The Tea Geek Thread

SwitchKnitter Eheheheh, it's that way for me for Earl Grey's or Lady's. I have to be a certain way before I reach for them and by then I have to have complimentary snacks/etc to fully enjoy the experience. They make my teeth curl deliciously.

I think I prefer those with a more delicate touch in general (excepting Souchong) and the ones I've tasted of Rooibos have not been pulling punches. I have a masochistic tendency with them I guess. I keep trying because they look intriguing. Will look into those tho <3

I haven't had much experience with Herbals actually. Huh. Then again, they're a bit close to the structuring for fruity ones and I find I'm very particular over what I like in that. Blueberries, good. Strawberries taste sour ish. @__@ Ohhhhhhhh biscotti tho~ /my other love is bread and sweets and just food, really. Such a shame to hear about that. :<

ETA: OH Great Gadzooks! I just now realized how odd that sounded. I don't drink Yunnan that much! I do, however, have a spot of tea. Daily. And by spot I mean potfuls. Shamefully.

Rooibos is the only tea-like non-tea that I'll drink, but always plain. You people and your flavors disgust me. I really like Upton's highest grade, which I don't recall being terribly expensive.

I bought some pu-erh tou-cha yesterday and discovered that I no longer own an infusing basket and I really don't want to do it gong-fu style. I guess I'll be shopping for one tomorrow as my x-mas present to myself.

Hadn't seen this thread until now!

I've tried almost everything for steeping, but in the end an Adagio Ingenuitea has served me the best with the least amount of hassle. Early versions had a problem where pieces of tea would get (permanently) stuck in the filter area, which eventually made it gross, but they fixed it so that it's easier to take apart and clean.

For water...well, my wife decided when we moved into our new house that she really really really really wanted this magical awesome water filter/fridge/heater thing. I gave her a huge amount of grief about it, but I have to admit it's been pretty awesome. My kids LOVE it. It serves up water at room temp, heated (180F) or refrigerated. It also filters your water. So if I want some tea, I can pour straight from there into my Ingenuitea and I'm already 90% done. Yeah yeah, technically not hot enough for some kinds of tea, I don't care, because I then pour in like a pound of honey =)

For tea brands, I now use Tea Fountain since my previous loose leaf of choice was acquired by TeaVana and I think then destroyed. I'm a heathen that enjoys flavored black teas.

Black ? I'd go with Keemun. Strong chinese black teas similar to Assam, but a bit less acidic. Note that there are many quality grades of Keemun. If you can get Hao Ya you are definitely set. As a bonus they tend to be quite a bit cheaper than indian teas.

Bacon's post reminded me of something, and I could use some advice. I have IngenuiTeas in 16oz and 32oz. I used to use them all the time, and then I got a bunch of Amazon gift cards for Xmas last year and bought one of these. I still use it, because it costs a shit-ton of money, but I'm wicked pissed that the timer only works half the time. I mean, really, I spent over $100 for a machine and the timer doesn't work right? Argh. On the other hand, it makes great tea because the water is kept at exactly the right temp all throughout the steeping period. So I don't know what to do. The other problem with it that it's kind of messy to use (gets water everywhere every time I have to clean it out). Maybe I'll go back to my plain variable-temp kettle and my IngenuiTeas. What would you all do?

Soli-chan: Yeah, the Adagio caramel and Celestial Seasonings vanilla rooiboses(?) don't pull any punches. I normally only drink them when I'm having a really bad sweets craving but don't want to indulge in something with calories. I can't drink Earl Grey -- while I appreciate that it's good tea, I can't handle the bergamot. :D

Griot: how do you feel about honeybush? I find it kind of rough-tasting, but it seems to appeal to a lot of people.

BaconTastesGood: if you like fruity black teas, Adagio makes some wonderful ones. I don't like all their flavored teas, but the strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry ones are to die for. Especially the strawberry! I buy it by the pound for iced tea, although lately I've been on a plain Ceylon kick. (I drink about one 2-quart pitcher of cold drink -- either iced tea or Crystal Light, depending on my mood -- every day, as well as water and whatever hot tea I drink. One, I tend to stay thirsty despite not being anywhere near diabetic, and two, I live in the South so I'm practically required by law to drink iced tea. No sweeteners, though. Ick.)

