What's in your cup/mug ? #5

As we had gone over the 250 post limit on the last thread, I thought I'd start a new one—just in time for the holiday season, and here in the northern hemisphere, a perfect season to cozy up with a cup of tea! (Of course, when isn't a good time to drink tea?)

I know bagged teas are generally frowned upon in here, but lately I've been addicted to Bigelow's Caramel Vanilla. Smooth and delicious. Mmm. When I'm feeling particularly indulgent I add sugar and Half & Half.

Have we two, identical threads - or is the site acting up?

ETA - Yup, two threads - I've just posted separately to both.

Trying some Twinings Lady Grey -- somehow it leapt off the shelf and into my basket while I was doing the groceries this morning. How *did* that happen?! Ah well I can justify the purchase as I am down to one teabag's worth of English Breakfast and will have room for this new box in the cupboard ;)

My husband treated us to some Assam Harmatty Black Tips from Whittards - completely fabulous, but not exacty cheap ...

It's raining here and I'm certainly going to have to make myself a cup of tea this evening. Not sure what yet.

On another note, I have put Harney & Sons Caribe blend on my Christmas list. I will feel a little more cultured now that I'm to have sachets instead of bags. :P

Mariage Freres Marco Polo ... black tea with a wonderful strawberry shortcake twist to it.

silken sachets from Harney & Son's white Tea with Rosebuds..aka. their "Wedding" tea...drink it black...if you can call a white tea black!

Came up with a strange, but wonderful combination last evening and I'm drinking it again this morning. I brewed a cup of black tea and added one spoonful of Friendship tea (that tang and instant tea and spice mix) and a spoonful of sugar. It was delish! I don't like flavored teas usually, but this was not overpowering since I only used a small amount. Weird...

My favorite cup of tea is strong imported Irish Breakfast with 2 tablespoons of half and half. No sugar.

I have heard good things about Harney & Sons tea but haven't tried it yet.

Lindsay

Yorkshire Gold this morning. A good strong "cut the dust" tea.

Lipton's Pineapple Chamomile in pyramid bags. For the price, their upscale line in the pyramid bags are quite good.

I like to drink Darjeeling Jungpana these days. The weather is like it should be in December, cold and rainy. I need something hot and well-tasting to lift me up. It's great for listening to classical music like Bach's Well-tempered Clavier BWV 846 No.1 Prélude in C Major, played on a Cembalo by Christiane Jaccottet.

A mocha with a hint of caramel that I'm just finishing up. After this, I switch to Pumpkin Spice Chai and enjoy the snow falling lightly outside my windows along with a good book. :)

No snow falling outside my windows- more like rain beating against them...I'm enjoying my first seasonal indulgence of the year: Imperial Teas of Lincoln's Christmas Blend. Bliss!

Mad Tea Party Blend from Disneyland's Main Street tea shop while I start re-reading the Vorkosigan saga.

My usual Twinings gunpowder with dried mint leaves (well, nearing the end of the bag so it's more like dried mint flakes/powder), and liquorice root gratings.

I've been drinking Tetley British Blend this season...mostly because it's convenient for the hundreds of cups I've been consuming.

I posted this in another thread, but I don't think anyone's seen it:
Any Americans that order Red Rose tea? What site has the best deal here in the States? You know, price and shipping?
I'm really interested in ordering some and trying it.

We had a school group visit our office last week and they were so kind as to present us with a gift bag of tea and chocolate, all of which found very appreciative homes with my various team members! Today I am trying the raspberry white tea that I took from that bag. Not bad but I think I'll brew at the lower end of the recommended range with my next cup. (It suggests 2-4 mins and I did 4.)

Sometime in October, I buy a three month supply of a decaf black blend flavored with pumkin pie spices (Pumpkin Spice from Stash Tea), and White Christmas, a black tea with bits of dried fruit, coconut, and seasonal spices that I get from a bin at a local tea shop (The Tea Embassy, Austin, TX). These two, along with the teas I drink year-round, pretty much take care of me through the short winters here.

Os.

BTW - pumpkin pie may be something foreign to my friends from the British Isles. Yes, here in the States, we actually make a desert out of squash (but only pumpkin, so far as I know). We pretty much beat the pumpkin flesh to death, mix it with lots of sugar and strong spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), and bake it in a piecrust. The final product is nearly unrecognizable as being of vegetable origin, but in our household, it's a fall/winter favorite. Heck, we'll even bake the filling without the crust and eat it as a desert pudding.

