Help a noob find some great teas

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
#21

After reading this thread, I suddenly found that

-tea from a teabag has lost almost all its flavor
-loose tea brewed in my tea ball tastes a bit suspicious, somehow cramped.

So I wonder how this board has influenced my wine preferences [scratch.gif] :slight_smile:

#22

Good point… it’s good practice to dump your first infusion… to lose caffeine and also to wash the tea of impurities/dirt etc.
Linda you’re right, black/green/white tea all have caffeine and I’ve been told many think black has the most, but actually green tea has the most caffeine.
What i’m referring to (Lavender / Chrysanthemum) are caffeine free… they’re just flowers :slight_smile: Fruit/flower tea have no caffeine UNLESS of course you mix it.
i.e. a common mix is 菊普 - which is Chrysanthemum mixed with Pu-er tea. tea flavor, some flower scent… I can handle a bit of that at lunch usually

Happy drinking! [cheers.gif]

#23

I drink caffeine free tea every night. Pee a lot, but also sleep harder. The Original Sweet and Spicy is my favorite, as it subs for dessert as well.

http://www.goodearthtea.com

#24

I’ll add that I agree on keeping a small tea pot on hand to be able to use loose tea to brew a single cup.

Personally, my favorite style is generally Second Flush Darjeeling but I may be stuck in a bit of a rut since I don’t buy much else these days. Reading some comments above makes me want to start trying some good Oolongs.

#25

+1

#26

My favorite oolong: http://www.americantearoom.com/milk-oolong.html

I’ve tasted dozens of oolongs from tea merchants all over the world. Nothing else comes close.

#27

Okay, you’ve sold me. Time to place an order.

#28

They often have discount codes on the homepage of their website. The Milk Ollong is seemingly very expensive, but you use level teaspoon measures (rather than heaping for black teas) and the second, third, fourth infusions are all different and interesting.

#29

Yes, I got a 20% discount (good until 12/19) and a free teaspoon with my order. Looking forward to trying it!

#30

Can you give me the short answer for how to prepare this? What equipment would I need, and how do I do it? And 2 ounces is $39 – how much tea could I expect from that?

As to the Upton Tea recommendation from Don and Brent, do you have a couple of specific recommendations for me from there? Or should I call and speak to someone there for suggestions?

Thank you everyone!

#31

1 level teaspoon for 5-6 ounces of water (more or less, according to your tastes). Steep in a pot with 175° water for two minutes. Use a large infuser, as the tightly rolled tea will expand exponentially when steeped. Be sure to save the leaves for subsequent infusions. It changes taste from buttery to herbal as it is reinfused.

#32

One of the nice things about Upton is that they sell tea samplers with very small sizes of several teas. It’s not a bad idea to try one or more of those to get a handle on what you like. It’s how I determined my preference for 2nd flush over 1st flush Darjeeling.

#33

Chris,

I’m not Mark but 2oz=56g and Upton tea recommends 2.25g per cup for most of their oolongs. I’m not as specific with my tea knowledge as I am with wine so I am still sampling through lots of hot teas. It could take me a few more years to get through the Upton catalog.

I buy their iced tea blend as well as BOP teas (broken Orange Pekoe) for bulk iced tea making. I’m going through the Assam sampler now. I don’t discern some fo the same subtelties in the tea as wines, or at least I don’t pay as much attention so there isn’t much I haven’t liked. I would definitely call and talk to someone there, and maybe do as Jay suggests and purchase a bunch of samples going off whatever their person recommends for your tastes. Then you can always go back and buy what you like in bulk. Their website has tons of info and I suggest asking for a copy of the printed catalog with your first order.

#34

and maybe do as Jay suggests and purchase a bunch of samples going off whatever their person recommends for your tastes. Then you can always go back and buy what you like in bulk. Their website has tons of info and I suggest asking for a copy of the printed catalog with your first order.

+1

Love the sample packs.

#35

Yes. That sounds really interesting.

#36

Just went to order some more and they seem to have closed [shock.gif]

Anyone have other milk oolong recommendations?

#37

Open an account with East India Company and try their: The First Estate Assam, The Campbell Darjeeling and Sir Anthony Oliphant’s Ceylon Black Tea teas. The Second Flush offerings are amazing as well. You’ll never drink English Breakfast again, but if you really want to try the English Tea Store #1 Blend-- its wonderful
Then seek out some of what Fortnum And Mason has to offer. I love the Darjeeling they offer as well.
Some amazing teas out there, all you need to do is experiment.

#38

Two good sources for me are,

www.marktwendell.com

The Hu-Kwa is really interesting and very smoky. If you are looking for caffeine the Mountain Kenya is going to get you there.

www.rareteacellar.com

These guys have barrel aged teas, might be worth trying.

#39

These folks were recommended on a different topic, https://floatingleaves.com/. You might ask if they will assemble a sampler for you.