Calling on all noobs and not so noobs!

[MuYun]

How long have you been drinking tea?
My whole life, mostly herbal teas(tisanes) as a kid, I started drinking real loose leaf tea four years ago.

What was your first Tea?
My first real, loose leaf tea was a High Mountain Taiwan Oolong(Shanlinxi) which opened my eyes.

What is your favorite Tea currently?
High Mt. Oolongs and Puerh(both sheng and shou) but I tend to drink all kind of teas. However greens and whites rarely find their way to my gaiwan .

What is your next purchase?
Some kind of aged sheng from a local vendor in Taipei, Taiwan.

Where is your favorite spot to brew up?
My tea corner on my large study/computer table if I am brewing, for drinking I think sampling/trying teas at tea shops or tea farmers is the best.

[Teanderfoot]

Hey Teachat. Been a lurker for a while but decided to chime in. I’m originally from Iowa USA, but recently moved to Surrey UK.

How long have you been drinking tea?
Since I was in middle school. More seriously the past five years.

What was your first Tea?
Stash winter mint, or something thereabouts. First loose leaf was gunpowder from the ... Frontier Coop I think?

What is your favorite Tea currently?
I’ve just discovered Clipper Organic a couple weeks ago. Not sure it’s ‘real tea,’ but I’m enamoured nevertheless! Wonderful with digestive biscuits, and makes my cupboard smell awesome!

What is your next purchase?
Probably sencha from The Teamakers of London.

Where is your favorite spot to brew up?
No place but my place right now. The water’s hard, though, so it’s not the best.

[LadyJ]

How long have you been drinking tea?
My whole life, mostly herbal teas(tisanes) as a kid, I started drinking real loose leaf tea four years ago.

What was your first Tea?
My first real, loose leaf tea was a High Mountain Taiwan Oolong(Shanlinxi) which opened my eyes.

What is your favorite Tea currently?
High Mt. Oolongs and Puerh(both sheng and shou) but I tend to drink all kind of teas. However greens and whites rarely find their way to my gaiwan .

What is your next purchase?
Some kind of aged sheng from a local vendor in Taipei, Taiwan.

Where is your favorite spot to brew up?
My tea corner on my large study/computer table if I am brewing, for drinking I think sampling/trying teas at tea shops or tea farmers is the best.

Hi
Its Julia waving hand from Taiwan!!

[MuYun]

Hi
Its Julia waving hand from Taiwan!!

Hello there Julia,
I guess we can agree that Taiwan is one of the best places to find and enjoy good quality tea

[century]

Hello,

Ive been a lurker for a while and thought I would register and post.
Hope to gain some knowledge here. Very new to Chinese teas but learning...not as quickly as I would hope but to be expected.

How long have you been drinking tea?
Been drinking Yorkshire for a loooong time. But have VERY recently started being interested in Chinese tea and GongFu style brewing.
Really love the tradition and purity of the teas and look forward to trying a lot more in the future.

What kind of tea do you drink?
As a recent convert to Chinese style teas, I have some Oolongs and Pu'er coming in the mail right now.
im literally brand new to this side of the tea world.

How do you prepare your tea?
Teapot to GongFu...everything has its place.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
Chinese teas ! So much variety and information to learn but its fun.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
Mei Leaf youtube videos really piqued my interest and I have dove down the rabbit hole ever since.

What is your location?
Greater Toronto Area

Best

Emil

[Exxtralime]

Just joined the forums but I love tea and talking about it so I thought I would give some info!

How long have you been drinking tea?
Pretty much my whole life, was 6 or 7 when I first had loose leaf tea.

What was your first Tea?
First loose leaf tea was either Rooibos Vanilla, or Honeybush Vanilla can't quite remember but it was from an old online retailer called Specialteas

What is your favorite Tea currently?
A tie between Honeybush Vanilla and Adagio teas Casablanca twist

What is your next purchase?
I got a Yixing pot for Christmas so I'm browsing teas to put in that, just ordered the master sampler II form Adagio Teas so hoping one of those six make the cut!

Where is your favorite spot to brew up?
At home in my kitchen while reading a good book.

Location?
Just moved to the Kansas City area, from New England.

[anabea]

Hello everyone! I am new to the site. Thank you for adding me!

So, here goes....

How long have you been drinking tea? since I was around 6 months old! So, crazy long!

What was your first Tea? I was born in Argentina, so it was yerba mate

What is your favorite Tea currently? I have been using yerba as a base for different blends, so I love the mocha blend.

What is your next purchase? A new glass mate that I have had my eyes on.

Where is your favorite spot to brew up? I love my first yerba in the morning. So, my kitchen! I love to heat the water and fill my gourd and sit on the sofa for a bit before starting my day. At this early hour, all things seem possible.