Working my way through some odds and ends. Just finished up some coconut berry kiwi black tea- it sounds a bit overwhelming, but is actually delicious. I'm sorry it's done, but I'll be moving on to other things!

Had some Bigelow vanilla caramel tea with sugar and half and half on a cold bright Sunday morning -- one cup of indulgence.

21 > As a dessert, I've occasionally begun doing the same, but adding a bit of whipped cream on top. I always feel a bit guilty afterwards. I like that tea plain too, though.

This morning, Adagio's rum black tea, which is very lightly flavored, and a morning favorite of mine.

this afternoon's tea will be Stash's Holiday Chai

Unfortunately, the mug is already empty, but when it was full, it had Bigelow's Eggnogg'n in it. More like sugar cookies than eggnog in flavor, but yummy and dessert-y.

Numi's holiday chai on a quiet Christmas Eve. This is probably my favorite time of the holiday season.

Tazo Focus. Orangey-chocolate combo that is my current favorite of the whole Tazo lineup.

Mmm...sounds yummy gmathis! I'll have to try that!

I brewed some chai tea (Twinings) in a cup of hot apple juice. Brewed for 4 minutes, it makes a nice spiced apple cider type of drink.

Great idea Indigosky! I'll have to try that. Soon! :) Thanks!

>28 indigosky: That sounds delicious. I am going to try that combination this weekend.

A Stash tea I like: black tea with ginger. Very refreshing.

Santa Claus tea from Finland (Nordqvist)

I've been drinking a Kenilworth Estate all morning long! I love days when I can drink tea to my heart's content.

TeaGschwendner Viennese Blend. (An earl grey done with a light touch, and with jasmine.) A new favorite.

The last leaves of my 2006 Wenlong pu-er. Probably get one or two more cups out of it tomorrow, and then it's down the trash with military honors.

Reading about all these teas is giving me serious tea cravings!

Yorkshire Tea is my lifeblood, but I've been trying out some of the Twinings herbal teas recently and they're all delicious.

I bet you will be sorry to see it go! :) I am working on an essay with some Coconut black tea... and likely will change to Darjeeling or Yunnan in the afternoon.

I'm currently relaxing with a cup of Fujian Ti Kuan Yin Oolong from Adagio teas.

I've been drinking Christmas Morning tea from Stash. Received it as a Christmas gift and I have found it to be perfect at any time of day.

You all have such strange and interesting sounding teas, if you can suggest anywhere particularly good to buy tea near London that would be amazing! I am having a cup of genmaicha tea from whittards which is a personal favourite of mine!

Hope97 - If you can get into Central London, there's a fantastic tea shop in Covent Garden. It's called The Tea House and it's on Neal Street. A great place to buy exotic and unusal blends as well as all the tea paraphernalia you could want!

wow! Lots of fancy tea drinkers here! I'm hooked on Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast Tea. It's strong and dark. I used be a life long fan of Red Rose. No longer.

In the evenings I've been enjoying a cup Blackberry Sage from the republic of tea brand

#41, I like Trader Joe's teas! Good and inexpensive--I just live on the wrong side of my state; nearest store is several hours away.

Tamasz's Tiny Tea Factory - a Georgian black tea from Nothing But Tea. I found just enough for a mugful, forgotten in the back of the cupboard.

It was rather overshadowed by a similar and really outstanding Georgian (Natala's Gold Standard) that I had in the same order; but that one's long used up so this can't suffer from the comparison, and I'm realising this is really rather excellent in its own right.

Tetley Bold! Nice kickstart for the morning. :)

Tetley British Blend...I'm almost out! The horror!

Malawi Aged Pu Erh from Nothing But Tea.

This is a strange one. If somebody had handed me the mug and told me they'd mixed half a mug of strong tea with half a mug of instant coffee, I'd have believed them.

Quite nice, though.

Republic of Tea Organic Mint Fields...not to shabby!

Harney & Sons Tower of London ... well done; smooth with just a hint of fruit in the background.

Raiding my stash of Pumpkin Spice tea this fine afternoon. Yum!

oh yummmmmmmmm

I'm starbucks best customer when the spiced pumpkin latte makes it's autumn debut. I've never tried pumpkin tea

Enjoy!

Oooh fantastic, i'm going to covent garden tomorrow so i'll be sure to have a look and let you know what I think!

At the moment just some ordinary herbal tea with spices to keep myself from dehydrating.

I live in the USA and bought Yorkshire Gold through Amazon.com just recently and I love it!!!!

Yorkshire Gold is one of my new favorites ... available locally at a TJ Maxx if you have one.

