(Big) Brand Name Teas

Fully oxidized tea leaves for a robust cup.


Dec 3rd, '07, 14:30
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by divintea » Dec 3rd, '07, 14:30

That makes a lot of sense, yukondoit. Mmm, hot chocolate and soy milk. (Okay I know this isn't the HotChocolateChat, but still..)

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Dec 3rd, '07, 14:52
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by yukondoit » Dec 3rd, '07, 14:52

Hey, everyone needs a cup of cocoa sometimes!
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Dec 3rd, '07, 16:21
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by divintea » Dec 3rd, '07, 16:21

Do you ever bag it yourself with the bags that have openings for loose leaf to slide in?

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Dec 3rd, '07, 16:54
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by Wesli » Dec 3rd, '07, 16:54

I don't, but I bought some for my dad, and he uses them all the time. They work great, but still don't let the leaf expand as much as is desirable. Best for herbals in my opinion.

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Dec 3rd, '07, 17:23
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by Space Samurai » Dec 3rd, '07, 17:23

I avoid all of those brands, too, but I have been and am sometimes still a Rishi whore. Of all the retail brands I've seen, these and many many others, Rishi is at the top of the game.

Other than that I buy small batches from different online vendors.

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Dec 3rd, '07, 17:29
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by Chip » Dec 3rd, '07, 17:29

Space Samurai wrote:I avoid all of those brands, too, but I have been and am sometimes still a Rishi whore. Of all the retail brands I've seen, these and many many others, Rishi is at the top of the game.

Other than that I buy small batches from different online vendors.
LOL, still the "Rishi plant," Space??? :lol:
blah blah blah SENCHA blah blah blah!!!

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Dec 3rd, '07, 17:39
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by hop_goblin » Dec 3rd, '07, 17:39

If I am in a pinch, I run to the bigalow

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Dec 3rd, '07, 17:41
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by Space Samurai » Dec 3rd, '07, 17:41

Chip wrote:LOL, still the "Rishi plant," Space??? :lol:
Well, they did give me 60-70 dollars in free matcha today, I figured I should give something back :wink:

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Dec 3rd, '07, 18:04
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by skywarrior » Dec 3rd, '07, 18:04

hop_goblin wrote:If I am in a pinch, I run to the bigalow
Oddly, so do I. But I've been totally ruined. I drank my very favorite tea that served me well over the years and -- it's ok. I mean, I have gotten so beyond that now. But it's easy for my family to buy and have on hand.

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Dec 3rd, '07, 18:14
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Re: (Big) Brand Name Teas

by skywarrior » Dec 3rd, '07, 18:14

yukondoit wrote:I've been thinking about this a lot lately....what significance big brand name teas (Stash, TROT, Tazo, Twinings, etc) have to tea fans. Do most big tea fans drink more of a mix of individually purchased loose teas from smaller dealers, or is there a variety of big brand name teas you enjoy?
To be honest, I despise Stash teas. Tazo, Bigelow, ROT and Twinings are ok. Celestial Seasons -- sigh. I lived in Colorado most of my life, so it pains me to say that their tea is terribly greasy. They do fine with tisanes, but regular tea is not that good, IMO.

YMMV, but if I had a choice, I'd be drinking the tea I do now. Loose in small batches.

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Dec 3rd, '07, 18:33
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by yukondoit » Dec 3rd, '07, 18:33

I've met people who are avid tea drinkers who LOVE Stash. I think that they are spread a little too thin -- I get their catalog and their stuff looks so uninteresting and cheap to me. Someone just gave me a box of their peach green tea, and it is just "eh".

The other tea I can't seem to get into is Ahmad. Their earl grey tastes so alkaline. I can't stand what a processed taste they have, and they are pretty high priced.

Anyone ever tried Kusmi tea? Super expensive but pretty good, just horribly designed tea bags...the water runs up the rope and leaks all over everything.
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Dec 3rd, '07, 19:20
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by evilive » Dec 3rd, '07, 19:20

I've been using major label teas less and less of late. Twinings is one I still quite like (their Russian Caravan in particular is a favourite of mine), but I've been buying from my local tea shops of late. Celestial Greetings is awful IMO, however, I have a herbal from them (honey, lemon and ginseng) that I rather enjoy to be honest; ideal for clearing the sinus caveties during the flu :P

Dec 3rd, '07, 20:11
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by Theo Sinensis » Dec 3rd, '07, 20:11

I'm too new to this to know very much, but I will offer that I've been buying a lot of samples from Upton, figuring that their variety and overall less commercial presentation indicates quality.

However, I was at a tea house recently where I had an excellent Yunnan Gold and a Yuzucha. I asked the owner where he bought his teas, and he was politely evasive about it, saying he buys from many vendors. I understood his reluctance, but then I went online to try to find the teas (which I had then just bought), and discovered that they almost certainly are Rishi. Names are one thing, but when the description of a particular tea is almost verbatim, I would think it's pretty dead on.

So I have no choice but to remain open to major label teas. You never know what you'll discover. For example, I tried Upton's Green Citronella thinking that it would be a better version of Adagio's Citron Green. (I did say I'm new to this.) I found that they are two entirely different teas, both of which I really love, and I've decided I need both of them. The Citronella has a more high-minded feel to it, while the Citron Green is one of the most naturally friendly things a person can drink, IMHO. It has become the new comfort drink/medicinal for colds in our house. Who needs Theraflu?

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Dec 3rd, '07, 20:41
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by yukondoit » Dec 3rd, '07, 20:41

When I get sick, I go straight to chamomile infusions and herbal tea. The flu/colds make caffeine a very scary thing to me.

I have found also that someone needs to make a pleasant digestive tea. I've had a weak stomach for most my life and ginger tea has saved me...but man, is it a horrible flavor. The Yogi Digestive line, ginger and ginger/lemon are gross. I can't stand them. I wish there was a tea that performed the wonders of ginger, and still managed to taste good!
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Dec 3rd, '07, 21:04
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by Wesli » Dec 3rd, '07, 21:04

Weak stomach = weak digestive muscles

You gotta work on those digestive muscles. This doesn't mean exercise. This means food. Raw foods. From raw meat to raw oatmeal there is only one way to improve those stomach muscles.

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