Farnsworth: I've only ever had one Keemun tea, and it was very perfume-y. Is that a common characteristic of the type, or is there more variation? (For the record, it tasted nice, but isn't something I'd drink often.)

So far I tried maybe a dozen or so, over perhaps as many years. Some are, most are not. The Hao Ya I recommended isn't, I prefer them less flowery as well. Nothing against that, but not in strong teas.

I'll look for the Hao Ya, then. Thanks!

Yum yum yum. I'm drinking a nice Wuyi oolong, brewed for 7 minutes with sugar and milk.

Just kidding. I would never desecrate oolong that way.

I decided earlier this morning to play with my Ingenuiteas. Went tearing though many boxes to find them. Was terribly disappointed that they didn't seem to be anywher-- oh, how did they get on that shelf over there? You mean I unpacked them when I moved in? How did that happen? *facepalm*

I just sorted through my tea collection, determined to get rid of anything more than two years old that wasn't pu-erh. I smelled each one for staleness, then kept or tossed.

I got rid of about 50 teas (mostly samples, but several larger bags and tins). Ouch. I only have a couple of dozen left, most of which are herbals because there was a period last winter/spring where I wasn't allowed to have caffeine. So basically I'm down to less than a dozen black teas, and half those are samples. Crap. Oh well, my birthday's in February... :)

I love Teavana's Samurai Chai Mate, but that's the only tea I purchase there. My love goes to Lupicia. I dropped about $80 in there early this year, and now I'm not allowed to go without a chaperon, according to my fiance. The caramel and rum rooibos is amazing.

Oh, and I am in the "can't do it" camp for Lapsang Souchong. When I drink it, I can't help but have the feeling that I am essentially licking a used fireplace. Blech.

I have to admit -- I went to open an old tin of lapsang souchong today... I don't think I can drink it anymore. (I'd give away this tin, but it's 5 years old and pretty stale at this point.) I think I can't drink it now that I've quit smoking...

I'm really glad I came back and read this again out of sheer disbelief and sorrow, because when I read it earlier in the day, I ragequit before bothering to read the tiny sentence. Now I feel better about both you and the world.

I bought a Teafish today. It's basically a double-wall glass french press with a one-way valve on the lower screen to stop water contact with the leaves once pressed and a vented top stopper so that you can drink out of it. I bought it for work, but I need something to act like a lid. Otherwise, I think it's exactly what I need.

Griot, thanks for the laugh. Ragequit. Heehee. I did drink a Wuyi oolong, but multiple infusions starting at 3 minutes with 190F water and absolutely nothing in it but tea leaves and H2O. I am not a total heathen. (Not when it comes to tea, anyway.)

Also, that Teafish thing is freaky. I'm still trying to figure out how it works...

I got some more Adagio Irish Breakfast (my go-to morning tea), and I am really, really glad to have it back. I ran out like a month ago... Farnsworth, I also placed a very small order with Upton yesterday, and I included a sample of a Hao Ya. I'll get back to you when it arrives. (I also got some samples of their other morning blends, at least the ones without Darjeeling or Keemun in them. Do not want flowery tea for breakfast...)

Great ! Hope you'll like it !

How did it go over? Inquiring tea geeks want to know.

Turns out my niece has been wanting that duckie infuser forever. Since it's more of a cute thing for me as opposed to an excellent tea-making tool, I gave it to her. She likes tea, and encouraging the next generation is a good thing. :D

The tea pot arrived about a week ago and it was really well packed. My sister really liked it. She also got a couple other tea pots and served us all a few different types of tea the next day (we opened presents at my brother's house on the 23rd, then she hosted lunch/dinner on the 24th).

It's kinda tall which makes weird to pour.

I should post some pictures of my teapots (because I just got a new one) but right now feeling lazy etc.

Really enjoying this flowering tea though. The taste is somewhat delicate and the blooming is rather lovely.

Blooming tea is neat. It looks like an alien while it's unfolding...