It's chilly and rainy outside; I have some kick-ass instrumental bluegrass playing and a well constructed and quite warm fire going in the main room, I have a pot of Yorkshire Gold on the hotplate (steeped almost to perfection, something I find tricky with this black tea blend, but wonderful when I get it right), and nothing I have to do but read until I start to get too drowsy.

Ahhh! I love winter in Central Texas.

Os.

Bluegrass and Yorkshire Gold ... I applaud your excellent taste in beverages and music!

Just tried--not exactly a tea, let's call it an herbal blend--Ersatz Coffee Substitute. A chicory/grain caffeine-free alternative that's at least somewhat believable. Very similar to Celestial Seasonings Roastaroma.

>56 gmathis: "not exactly tea"

Well, from the Oxford Concise Dictionary:

tisane /ti' zan/
· n. a herb tea.
– ORIGIN 1930s: from Fr.

or

infusion
· n.
1 a drink, remedy, or extract prepared by infusing.

infuse
· v.
3 soak (tea, herbs, etc.) to extract the flavour or healing properties.
– DERIVATIVES infuser n.
– ORIGIN ME: from L. infus-, infundere ‘pour in’.

Os.

OK, it qualifies then---as a tisane (chicory is a key ingredient) and an infusion (prep method). Wouldn't fool a die-hard java junkie, but since I'm not a coffee drinker, it's as strong as I care for the flavor to be.

>55 Osbaldistone: Who do you like for instrumental bluegrass?

Current favorite tea: very strong Irish breakfast tea, the only tea I like with milk.

Lindsay

>59 pennwriter:
Well, when I posted that, I was listening to Steve Martin and the Steep Mountain Rangers on Austin City Limits. I like Tim O'Brien, both with Hot Rize and since, Ralph Stanley ("O, Death" !!), The Del McCoury Band ("1952 Vincent Black Lightening" !!), but what I really like is what you find around a campfire at night at Bluegrass festivals in the summer.

Os.

Cup of Thomas Sampson by Andrews & Dunham. Nice malty breakfast tea.

>60 Osbaldistone:. You've got good taste in bluegrass music. I heard Hot Rize more than once. Wanted to see and missed Steve Martin and the Steep Mountain Rangers last summer, which did not make me happy. Austin City Limits is still on? We don't get it in my neck of the woods (southwestern Pennsylvania).

Black Dragon. Kind of toasted barley taste. Very nice.

Just purchased a bottle of Pappy's Sassafrass liquid concentrate for early-spring tea. (Missing the Ozarks; old stomping grounds for me.) Thinking it'll go nicely later this evening with Foggy Mountain Breakdown; I love Sharyn McCrumb's Appalachian books.

For that matter, it'd go pretty will with Foggy Mountain breakdown in audio, too :)

>64 gmathis: I'm the only person I know of who gets excited to stop at the gas station in the summer to pick up a bottle of root, birch, or sassafrass beer to drink on the drive home. I've never tried liquid concentrate though. And the Ozarks are still the Ozarks: unpredictable weather and tourist summers.

Tiegster, this particular brand is really nice. Not cloyingly sweet, which I like. Reminds me of the "home brew" my grandpa steeped straight up from roots and served up in those sweaty aluminum tumblers that made your teeth clang when you drank in them.

(And an amendment to previous statement...missing the Ozarks pre-Branson boom :)

Mulling all this over a cup of Kama Sutra from British East India Company. Supposed to be writing a review of it elsewhere, but I'm not sure how to begin ... ingredients aren't posted anywhere and the flavor is an absolute mystery.

gmathis, I'm at the Lake so it's not quite as bad as Branson, but it still sucks during the summer. However, they (tourists) are our bread and butter. I'll have to see if I can find a seller for the sassafrass concentrate. It sounds wonderful.

Enjoying my Twinings English Breakfast that got here yesterday. Took me a while to find loose leaf. I was kind of disappointed in how much it is crushed/teared. Anyone know of a good quality, relatively cheap loose leaf?

Our local health food store has bulk loose leaf in several varieties; I think the brand is San Francisco Herb & Spice. The Irish breakfast isn't real strong, but it's still OK...and cheap.

I got my bottle of Pappy's at Price Cutter (a Kroger offshoot) if you have them mid-state. And maybe--can't recall but I think--I've seen it at Wal-Mart. Oh...and Dillons.

Gmathis, Branson hit by tornado last night. Damage to several theaters. And also in Buffalo...1 dead, 12 injured.

Starting my day with Tetley British Blend. Hopefully, it gets me moving fast as I have a lot to accomplish today.

