I orderd from an Internet site (I forget the name) two “samplers” of tea. I hope that I’ll discover at least one or two truly great teas in them (as the Lipton has been getting a bit old).
Can anyone recommend an outstanding tea?
I’ve always loved Constant Comment. And while looking for a link I just saw that they now have a green tea variety that I’m going to have to try…
Tea, Earl Grey, hot.
Darjeeling is good too, and for something a bit more exotic, try Lapsang Souchang. All are available from Twinings.
I like Celestial Seasonings Antioxidant Green Tea. And CS’s Golden Honey Darjeeling is delicious.
Twining’s English Breakfast is my favourite.
Hey thanks all!
I probably should have mentioned in my orginal post that I’m pretty familiar with all the teas one can buy at the local grocery store.
I guess I was wondering if there’s some super exotic hard-to-get tea that’ll just blow the mind in terms of its goodness and quality, something rich, smooth and absolutely delicious!
I’ve been loving red tea. Celestial Seasonings has one, I think it’s called Madagascar Vanilla Red, and The Republic of Tea has one called Good Hope Vanilla. They’re very soothing and flavorful.
I also like Republic of Tea’s Matte Latte – as the name suggests, it’s almost like coffee.
Republic of Tea has a website and you can get sampler packs until you’re ready to commit. You can buy their teas in bags or loose. They also have a cute little 2-cup porcelain teapot that’s great for brewing loose tea.
Warning: I am a tea snob. If you are not interested in becoming a tea snob, skip this post entirely. If you follow my advice, you will no longer be able to tolerate Lipton tea; this can be a grave disadvantage.
You cannot find great tea in bags. You need a tea filter (NOT a tea ball, which is too small—the leaves cannot unfurl and release their full flavor).
Here are a few of my favorite teas:
Dragonwell (Lung Ching), a green tea which is dried in small batches in a wok to prevent it from frementing (becoming a black tea.) The smooth, slightly smokey flavor is a real treat. (DO NOT steep it in boiling water. The water temperature should be 160-180[sup]o[/sup]F. Get a thermometer when you go shopping for a filter. And steep it for 2 minutes, max.)
Single-estate Darjeeling. Most tea that’s labeled “Darjeeling” is a blend of Darjeeling and non-Darjeeling tea, and doesn’t actually taste like Darjeeling. It’s described as having an “astringent taste,” which doesn’t really capture it. It’s more of a sensation on your tongue than a taste, per se, and there’s really nothing else like it.
Pouchong, an oolong tea (somewhere between a green and black) from Taiwan. The flavor is described as “floral,” which scared me away for a while, because I thought it meant “perfumey.” Wrong. It’s like placing a fresh-plucked flower petal on your tongue. insert swoon here
Keemun, Hao Ya A or B grade. It has a strong, natural chocolately taste that’s just incredible.
All of these teas come from the same plant, and none of the ones that I listed have any flavorings added. The differences come from the soil and growing conditions of the various places they come from, and in how the leaves are processed after they are picked.
Don’t get sticker shock. In fact, when in doubt, go for the more expensive variety. Good loose tea is expensive, per pound, but even the ridiculously expensive stuff only ends up being about 50 cents a cup. Buy small quantities. Sip. Savor.
adagio.com is a very beginner-friendly place to shop online, especially since they offer a 1-oz. sample size. I mostly use teasource.com.
I second Podkayne’s suggestion of Adagio teas. They’re great. I’m new-ish to the tea world, so I love their little sample tins of teas.
I love Earl Grey tea, but there is such a wide range of flavor from brand to brand – I think you’ll have to try a number of different varieties and brands before you land on a favorite. In other words, just because I don’t like Adagio’s Earl Grey (too bitter for me) doesn’t mean I don’t like Twinings’ Earl Grey.
Adagio has this great teapot - the ingenuiTEA. They have a little movie on the website. I use it every morning, and it works great. Dishwasher safe, too.
Barry’s tea. Strong. Milk. No sugar.
Go on, go on, go on.
Being too lazy to use anything but a bag, I recommend Earl Grey by Bigelow. It has a distinctive flavor from the addition of oil of bergamot. I too was becoming bored with Lipton, et al. Earl Grey is a flavor, named after an English earl. I think there are several makers of it, but I use Bigelow’s. I’m now into green tea, and they make an Earl Grey green also. They also make a plain green, but the Earl Grey green has the distinctive Earl Grey flavor.
Here’s my current favorite: Lychee Black Tea
It has the delightful “hit with a shovel in the face” robustness of a good earl grey, plus a sweet fruit undertone from the lychee.
With a bit of honey and cream mixed, it is tea heaven.
Again, All, thanks for the input!
I in fact did order from Adios teas. Looking forward to trying some of their stuff soon. By the way, does anyone “really” like the taste of green tea?
That is the correct answer.
Kalahari Reserve Rooibos.
That’s red tea. Very earthy with hints of vanilla (but not their vanilla version which is too vanilla-y).
I see oolong and jasmine haven’t been mentioned. Oolong is just slightly sweeter than regular tea (it is regular tea, but dried differently from normal tea) and jasmine is actually a combination of green tea and jasmine; slightly more flowery and bitter than green tea (I think, it’s hard to describe).
I buy mine at the local chinese store, but I think a good tea / coffee store would have both.
If you like vanilla, get that Madagascar Vanilla Red. It’s amazing.
First look at my location… 
Then google Market Spice Tea. It is a very stong black tea that my husband just loves.
I do. Takes just a little getting used to, but I rather enjoy the grassy taste.
Tazo (I think) makes a Double Spice Chai that’s just dynamite in a cup.
Twinings has a Lapsang Souchong? Never seen it – but I loves me some Lapsang Souchong – enough to make a monthly trek down to Murchie’s to buy it loose.
It’s the blackest of the black teas, and tastes like wet smoke. (In a good way.)
According to some of my Taiwanese friends, it’s considered “Old man tea.”
Bah. Let the fresh-faced girls have their weak, jasmine-scented brews. (“When I make tea, I make tea; and when I make water, I make water.” “God send you don’t make them in the same pot!”)