I’ve just begun drinking a spot of tea now and then and I’m finding I like it. I’m seeking recommendations for teas to sample. The one I’ve been drinking is Bigelow green tea.
I know very little about tea (oolong is supposed to be nice, that’s the extent of my knowledge). If it matters, I drink it straight.
My requirements:
[ul]
[li]No bulk stuff/loose leaves, tea bags only.[/li][li]No flavors other than tea. [/li][li]Amazon availability and linky if possible appreciated.[/li][/ul]
Among black teas, Assam tea is my favorite. Here are a couple of good ones:
I always drink black tea with a little milk. These might be too strong without it.
The way to make black tea is to boil fresh water (not re-boiled) in a tea kettle or electric kettle (not in the microwave). Then, take use a little of the hot water to warm up the cup or teapot before putting the teabag in. Pour out that little bit of water, put in the bag, and pour the hot water right over the teabag and let it steep for 2-3 minutes (for strong teas like Assam). By warming the teacup, the tea will brew as hot as possible and you’ll extract the best flavor from it. Water fresh from the tap or filter or whatever will have a more lively taste than water that has been boiled and reboiled.
We have Bigelow green tea at work and I find that the flavor from bag to bag to be very inconsistent, and not always in a good way. I’d recommend other green teas, but I’m looking for a better one myself, one that’s not too sushi-restaurant-y. So, in the meantime, I’m drinking green teas with flavors, and you’re not looking for that.
Lady Gray is pretty much the only tea I’ll drink (no milk or sugar). It’s a more aromatic version of Earl Gray. It doesn’t have (much of) that acrid stewed aftertaste that puts me off most teas. Twinings do it in bags.
Looks like it’s one of the teas in DPRK’s variety pack.
I love this tea, but it might be hard to find. It’s available in shops that specialize in imported British goods. Sometimes it’s in the international aisle at the grocery store.
I’d recommend that Builders be consumed with a good dose of milk.
I do like a Rooibos tea - sometimes it’s knows as Red Bush. It’s a black tea but also a herbal tea- with a bit of milk it has a bit of a malty taste to it. It’s caffeine free and is supposed to have some of the most healthy benefits of any of the regular teas (but not sure if that’s true).
Whatever you like counts, I guess. Here’s what Quora says about Lady Grey:
I don’t really like the flavor or Earl Grey tea – I’m not a huge fan of oil of bergamot. I’ve only had Lady Grey once or twice, and don’t really remember whether I liked it much.
If you’re willing to entertain some flavors, I recommend trying to find a good jasmine green tea and a good mint or peppermint green tea.
Should be easy enough to brew your own “builder’s tea” – after all, millions of Russians (& others) do so every day. Just use an assload of tea and let it brew for 15 minutes. Dilute to taste. Don’t know how you would manage with bags, though- use 5 instead of 1?
Lapsang Souchong. When I first tried it, it thought it tasted like rubber, like if you brewed a bunch of tires. In other words, an acquired taste. Try it at your peril.
Having said that, I like it now. It’s made from young leaves that are dried and smoked.
Twinings sell Russian Caravan in bags, btw (a blend of Keemun, Oolong, and Lapsang Souchong, so slightly smoky). You could also try Nilgiri; unlike Oolong, Darjeeling, Lapsang Souchong, etc., I think they only sell it loose, or at least I don’t recall such a bag, but maybe another vendor has it in bags? Makes me wonder if there is a market for DIY bags. I’m guessing not really, it’s not like small teapots are hard to find.