I like having earl grey in my tea and lots of milk so it is like cold tea with wierd , but tasty tea leaves. =D

69--Same storm line went right over us 2 hours west. We lost our home in the big one last May, so it didn't make for a good night's sleep.

Thus, the need for a s-t-r-o-n-g cup of Harney & Sons Tower of London with some mate' thrown in for energy.

Having some very hard-won Elf Help tea from Davids Tea. It was part of a three-pack sample set in my Christmas stocking, and the little metal containers the teas came in very nearly required the use of heavy machinery to open. We ended up using a can opener.
The tea itself tastes fruity in places and is pleasant enough, but my green tea brewing skills are hit-or-miss so I'm never sure whether I'm getting the full flavour.

I'm drinking Rooibos with Lavender these days. I like the mix now that I have gotten used to Rooibos. I can't drink caffeine and I like how Rooibos tastes similar to normal black tea but completely herbal. Tastes wonderful with bread and jam too.

I bought a small packet of lavender by the ounce from local health food store for blending and mixing--usually with chamomile. Never thought of trying it with rooibos...hmmm....(excuse me while I go prowl through my bin to see if I have some straight up rooibois).

Enjoying Lipton's pineapple chamomile white tea--pyramid bags, light and tasty.

Tazo Awake tea is my cornerstone of black teas, but recently I've been interested in using matcha--the powdered green tea.

I love to start my morning with a peppermint tea but today I fancied one of my french fruity teas, red fruits. It's simply lovely!

Twinings Christmas Tea, says it's premium black tea with holiday spices.

ooh that's nice, although I usually get the Whittards christmas tea though, I didn't even know twinings do one.

Madura from the ANZAC Tea Parlour. Love that Aussie tea!

I've pretty much run out of tea at moment (two orders due to arrive at any time now) except for my Nothing But Tea Smokey Souchong of which I always have a stock. There was just a little of the same company's Pu Erh Orange in the bottom of a caddy, and a similar amount of their Thailand Doi Tung Red in another, both of which I've classed as 'okay' teas - which is not good enough for me to buy again. So ...

I shoved those two into a filter; it didn't look like quite a heaped teaspoonful; so I added just a pinch of the Smokey Souchong and brewed it for five minutes, which is the time they give for the Pu Erh.

It's actually an excellent mug of tea - I'm just coming to the bottom of the mug. Almost black in the mug, with a slightly smoky, slightly orangey smell with just the tiniest hint of sweaty socks. In the mouth there's a quite invigorating 'bite' - somewhere between the orange peel of the Pu Erh or the pine of the Souchong - and there's basic tea flavour plus earthiness, a hint of beef gravy or Oxo or similar, a hint of wood-smoke and just the tiniest hint of liquorice.

I'm not going to buy those teas just to try this again - but quite a happy accident, I think.

Adagio's banana black tea- a favored afternoon brew for me.

Feeling stuffy, but want to get out on the water to kayak so I'm drinking some Good Earth Original Sweet & Spicy. Something about it always helps.

May I introduce you all to Madura Tea? Australian sub-tropical tea with very, very low caffeine. See www.maduratea.com.au for some interesting info on tea, including some recipes. They ship overseas, I believe, especially to the USA. Anyway, I have bought nothing else for about 15 years and we love it in our house on a daily basis -- particularly the Premium Blend black tea and the Green Tea. Cheers!

>84 Marlie5:
I'll second that recommendation. So tasty.

Yorkshire Tea and chocolate chip biscotti on this fine Saturday morning :)

Bengal Spice, or as my sister and I call it, Tiger Tea!

Mmm! I love Bengal Spice! Need to get me some more. I have a sore throat and the spices in that tea seem to help with sore throats. :)

Just finished off a cup of Pineapple Paradise from Boston Tea Company. A good green sencha with tropical flavors. (I haven't gone wrong yet with the flavored varieties offered by Boston Tea.)

This humid afternoon (at 38 degrees centigrade), I am brewing Twinings Earl Grey Tea.



I hadn't heard of the Twinings Earl Grey blend controversy; However, last year supply was interrupted for three months and afterwards I stocked up buying three 200-grams caddies, of what appears to be now called the classic blend.

I just finished a glass of oolong.

Earl Greyer from The Republic of Tea.

>62 pennwriter:
I'm very late responding to this one. Lost track of this thread.

Austin City Limits is still on?

Yes, Austin City Limits is still going strong - 38th anniversary this October and this past year, they moved into a new studio (much larger seating capacity) with a whole new set design.

