TeaChat

Tazo is a "top-shelf brand"?!?

It's not lipton....

It's also neither Adagio or Rishi, neither of which I consider "top-shelf" but both of which I consider to be mass distributors of tea that's of a higher grade than Tazo.

Poohblah wrote:Tazo is a "top-shelf brand"?!?

the shelf is in the supermarket

Didn't realize that's what the term referred to.

I think you have to realize we are not the typical American/ tea drinkers. For a lot of people they do not realize that there is a world to tea beyond what they can find at a supermarket, (quite a few people haven't even seen a teavana). Compared to what is at most supermarkets Tazo is "top shelf." Just like I am sure there is a world to coffee that I really do not know about, but coffee has the same issue, a lot of people do not realize that even buying whole bean coffee from the grocery store is still likely to be pretty bad coffee. And whole bean coffee is "top shelf" compared to the instant mixes that they also sell.

Hmm, I think there are two different definitions of "top-shelf" working here: one of which you guys are arguing for, and one which I'm arguing for. I'm not sure which one WSJ has in mind, but it seems likely that it's your definition and not mine.

AdamMY wrote:I think you have to realize we are not the typical American/ tea drinkers.

Right. I'm aware of that. But I always thought that "top-shelf" stuff is not the kind of thing that a "typical" (whatever that means) shopper could find in a grocery store. Same goes for anything - coffee, beer, wine, etc. However, Tazo is certainly the kind of product I can buy at my local King Soopers or Safeway or Whole Foods.

For a lot of people they do not realize that there is a world to tea beyond what they can find at a supermarket, (quite a few people haven't even seen a teavana). Compared to what is at most supermarkets Tazo is "top shelf." Just like I am sure there is a world to coffee that I really do not know about, but coffee has the same issue, a lot of people do not realize that even buying whole bean coffee from the grocery store is still likely to be pretty bad coffee. And whole bean coffee is "top shelf" compared to the instant mixes that they also sell.

See, I never thought of the term "top-shelf" being a comparative term, but rather an absolute one. For any type of product, I figure that the "top-shelf" products are going to be the best ones, certainly a luxury product, regardless of what you or I or the reader of a WSJ article any other arbitrary person is likely to purchase. I don't think it's too difficult to argue that the best teas aren't available in supermarkets.

FWIW:
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/top_shelf
I don't find that entry to be particularly illuminating. It's not a very precise definition.

Well its always hard to deal in absolutes. As there may be products you have never even seen before that are far better than anything you have ever had before. How can you use a product you don't even know exists to deem something you currently have as not "top shelf."

Also another reason why it is comparative, as I believe the term top shelf was coined in referring to drinks at a bar. And different bars have different "top shelf drinks," in some bars something like Glenlivet or Glenfiddich 12 year old is considered top shelf. In others those would be bottom shelf so to speak.

Its hard for those of us that know about the wide world of tea to look at this with a certain ignorance that someone could actually view Tazo as an ultra premium brand, offering the finest quality teabags which makes the finest tea. But quite a few people do not even know you can get tea outside of a teabag, their definition of tea is limited to what they see in grocery stores.

Besides, this is an article from the wall street journal. They care about money, who's making it, who's losing it, etc. he's there because of the money he has made.

entropyembrace wrote:

Poohblah wrote:Tazo is a "top-shelf brand"?!?

the shelf is in the supermarket

In the words of Google....

+1