[Nicolas2305]

You should also keep in mind that most of the teas (Red, Oolong, green, yellow, white) must be consumed within the year because after that they tend to loose their flavor. The only tea that can be keeped are black teas and Pu-erh.

So you should search for a store with a good stock rotation. Some store that sometimes go out of stock on some teas is more advisable since you know that they don't order too much to keep their supplies fresh.

 

[Drag0n]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicolas2305 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You should also keep in mind that most of the teas (Red, Oolong, green, yellow, white) must be consumed within the year because after that they tend to loose their flavor. The only tea that can be keeped are black teas and Pu-erh. So you should search for a store with a good stock rotation. Some store that sometimes go out of stock on some teas is more advisable since you know that they don't order too much to keep their supplies fresh.

Thanks, Ill prolly try all different kinds, but ill buy black mostly.

I was talking to my mom, and she said all the store teas were good years ago, like Lipton, Tetley, etc., but after some war, whichever one, the tea wasnt imported from China to here anymore, so thats why we dont have that tea here now. I havent found one really flavorful tea here yet, not like the teas we had here years ago.
Im still waiting until i can go to ChinaTown and see what they have.

 

[BradJudy]

It sounds like you might be looking for UK-style teas, if so, then you should look more towards teas from India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon) than China or Japan. This is where most UK teas have come from historically. The local market here has a section for Chinese teas and another for Sri Lankan teas.

 

[Snake]

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxworks /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've had british tea (traveled there many times) and US coffee. at its best, all else equal, good coffee still wins me over. fresh ground from whole bean, on the spot, makes all the diff. and a good espresso maker with proper pressure also makes a huge diff (I only drink espresso based coffees these days).

British tea versus coffee. That's like saying "I've compared recycled yak urine to something people can actually drink...once you "get used to it".

Asian teas, dude, Asian. OK, OK, Irish Breakfast tea is so FREAKIN' awesome it will simply make you whimper to the tea gods, and a number of other good teas from around the world, but British?? I am of the humble opinion that we did the Boston Tea Party...just so we DIDN'T have to drink it!

Probably killed all the poor fish in the port...

 

[Drag0n]

I have Twinnings English Breakfast and Irish breakfast right here and ive been drinking them both for about 3 days, and i dont notice much of a difference between either. Theyre ok, but not what im looking for, but also Twinnings is a company based in London,England....so maybe its not real irish tea, i dont know.

They were both very bland even though they rated the strength 4 of 5 tea leaves for the Irish Breakfast tea, and 3 for the English Tea. I didnt taste a strength difference at all, so id imagine the top strength of 5 isnt much better. I prolly need a 10 ...lol.

 

[flashnolan]

I disagree with the OP. I have some tea from Teavana and it smells AMAZING every time I open the lid. I have Apple lemon pomegranate with Tarocco ruby orange.

 

[Drag0n]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashnolan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I disagree with the OP. I have some tea from Teavana and it smells AMAZING every time I open the lid. I have Apple lemon pomegranate with Tarocco ruby orange.

Both flavoured teas.
Im looking for natural unflavoured black tea that fills the whole house with aroma.
I realize anyone under 40 ,born in the USA, might not realize what im talking about and may really feel theyre drinking good tea, and without the comparison it tastes and smells fine, but if youre from a country with real tea, or older than 40 or 50 years old and remember when we had real aromatic tea in this country, then youd know what i mean.

Most of the good tea is only grown in small quantities in places like China, and reserved for rich people in their own country mostly, altho some common people there can get some also.

To find it here is rare, and expensive, but im sure someone must sell it.

Im almost willing to bet that the tea that solessthanthree's family brings when they visit is the tea im looking for,

 

[LeftyGorilla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snake /img/forum/go_quote.gif Asian teas, dude, Asian. OK, OK, Irish Breakfast tea is so FREAKIN' awesome it will simply make you whimper to the tea gods, and a number of other good teas from around the world, but British?? I am of the humble opinion that we did the Boston Tea Party...just so we DIDN'T have to drink it!

You think the British *grow* tea?

And though coffee has been mentioned, nothing of whiskey, our other national beverage.

All silly nationalism aside, check out Rishi Tea: Organic Fair Trade Tea. I buy from them by the pound.

 

[limpidglitch]

no need to diss british tea, try yorkshire tea I've got a box sitting right next to my Darjeeling premium.

 

[Nocturnal310]

i still drink tea ..btw on my vacations..i went to a Tea Factory which makes one of the most expensive teas in the world.

i sample one of their premium while i was looking at the beautiful ice laden mountains..and man that was the moment..that was good life

 

[vagarach]

Oh and there's supposedly a good shop in SanFran, Samovar Tea they also sell online. I found out about gyokuro from one of their podcasts!

 

[ericj]

As for the british vs. american sentiment - the british learned the tea trade and tea culture from americans. Their historians admit this but most people don't know anything about it.

As for current british tea - I've had pg tips and don't care for it. too much kenyan tea in the blend. I'm sure there are other esteemed british brands, but i don't feel like bothering with them.

Everyone in highly commercialized tea outside of the US is convinced that americans only drink iced tea. This is why a box of Lipton black from the UK is an entirely different product from what you get in the US. What you get at a grocery store in the US is formulated for southerners making iced tea.

As for remembering pungently aromatic black tea from your youth - keep in mind that your sense of smell has surely dulled with time.

As with anything else, you can get high quality product, you just can't get it at the corner store.

And there are, of course, so many varieties out there that it may be impossible to find what you remember drinking a long time ago.

I prefer a brew of half extra-malty assam (indian) tea and chocolatey keemun (chinese black).

 

[ericj]

Oh wait. If you want a tea that fills the house with aroma, I have some russian caravan tea here that's pretty heavy on the lapsang souchong - it has a pungent, camphoric, almost toxic aroma that stays in your nostirils and linnens all day.

I keep it in a stainless steel paint can.

 

[Nocturnal310]

this is where i went to sample the tea..its in Kosani the hill station:

Welcome to Uttaranchal Tea Development Board

they ship overseas so u can checkout their website:

Girnar Corporate website

 

[-=Germania=-]

I would get some tea from TeaGschwender their website is Teamerchants.com

I would like to promote the quality of the tea and the very fair pricing. Most of the stuff being sold as looseleaf tea in the store right now is just crappy by comparison. Plus, they give you instructions on the teas. I like to maybe go a bit lighter on the blacks and whites while a bit heavier on the Greens and Oolongs.

My favs are:
First flush Darjeelings
Kabusecha
Sencha extra fine grade
Formosa Superior Taifu
Formosa Ming Xiang
their Bossa Nova is a really good tasting Tissain
Ceylon Highlands
China Pai Mu Tan
Neelgiri teas

I have a bunch more, but these are some of my favorites with the Sencha being a staple.

I also found this Summatran Oolong that looks like a a certain illegal drug and you would think that it is a green. However, it brews a medium golden liquid and tastes like an oolong. Good stuff if you like green and oolong, as this is a grey area.

If you live in an area with an Indian store, go there for the blacks. It won't look like great quality from the packaging, but trust me when I say that it is.

Then get a "Teaforone" stacking tea set. I got one for $8 from walmart and it is a nice thing to have.