The longest-running music program in television history; the only television show to have been awarded the Presidential Medal of the Arts; recently recognized by Time magazine as one of the 10 most influential music programs of all time; enshrined as a Rock & Roll Landmark in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Goes very well with a nice blend like Yorkshire Gold, or, when the show goes metal, perhaps a strong souchong with a side of single malt Islay.

We don't get it in my neck of the woods (southwestern Pennsylvania).

If you can't get the show on your local public television station or your cable lineup, you should be able to watch some episodes online here.

Os.

China Organic Oolong from Nothing But Tea.

Rotten wood, beef gravy, chocolate, good basic tea and a hint of freshly-cut grass: yes, I know it sounds odd, and it's an unique flavour in my experience, but I love it so much I've just bought 250gms of it instead of the 100gm pack in which I normally buy teas. It's the strongest-smelling brew I've ever had, too.

What a wonderful idea for a group!

I drink many kinds of tea, but generally my first choice is Assam. Milk and honey please.

Green Earl Grey - it is just as good as it sounds.

Today I finally started some of the tea I bought in London this past April; Royal Breakfast from The Tea House, Covent Garden. Not bad but I made it a bit weaker than I normally would, because I also had a pot of Earl Grey while out with a friend from university. (I decided to start the London tea because we've both been to London recently and were comparing notes on what we'd seen and done.)

I enjoyed a thai iced tea this evening.  Despite being a beverage for the hot summer months, the flavor makes me think of winter.

Peppermint. Just what I require on a break from work. I'll probably move onto a black tea blend this afternoon to perk me up.

I've not been brave enough to try it yet because it smells so awful. I bought some devil's club herb tea in Alaska. It's supposed to cure my arthritis.

My dad takes glucosamine/chondroitin to help his arthritis.  After being on it for 3 months, he stopped taking it for a few days to see if it was actually helping.  His pain returned, so he's happy with the stuff.  It should be available in your local pharmacy, if you want to try it.

As for tea, I have a lychee black to go along with my oatmeal (for lunch).  I usually drink lychee red, so we'll see how this tastes.

Caramel Vanilla tea sounds rather interesting actually, I wonder if it can be found in my area?

And what's wrong with a tea bag? makes it all less crunchie I say.

I hear my bf waking, so I expect a cuppa PG Tips Green will be by my side soon. What's tea without a tea boy to serve it eh?

Twinings' Australian Afternoon Tea, which I'm drinking on an Oregon afternoon thanks to a recent visit from our Australian former high school exchange student.

Mighty Leaf Organic Earl Grey, a small tin of which a coworker gave me because Earl Grey is not one of her favourites and she wanted it to have a good home. Naturally I was happy to oblige.

Ahh. First hint of Fall in the air (and some long needed rain on the ground!). Time to check the stock of fall favorites - Pumpkin Spice (from Stash); White Christmas (from the local tea shop - Tea Embassy). These two, along with Earl Grey, simple black teas, and Lapsang S. seem to call to me once the temperature drops below 60ºF.

Os.

Just posting a woo-hoo at discovering a decaffeinated black tea that actually has some meat on its bones: Harney & Sons Decaf Ceylon. Tastes like tea, not dishwater!

Pickwick Green Tea Jasmine. I almost forgot how good it tastes!

My everyday favorite is Murrough's Welsh Brew. Hard to find in the US -- had to order it from Amazon.

Blended 1/2 teaspoon of Chocolate Cream Truffle (a blend from Savoy Tea Co. in Rogers Ark) with a teaspoon of chamomile. Not a true decaf, obviously, but a really pleasant after dinner treat.

Pickwick cherry tea it is this evening!

Another lychee black for me, while my friend enjoyed a cup of caramel honeybush.

Paris Morning from Savoy Tea, which I'm told is a clone of Paris by Harney and Sons. Caramel, vanilla, bergamot with a black tea base. I save this one for mornings when I have time to sip leisurely instead of guzzling out of a travel mug.

My lovely English Breakfast yum!

Italian Almond tea from what Dilmah calls its "Exceptional Tea" range. A refreshing black Ceylon tea base with a delicate infusion of almond flavour.
Real tea leaves, not dust, encased in an attractive silk tea bag.
Perhaps a little odd to be drinking a tea from Sri Lanka when here I sit in Shanghai surrounded by all the tea in China.

