Hi there everyone, my name’s Laura and I’m an art student here in sunny Scotland. I have been drinking ‘tea’ for years, introduced to by my parents; you know, the generic black tea bags that sit in a tub in the cupboard for months (I’m convinced even years on some occasions, haha). I never truly enjoyed it though; taking milk and an abundance of sugar for long enough (no wonder, really).
I only recently (in the last couple of months) looked into proper tea, my interest being sparked by regular blossoming, jasmine and green teas that I’ve come across in some local restaurants.
So yeah; needless to say after doing a bit of research, I was more than a little bit surprised at everything I’ve been missing out on! So as a new years resolution to myself, I’m planning to really learn about all the teas that’re out there. I have a friend also partaking on this journey with me, so it’s been fun to share our experiences together!
I just recently got myself my own little glass tea set, so it’s a starting point really. I did read somewhere that the temperature of the water and whatnot are important, although all I have access to at the moment is a generic cheap kettle to heat my water, so I’ve just been trying to regulate how hot it gets by switching it off manually; although I still have a lot to learn in that department. Ideally I’d want to invest in a good temperature control kettle, but I’ll need money before that will become a possibility.
I’ve just started with white tea; I’ve tried some jasmine silver needle, silver needle, white blueberry, white peony, white peach and white tropics (basically all the white teas available on Adagio UK’s site, haha).
My favourite’s are definitely White Peach and Jasmine silver needle at the moment, although I do enjoy the subtlety of the silver needle and the white peony too. I’m planning to try making iced tea with the white peach next. =)
I’m not really sure where to go from here; I’ll probably end up working through chai, green, rooibos, oolong and black in that order, but I’m not sure. I might mix it up a bit. I look forward to meeting people here that share my new passion and learning from those of you with a bit more experience! ^_^
Feb 11th, '14, 12:23
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Joined: Jul 10th, '13, 01:38
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Location: Japan.
Re: Greetings from Scotland! =)
Welcome Laura! White teas are a good place to start because they are pretty mild in flavor, IMO. I would suggest green as your next venture because there is such a wide variety of flavors you can get from green tea. Ive had greens that taste like vegetables and some that are grassy/sweet. I feel like its an easier way to train your pallet for the more complex teas.(Not that green tea cant be complex) Enjoy your journey!
猎乌龙
Re: Greetings from Scotland! =)
Hey and welcome.
I loooove rooibos, thats a great tea, no caffeine so you can drink it late, and it goes well with any flavoring (orange is my favorite).
There is tons of options even within each category of tea (green, white, puer, black, herbal, mate etc...) so you will never get bored or run out of new teas. its a rabbit hole really, a very long rabbit hole, I don't think there is an end.
Anyways, welcome again and enjoy the tea.
I loooove rooibos, thats a great tea, no caffeine so you can drink it late, and it goes well with any flavoring (orange is my favorite).
There is tons of options even within each category of tea (green, white, puer, black, herbal, mate etc...) so you will never get bored or run out of new teas. its a rabbit hole really, a very long rabbit hole, I don't think there is an end.
Anyways, welcome again and enjoy the tea.
Re: Greetings from Scotland! =)
Hello Laura and welcome.
You are very lucky to stay in Scotland.
My super top grade Da Hong Pao can only be brewed in one water...i.e. Scotland Highlands Spring Water. I have tried all the spring water available in the market and this is the best. Lucky you.
Cheers!
You are very lucky to stay in Scotland.
My super top grade Da Hong Pao can only be brewed in one water...i.e. Scotland Highlands Spring Water. I have tried all the spring water available in the market and this is the best. Lucky you.
Cheers!
www.teaism99.com
Greetings from Scotland! =)
Hello Laura! Always nice to have other people from this part of the world around! (I'm irish!)
I started my explorations with white tea too, in fact your story is the same as mine! Generic black tea and what not. Silver needle white tea can be expensive but it provides a subtle flavour that is delightful, and if you can appreciate the subtle flavour of white tea, then you're in for one hell of a time with the bolder teas!
Greens are an excellent place to lead into, in fact, following the tea oxidative nature works well (white tea, then green, then semi oxidised oolong, black, and finally puerh!) as the flavours get bolder as you move along!
With relation to the kettle, turning it off just as you hear it hit a boil and allowing it to cool to your desired temperature tends to be an easier method with a kettle (I only use an electric kettle myself).
Anyways, happy brewing!
I started my explorations with white tea too, in fact your story is the same as mine! Generic black tea and what not. Silver needle white tea can be expensive but it provides a subtle flavour that is delightful, and if you can appreciate the subtle flavour of white tea, then you're in for one hell of a time with the bolder teas!
Greens are an excellent place to lead into, in fact, following the tea oxidative nature works well (white tea, then green, then semi oxidised oolong, black, and finally puerh!) as the flavours get bolder as you move along!
With relation to the kettle, turning it off just as you hear it hit a boil and allowing it to cool to your desired temperature tends to be an easier method with a kettle (I only use an electric kettle myself).
Anyways, happy brewing!