to check out affordable but quality tea, try Adagio. I can always get you a $5 coupon if you want. I order pounds at a time from them.

 
I have a friend who is growing her own tea and coffee just a few dozen miles from me. I think that’s pretty cool. I had no idea that could be done. I am not much of a tea aficionado though. I only drink a Lipton and peppermint tea mix, with lots of sugar and ice cold. And, I only drink it in the heat of the summer. I should probably branch out and try new things though.

 

smittyd

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 7, 2018
830
907
45
Pennsylvania
I have a really nice tea shop close to me. They sell by the oz or pound. My favorite is a dream earl grey that is loaded with bergamot. It's wonderful.

 

crashthegrey

Lifer
Dec 18, 2015
3,810
3,566
41
Cobleskill, NY
www.greywoodie.com
I highly recommend everyone branch out and try new teas. I can always recommend types. A real strong bergamot on a good quality Earl Grey is definitely lovely. I drink tea all day every day. I got hard into puerh, compressed, aged bricks of tea. Cellaring is as bad as pipe tobacco. I have stuff over 20 years old now.

 

smittyd

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 7, 2018
830
907
45
Pennsylvania
Yes, I also have way more tea than i can drink. +1 on the puerh. Did you know that the chinese and Egyptians use these compacted tea pellets as a system of currency and trade for a very long time?

 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
Crash, thanks for the recommendations. I've added Darjeeling and Assam to my overarching list of all things to buy / try. Any recommendations on particularly strong / flavorful teas? I appreciate a good cup of black coffee, but also do the cream and sugar thing from time to time, and would like to try the equivalent of both of those in tea, if that makes sense.
I have tickets to take Mrs. Lawdawg to an event at an English-style tea house in October. It's in a really cool old house in my town's historic district, and I'm looking forward to the experience.

 
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,576
66
Sarasota, FL
I love sweet tea. Or, better said, loved. I was drinking 1/2 to 3/4 gallon per day. The sugar intake was killing me. Literally. I gave it up cold turkey over a week ago and feel a ton better since. I've cut my daily sugar intake by 90%, or more. So I've been searching and sampling healthy teas. I agree, tea is a marvelous compliment to smoking a pipe. This thread is timely.

 

crashthegrey

Lifer
Dec 18, 2015
3,810
3,566
41
Cobleskill, NY
www.greywoodie.com
Lawdawg, if you are looking for an experience like coffee try a Yunnan Noir (available from Adagio) or similar black tea from Yunnan, it will typically be rolled tea, often called snail. Oversteep it a bit and add milk and sugar and you'll have a similar experience. Additionally, a loose puerh tea (as opposed to the compressed form) will give a strong experience, especially a loose shou puerh, and then you don't have to get into gongfu brewing. If you like smoky tea, get the highest quality lapsang souchong you can find. It is a less flavorful part of the leaf, so they smoke it over a pine fire. If that is too intense on its own, look for a Russian Caravan, Camel Caravan, or any other Caravan named blend. It will be Lapsang blended with other teas, often keemun or assam and oolong, but it will ease you into the smoked tea experience. And that's all without adding anything extra to the tea leaves. There are tons of other flavors that can be added.

 

crashthegrey

Lifer
Dec 18, 2015
3,810
3,566
41
Cobleskill, NY
www.greywoodie.com
Oh, I nearly forgot. If you have ever enjoyed a breakfast tea, usually English or Irish, keep an eye out for a Scottish Breakfast. It tends to have more body and a bit more in the caffeine department, pushing it toward that coffee like experience.

 

magicalgibbon

Lurker
Jul 15, 2018
39
0
UK
Lawdawg - as per your question, I was thinking about what the English ‘drink at tea time’... as an Englishman I feel I ought to point out that ‘tea time’ extends from whatever time you wake to whatever time you fall asleep.

 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
Lawdawg, if you are looking for an experience like coffee try a Yunnan Noir (available from Adagio) or similar black tea from Yunnan, it will typically be rolled tea, often called snail. Oversteep it a bit and add milk and sugar and you'll have a similar experience. Additionally, a loose puerh tea (as opposed to the compressed form) will give a strong experience, especially a loose shou puerh, and then you don't have to get into gongfu brewing. If you like smoky tea, get the highest quality lapsang souchong you can find. It is a less flavorful part of the leaf, so they smoke it over a pine fire. If that is too intense on its own, look for a Russian Caravan, Camel Caravan, or any other Caravan named blend. It will be Lapsang blended with other teas, often keemun or assam and oolong, but it will ease you into the smoked tea experience. And that's all without adding anything extra to the tea leaves. There are tons of other flavors that can be added.
Thank you for the detailed expert advice! I believe I will start simple with some Darjeeling and some Assam per your earlier recommendation, and perhaps branch out from there. You now have me browsing tea pots and diffusers on Amazon because I see that the good tea appears to be all loose leaf rather than in bags.
Lawdawg - as per your question, I was thinking about what the English ‘drink at tea time’... as an Englishman I feel I ought to point out that ‘tea time’ extends from whatever time you wake to whatever time you fall asleep.
Thank you for the clarification, I will keep it in mind :puffy:

 

crashthegrey

Lifer
Dec 18, 2015
3,810
3,566
41
Cobleskill, NY
www.greywoodie.com
Definitely get loose leaf over bags. A simple pot with holes before the spout will do the trick. I personally like leaves in my tea, so I am not particular about a strainer. But you'll find what you like. If you find an Assam or Darjeeling, don't worry right away about spring flush. You'll find spring flush is more expensive, but like tobacco, at first you won't taste the difference. Save the money and get the younger spring flush when you have developed a taste for good tea. Just a thought.

 
Jul 28, 2016
7,564
36,058
Finland-Scandinavia-EU
Moring:PG Tips, loose leaf Scottish Breakfast, Brook Bond or similar with some milk & sugar, some Brits are calling this like builders brew,

evenings ,whether it'll be the Grusian, Turkish or China Keemun with no milk added but instead here I'd opt for light lemon and sugar.

 
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