Sounds interesting GumBlossom!
I am having a cup of Pickwick 'Gingerbread' tea at the moment, quite spicy. It is a bit hard to discribe the taste, but the flavour comes from a type of biscuit called 'speculaas' in Dutch

Still a plain black tea or blend in the morning, but I'll be picking up my cold weather/holiday season spiced tea(s) as soon as I can drive into town to the Tea Embassy. They have a very nice "White Christmas" spiced black.

I usually get a very nice "Pumpkin Spice" black from Stash Tea, but they've dropped the other teas I used to get from them, so now the shipping costs make a "Pumpkin Spice" only order far too expensive. I'll miss it (and, being decaffienated, it was nice before bedtime), but the "White Christmas" from the local shop is just fine.

For those of you in a country where pumpkin pie is not known, "Pumpkin Spice" is flavored with the spices used in pumpkin pie (probably cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and, perhaps, cloves and cardamon). I suppose I could come up with my own spiced blend by trial and error.

Os.

Pumpkin spice chai, today!  It isn't actually on the menu, so they haven't really perfected their blend.  It's still tasty, though.

Oh, those spiced teas sound just the thing as it is now a tad chilly here in Shanghai in the evenings and early mornings.
I used to buy a similarly spiced tea at the Tea Centre in Sydney. I have just looked at their website and although I cannot see the one I used to buy years ago, they seem to have a wonderful variety of teas.
For the benefit of those who may be in Sydney, or about to visit, here is the website for the Tea Centre:
Www.theteacentre.com.au

A company client has just appeared with large red gift boxes of Lu An Gua Pian 片安瓜片 tea. Each gold silk lined box contains four red tins of tea, so there is one for each of us to take home. While not sipping it at this very moment, I plan to sample this tonight in the peace and calm of my apartment.

This tea comes from Anhui, a terribly poor, but stunningly beautiful province, which Borders Shanghai. The last two characters of the name, which can be translated as Melon Seed, refer to the shape of the leaves.
Below is a link to the Chinese Tea Culture website's information on this tea. I notice that the first character of the name is sometimes transliterated as Lu and sometimes as Liu. This character can be either of these, but in the name of this tea most seem to use Lu.

http://www.chinese-tea-culture.com/liu-an-gua-pian-tea.html

I am now sipping the Lu An Gua Pian tea. To my taste it has a light, smooth flavour with a lingering finish not unlike a mild oolong. A good tea for a moment of relaxation after the work day.

Pickwick Autumn Storm :-)

Old Town Spice, taste like Imperial Red Hots.

Pickwick Dutch Grey
It's like Earl Grey / Lady Grey flavoured with orange zest.

>116

Well, I'm striking out this winter. Tea Embassy no longer carries their "White Christmas" spiced black, and, as I mentioned, Stash Tea's "Pumpkin Spice" is just too pricey ordered alone, due to shipping costs. Perhaps I'll experiment with pumpkin pie seasoning in a nice black tea after all.

Os.

I have a nice Chai Tea Latte made for use in a Tassimo. A little rich but lovely flavour! :) Just right to watch the snow fall with.

Bought a specialty blend called Old Town Spice. It taste just like Imperial Red Hots.

I'm having some Williamson Earl Grey. I bought it because it came in a lovely elephant tin, but it's pretty good.

Black tea mango :-)

Pomegranate lemon black tea from a mystery packet I pulled out of the cupboard. Only other tea people really understand mystery packets of tea.

My most recent teas are from Teavana:
Caramelissimo Black
Coco Caramel Sea Salt Herbal
Wild Orange Blossom Herbal
All are delicious!

I just received a box of Pomegrante Blueberry tea from a dear friend. Kettle is on so I can try it! :) Smells lovely in the box! :) Can't wait to taste it!

This evening I am having a cup of chocolate mint tea!

>124 Osbaldistone:
Os, I live in the land of Stash and they've got Pumpkin Spice on clearance sale. Want me to see if I can pick up and mail you some?

>129 lahochstetler: Here's to half-packet serendipity.

Am loving a holiday blend called Mistletoe picked up at Savoy Tea Co. in Rogers Arkansas: green tea with almonds, orange, vanilla, and pink peppercorns.

I think my favorite everyday tea is Lyon's GOld Blend. A strong, reliable Irish tea.

My first tea of the new year is the Cookie Dough blend from Davids Tea, which smells delicious (and with which I usually have a cookie).

>133 Kek55:
Kek55,
Sorry - been traveling over the holidays.
Thanks for the offer. I've replied on your page.

Os.

I have recently discovered David's Tea (delightful!) and am making a cup of Cranberry Pear black tea for this cold afternoon.

Pickwick green Jasmine tea !

