And I know lots of folks will point me to various decafs they see online, but I’m talking about specific high-quality stuff.
I buy from Harney, but I also like Positively Tea. I used to buy decaf loose-leaf Assam or Irish Breakfast by the pound from either of these providers, but lately it has become almost unfindable. I can find other brands online, but they’re scarce too. Decaf teas at the supermarket are weak and crappy and I won’t buy them.
I occasionally see loose-leaf decafs from upscale British sellers, but the stuff is between $75 and $100 a pound now.
Harney’s has any quantity of flavored decaf teas (apricot, Earl Grey, mango, etc.), but none of what I want.
I found a contact email on Harney’s website, and I emailed them to ask this question. Mike Harney himself replied, and told me that a big German plant which did major decaffeination services for them and other tea producers, closed down. As a result, Harney and other big tea sellers are scrambling to keep up with demand, and right at a time that baby boomers are getting old and having to cut back on caffeine consumption - like me.
So if anyone wants to get into the tea decaffeination trade, here’s a business opportunity as there’s going to be a growing demand for it.
This is my first thought, because finding “normal” flavors of various black teas has become nearly impossible to find, while the megamart shelves are full of various herbal infusions. And I dislike hibiscus dammit, which is often a main component of these options.
This though is great research, so extra thanks to @teelabrown and Harney! It doesn’t suprise me though. Years ago, Alton Brown did an episode on decaf, and pointed out the disconnect between Americans at least wanting their decaf at the same price as their caf, which leaves out the associated costs (the processing, and/or more expensive beans to compensate for any quality loss). Tea is probably similar, but you’re slightly more likely with tea at least to see smaller quantities of decaf for the same price as larger quantities of caf which is apparently the more realistic option.
Dammit.
Well, at least now I know why I can’t find any of my preferred late afternoon / evening decaf options in the store or online anymore.
Sucks, don’t it. I only like full-flavored black teas and those are the very ones which are scarce. I went ahead and ordered some Harney’s decaf Ceylon, which I don’t think is as robust as Assam, but I had no choice. I’ve tried Darjeeling before, and it tastes too wimpy to me.
I suspect that most of the good black decaf teas are used up in making those flavored decafs that are all over Harney’s website, leaving very little for those of us who want the plain stuff.