I got a nifty glass teapot just so I could enjoy them, the pot also seems to retain heat better than my ceramic teapot.

I ordered some tea from Hong Kong back in November. The first shipment was lost, the second one is taking forever. Gah!

I like all of Upton's Keemun range. In terms of value - taste I kinda like their Keemun Ji Hong.

I'm still waiting on my Upton order from December 15th. I blame the holidays.

I'm a big fan of the strong stuff. Lapsang Souchong, black russian tea, sage, and similar. And no milk/sugar/anything.

But if you want something more mellow and unusual, do yourself a favor and find the Evening in Missoula blend from Montana Tea and Spice Trading. Absolutely wonderful herbal tea.

My daughter's theory that whining will get you whatever you want seems to be holding up. My tea arrived the day after I whined about it here. Unfortunately, the first brew of the wuyi rou gui is incredibly disappointing. The last rou gui that I had a few years ago was very floral with a huge cinnamon/cassia scent. This just smells sort of musty so far. I hope the next few infusions turn out better.

Upton order finally showed up yesterday. All I've had today is some of the Scottish Breakfast, which is quite nice. It's Assam, Ceylon, and Yunnan. The Yunnan adds sort of a dark, full-bodied note to the mix that's quite tasty. I tried it with milk, as that's what was recommended, but with the Yunnan I think it may actually be better without milk. I'll try that when I make my next cup. I have a bunch of samples to try, too. I would have had more tea today, but there was someone working in the kitchen for most of the afternoon so I only got to make one cup...

GODDAMN IT I JUST REALIZED I ORDERED DA HONG PAO INSTEAD OF DANCONG. I hope it's good since I just burned my tea budget for something like 6 months.

Fun story - I went to a local Sushi shop (barely acceptable, but the best in this Sushi-forsaken town) and spotted lapsang souchong on their tea menu. So I ordered some. When the waiter arrived he asked me very seriously if I could refrain from ordering it in the future, since most guests and the personnel hate the smell. By now it is gone from the menu as far as I know.

Farnsworth: You were right about the Hao Ya. I'm having my first cup right now, and it's really lovely.

Griot: How's the Teafish working out? Also, I just found out who you were at That Other Forum. I'm delighted. I always liked talking to you, and I was sad when I thought you hadn't made it over here...

Wonderful ! Very glad you like it.
By the way - my sister gave me a teashark for Christmas. No, she does not know about this forum.

Question. We got a few fancy boxes of pu-er tea leaves from relatives in China. My mother opened it and saw that there was a lot of this kind of dusty, mouldy stuff in it. So she sifted it all out and put all of the tea leaves under the sun to dry.

I'm not a tea geek by any means, but I'm preeeetty sure that's not what you're supposed to do to pu-er cha... right?

Nooooo. Pu-erh is fermented. It's supposed to be like that.

That's EXACTLY what I told her! I said "Mom, it's fine, it's supposed to be fermented", but she just wouldn't listen. /sigh

Show her wikipedia?

Holy crap, Upton's River Shannon blend is completely amazing. I got a sample in that last order from them, and it's delicious.

Update on Upton samples: Mincing Lane blend, 5 stars. (It's Assam and Yunnan. Delicious.) East Frisian BOP, 2 stars from me and 5 from Quat. It's got a sweetness to it I don't really like.

I want to order more Hao Ya, but it's like $16 for 125g. Ouch. Maybe I'll ask for some for my birthday next month...

I have no idea if you or for that matter Upton realize it, but East Frisian tea is brewed slightly differently from the english way. In short, take one teaspoon of tea per cup in the kettle (10g or so per liter). Add enough boiling hot water on top so that the leaves are covered and let rest for at least 5 minutes, ideally quite a bit more. Then top of with more boiling water. Important is to leave the tea in there, and to keep the tea (including the leaves) hot by letting it rest on a 'Stövchen' (similar to a Rechaud). Then add a large piece of 'Kandis' (large sugar crystals) and a large amount of cream. the end result is supposed to be very, very strong, bitter and very sweet. Drinking tea can go on for a long time, and the tea is meant to get stronger and stronger.