Zhena's Gypsy Ambrosia plum white tea

Just returned from Disneyland with a tin of Official Unbirthday Tea/Mad Tea Party Blend. Perfect for making the work day flow more smoothly. Naturally there's a tag saying "Drink me" amongst the artwork.

I've been on the no caffeine Chai for a while now. Very spicey.

Enjoying a combination of green tea and mint sweetened with honey. Helps the cold/sore throat. :)

Loving my Acai Berry Green Tea from TEANZO 1856 this morning (http://www.teanzo.com) as I get into my latest book The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman.

LOTS and lots of tea.  All Numi, but different types.  Steering clear of the high-caffeine stuff, but I'm doing my best to drown this awful cough.  Doing some research, the common cough can last up to 18 days, and doctors are being more and more reluctant to give us drugs for it.  I know that's a good thing, but codeine at bedtime is no match for my cough at 2am. *whine* At least when I'm drinking tea, it lessens.

Scottish blend from Upton tea. One of the best teas I've ever had.

Summer is threatening, so most nights, I brew a pot of some black tea (occasionally flavored with blueberry or blackberry) and drink a cup or two, putting the rest into a pitcher in the fridge to drink as iced tea in the heat of the day. Soon, nights will not get below 73ºF here, and days will routinely rise to 95 - 105ºF, so I'll start making iced tea by the pitcher - usually a 50/50 blend of a black pekoe and a black orange spice.

Os.

Recently had Georgia Peach (combination of black & green) and Raspberry Cranberry Awake (green) from a tea company on St. Simon's Island. They use real fruit and large leaves in their teas. Very nice. Check them out, they have an online store.

It's been over two years since anyone has shared the contents of their cup! I'm sure that there has been plenty of tea drinking going on... but I don't see a newer thread. I hope it's okay if I revive this one?

I am having a cup of Earl Gray this morning. It was 20 degrees when I woke up and this warm cup is going to get me motivated now that I'm working, I just know it! (at least, I hope it will!)

I made a pot of Vanilla Caramel Truffle because I'm out of my favorite plain black tea. (!) How did that happen?

It's okay for an emergency switch-out, but it has a cloying aftertaste. It's just what I found abandonned in the community kitchen.

> 2wonderY: I've never been a fan of caramel flavored teas, but love caramel otherwise. Funny how that happens! I hope you restock on your black tea soon - which is your favorite?

I am having another cup of earl gray right now.

I have a work meeting that will take me to the Starbucks part of town in a couple of hours and am thinking of buying a steaming order of tea then. Any suggestions for favorites from anyone??

I'm very much a person of habit and simplicity. When a co-worker introduced me to the mild and consistent Red Rose brand, what? 35 years ago? I've been very happy with it ever since.

I usually have a large stash of it in all my prime locations, home, work, cabin and daughter's kitchen cupboard. This sudden drought has made me dig a little deeper into my own cupboard and so I'm using up teas that have been given to me. I'm drinking thé noir from Primula. Daughter bought me one of their glass teapot kits and I promptly shattered the glass infuser. :(

Drinking Evolution's Lavender Earl Grey. I like it with just a touch of sugar (I use a 1/8 teaspoon) it really brings out the flowery tones. In the evenings I add a little milk.

>152 2wonderY: 2wonderY: I've actually never tried Red Rose, but know many that swear by it. I suppose I'll have to try it soon!

>153 LA12Hernandez: LA12Hernandez: Earl Grey is my favorite and the lavender makes it so exotic! Yum



This morning I am having a cup of Royal Palace Tea, which is a black tea with notes of lemon and grapefruit. It reminds me of Earl Gray, yet it's slightly sour.

And, of course, the tin is gorgeous! (The tin is the reason I bought this tea and I was relieved that I loved it when I tried it. Does that ever happen to you??)

>152 2wonderY: Red Rose has only recently (past couple years) become available locally (southwest Missouri), but I agree: it's a no-fuss, no-brain, can't-ruin-it-even-if-you-try morning staple when I don't have the time or energy to mess with loose leaf!

Their decaf isn't too bad, either.

I usually buy loose leaf tea (mostly from Upton's, in North America) but the other day in the supermarket I was surprised to discover there's a "Canadian Breakfast" tea:



Is it something new or was I just not paying attention?

Yes, the novelty sold it to me. :)

It won't displace my faves, and I lack points of comparison to other bagged brands, but on its own merits I'd say it's a fairly good, strong pick-me-up.

I remember commercials when I was young advertising Red Rose. Some British person would be served Red Rose (in Canada) and after trying it would tut, 'Only in Canada? Pity."
Red Rose tea makes me think fondly of my grandmother.

