I would say green is too bitter for my taste. 
I second this. It has a very rich, full flavor, quite brisk.
TMI warning. I think green tea tastes like:
spit.
I’ve tried it numerous times, but that’s what I always end up thinking.
On your recommendation, I’m checking them out.
I also got my teapot from Upton - their Chatsford, just big enough for me. It’s fantastic, has a little mesh infuser insert that goes right in the pot and it’s got a little built in tab so you can take it out when you’re ready.
I don’t like the stuff sold in American supermarkets as “green tea.” Most green teas I got in Japan were good, but it needs to be prepare properly - the water shouldn’t be boiling, so you should let it stand in a cup for a minute before pouring into teapot. (This isn’t some snob thing, my parents do it every day and they’re hardly tea snobs.) And it shouldn’t be steeped for too long.
For black teas, I like Keemun.
I’ll second this. Yellow Label is my everyday tea. I used to depend on my relatives and friends (and my own trips) to bring it to the States for me, but it is now available in major markets in the US. If you like Lipton, or a flavorful hot tea with milk in general, but are looking for a step above in a basic bag tea, this is the one to try.
GrahamWellington, I think I know what you mean about green tea, but I suggest trying it as an iced tea beverage (if you are into cold tea). There are commercial mixes out there now, but I also make a very nice version myself by steeping green tea with various additives (i.e., lemon, clove, cinnamon, ginger, etc.). But the hot v. cold might be a different argument altogether.
Has anyone tried “white” tea?
Never a white tea, but I have some African Red tea that was flavored with vanilla. It was probably the best tea I have ever had.
I’ve had a few white tea varieties, the flavor is pretty subtle, much like a green tea without the cloying grassy notes.
Here is good flavored white tea that I really love:
Perfectly Pear White Tea
I’m not ashamed to admit that I like Lipton Orange Spice Tea. The pricier brands use orange oil and orange peel to flavor their orange spice tea, which makes it taste like kitchen cleanser. Lipton just uses the orange peel.
If anyone’s interested in tea that’s a little better quality than the grocery store brands, but still reasonably priced, I recommend Stash Tea. They have a multitude of sample packs. I love their Darjeeling and Chai Spice. My husband, who swears against all things tea, likes the Chocolate and Caramel flavours.
I’m just finishing a container of white tea; I don’t know the brand but one of their trademarks is circular bags stacked in a cylindrical container. This particular preparation also has honeydew flavoring.
I certainly plan to restock when I run out. I’ve become a morning tea drinker, yet still rely on coffee for my caffeine. Surprisingly, I’ve come to the point where I don’t need coffee to wake up, but if I miss my jolt at about 9:30, which is when I usually have my first cup of coffee, then I experience the usual mild symptoms of caffeine withdrawal–headache and a sense of not being right with the world. I love coffee, but there’s nothing like tea…it feels so beneficial and soothing as it goes down, like someone saying to you, “There, there, it’ll all turn out OK in the end.”
I bought it, I tried it, it’s amazing, it’s wonderful, I love it!
Thank you Lute and Auntie Pam!
I find it hard to believe that it took a discussion on tea to have me rejoin this message board… but I do loves me tea…
If you are looking for generic bagged dark teas, try Typhoo (out of the UK) which has a nice malty breakfast blend, or Dilmah (from Sri Lanka) which is a good deal more mellow. Dilmah returned to the North American market a few years ago, and is much nicer than most of the readily available bagged teas that are easy to find in supermarkets.
If you are looking for bulk tea… I would suggest you contact TeaTrader in Calgary AB (just google “Tea Trader”) - they have a wonderful assortment, and personally, I would recommend a mix of 1/3 Darjeeling (Margaret’s Hope) to 2/3 Assam (Margherita) – of course I love malty teas… if malt isn’t to your taste, try Temi (from Sikkim).
I was going to recommend Upton - I see someone beat me to it. We order all of our tea from there.
:sj2 adds Madagascar Vanilla Red to shopping list:
–because having 14 different kinds of tea for 2 people just isn’t enough…
I will bet you a million dollars that you’re oversteeping it.
Do not use boiling water. It should be 180 degrees Fahrenheit, max. Steep the tea for 1-2 minutes. (Taste it after 1 to see if it’s strong enough for your tastes.)
Green tea, properly brewed, is not bitter. Any green tea, from the cheapest bagged stuff to the choicest Gyokuro will be rendered undrinkable by oversteeping.
For jsgoddess I’m afraid I don’t have any advice, other than to steer clear of whites, too. Green tea doesn’t have an assertive flavor, and it’s not served piping hot, so I can see how it would give you that impression. White tea, doubly so!
Lapsang Souchong. It has a smokey flavor. You will either love it or or loath it.
I love it.