Here is one of many old Red Rose commercials:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUnbJAWk6gM

>156 LolaWalser: I tried their new English Breakfast once when that was the only choice on the grocery shelf. I was unhappy enough to write to them, but I never heard back. That paper wrapping of every teabag is such a waste of resources.

There are only a limited number of places I can find RR too, so I carried three boxes to the check-out line today. The lady behind me noticed and asked if it was really that good. I was able to give her the mini-commercial, except I forgot to mention the little porcelain bonus in every box.

I bought a box of Twinings Assam Strong and Mighty since Lyons, my favorite blend, jumped up in price online awhile back. The Twinings Assam is very bold but also has a lot of character and is not bitter. I like it much more than other straight Assam teas I've had. Taylors of Harrogate, for example, lacked complexity and tasted bland.

Monday morning Earl Grey. Only 4 days of work this week, with Thursday off. I can do this, right??!

Enjoyed a little alchemy this weekend: 2 parts plain China black tea from the bulk bin at local health food grocery, 1 part (aged and a tiny bit faded) Caramel from Adagio, 1 part Market Spice brand loose leaf Butter Rum. Little half and half. Mmmm!

>160 neverlistless: That's a pretty container, but is it plastic? Doesn't that affect the taste?

162 2wonderY: Thank you! And it's not plastic, it's porcelain! It's a travel mug from Teavana that I purchased years ago. I did a quick scan of their website, and this is the closest version that I could find available now. The lid is exactly the same, but not included in the picture that I posted.

Oh, Yay! I was hoping that was the case. That holds some amount of tea, too. Half a pot?

I wish! Only about a cup or so.

(I just checked the Teavana site and it says 8 ounces!)

More earl grey this morning. I am back at work after the holiday and the only one here!

>166 neverlistless: I'll bet you get tons accomplished today. I stayed hours late on Wednesday and put YouTube lectures on while I cleared up almost all of the old piles surrounding me.

In my cup: Mad Tea Party Blend from Disneyland with apricot, peach and ginger flavors. I stock up with a tin whenever I get the chance.

Green Tea Hibiscus. Warm, tart, and invigorating!

>167 2wonderY: I am just now seeing this comment! I don't remember if I got a lot done or not, but I'm the world's worst person at staying on task when I'm at work... so my guess is NO!! :)

Given my screen name, I just had to join this group. Today's morning pot is Buckingham Palace Garden Party blend. This is the description from the merchant:

"Every May, the Queen holds a garden party at Buckingham Palace, a lovely English springtime tradition. The tea that is served is a long time favorite, a delicious Palace medley specially selected for this occasion. Intriguing hints of high-grown pure Ceylon Earl Grey blend effortlessly with the soft jasmine from Fujian Province. Couple this with malty Assam (from the estate of Borengajuli) flavory Dimbula Ceylon (from Hatton), brisk and golden cup East of Rift Kenya (from Kambaa and Kagwe) and you have one of the most flavorful teas to come from the British Isles. Each cup is a cup of mystery - the flavors all come to the fore at separate times - one minute you taste the Earl Grey, the next second you can almost feel the soft floral notes of jasmine and finally you get the satisfying fullness of the Assam Ceylon and Kenya blend. Enjoy this tea and be a part of the annual tradition in the west gardens of Buckingham Palace...without having to dress up."

>170 tealadytoo:. But what's your description? (And who's the merchant?)

My evening tea is a first flush Darjeeling. Third and final brew, so it is just a hint of the original astringent taste.

>171 bnielsen:

Oh, the merchant is the English Tea Store.
http://www.englishteastore.com

I'm a sucker for robust black teas and floral teas, so this is the best of both worlds. Medium bodied with floral notes strong enough to notice, but not overpowering.

>172 tealadytoo: I'll bookmark that for when my supplies go low next time.
I noticed they have Ty-phoo too, which I'll avoid (unless I also have some paint, that needs to be removed), but otherwise it looks quite inspiring. I'll probably go to Ireland sometime in the next month or two, so maybe this gives me some ideas for shopping tea. Thanks!

I usually use bog standard Kenyan tea grown and bought locally, but I often add a spoon of Earl Grey or Lapsang Souchong bought in England. I find mixing strong-tasting teas with a standard tea produces a pleasing taste.

I did mix this morning, too. I wanted to finish up a nice Kamba estate tea from South Africa, but there was not enough for a pot, so in went a malty Assam. Not a very exotic mix, but made a suitably strong and tasty morning blend.