[Potnet]

How long have you been drinking tea? On and off for a year or 2

What was your first Tea? I think my first "proper" tea was a high mountain Li Shan I bought from a guy I know

What is your favorite Tea currently? I don't really have one, but I have some pretty old shou's that are nice

What is your next purchase? Probably a new gaiwan

Where is your favorite spot to brew up? I wish I had a favorite spot, but I've only been brewing in my room. Been thinking about brewing in some woods near my house when it get warmer outside.

[Bexajourney]

Hi folks! Since I'm new I thought I would add to this thread as well. Although I'm embarassed to admit some of my answers.

How long have you been drinking tea? I've always taken whatever tea was offered me: restaurants, friends' houses when I lived overseas (the UK), bagged for as long as I can remember. However, my first experience with loose leaf tea was puer tea I think about four years ago.

What was your first Tea? Again, let's talk about the puer tea. I'm ashamed to admit I've been drinking donated puer tea without knowing the names of the teas I was drinking for nearly four years. Then my supply ran out and my very, very dear friend has moved away, so I had to take the first, wobbly steps into buying my own puer tea about six months ago. My dear friend even started me off with a Yixing pot to go with the first batch of puer teas he gave me, so it's had several years of seasoning by now.

What is your favorite Tea currently? Oh goodness. That's an awful question. I'm having such a good time drinking ALL the teas, that I haven't really got a favorite. My favorite thing is to experience everything!

What is your next purchase? Probably some of the Chinese and Japanese green teas from Adagio since I neglected them on my last batch of samples. I'm a member of a monthly puer delivery already and collect that... sorta, as I can figure it out, slowly (and afford it). So I don't have to buy it as frequently.

Where is your favorite spot to brew up? This is my best story. So my husband and I have an "office" that is a narrow room. At one end of the room is the closet but it doesn't go all the way across so there's a niche. There's a little built-in desk into the wall there. It's about three feet from my computer desk. That's my hot drink shrine. I have a french press, hot chocolate (and peppermint schnapps for the hot chocolate) all three teapots, my electric kettle and my slowly growing tea collection. Oh, and the coffee. So, I actually sit in my super comfortable seat, take online tea lessons as I taste various teas and tisanes from around the world... and often play video games. >.>

Sorry for the hugely long answers. I'm a chatterbox, and I'm really excited about tea, especially since I'm new to any loose leaf tea aside from puer. This is a great time!

[Dafewf]

Hi guys, im from Poland and i came here mostly to teach myself how to make tea. Im not talking about brewing, but making. Mine dream is to open a big tea store/cafe.

How long have you been drinking tea?
About 5 years from now.

What was your first Tea?
I dont remember, roibos i think.

What is your favorite Tea currently?
Honeybush is love, honeybush is life.

What is your next purchase?
Im a student, i dont have money to buy something to eat, lets not talk about it XD

Where is your favorite spot to brew up?
At home, its obvious.

[martinnathalie9]

Hi guys! I am new to this forum and for years I have been your standard English Breakfast tea drinker. I rarely adventure outside of my comfort zone, but now I am keen to expand my palette and try different types!

How long have you been drinking tea?
Since I was 16!

What was your first Tea?
English Breakfast tea - without milk, it actually put me off for a while... now i'm a one sugar and a dash of milk girl!

What is your favorite Tea currently?
I am a Twinnings English Breakfast die hard fan

What is your next purchase?
Not sure, think I am going to explore more herbal tea ranges so suggestions are welcome!

Where is your favorite spot to brew up?
At home using my favourite mug!

[mythicmistress]

Hey there, I'm new.

How long have you been drinking tea?
Me, it's been about 3 years since I started drinking it on a frequent basis.

What was your first tea?
Probably something cheap and bagged from the grocery store.

What is your favorite tea currently?
You're making me choose? Currently, whatever I can get my hands on that's convenient and sounds interesting.

What is your next purchase?
Possibly an assortment of Japanese green teas or just some genmaicha.

Where is your favorite spot to brew up?
Anywhere I can boil water and get a bit of peace and quiet.

[Sketchymaloo]

How long have you been drinking tea?
Since I was weaned off of milk basically. My grandmother would put unsweetened or very lightly sweetened milk in my sippy cup as a child, so probably around 1 1/2 maybe. (She has told me about this, which I find funny in a way envisioning myself as a toddler sipping on a cup full of Earl Grey)

What was your first Tea?
(Other Than Lipson???) Earl Grey was my first tea

What is your favorite Tea currently?
It's a tie between Earl Grey (still and forever) and Irish Breakfast, though I have developed a new fondness for Honeybush

What is your next purchase?
I recently purchased a large series of tea mixtures I made and actually just received them in the mail!

Where is your favorite spot to brew up? I don't have a large house or anything, so I just brew up a pot of water in the kitchen. I have a small corner in the house that is my tea corner that has a nice bamboo cabinet filled with my tea mixtures, sweeteners, and mixers and supplies and I usually sit in the recliner in the corner of my living room or in the chair up in my art office.

[MaxHeiCha]

Hi I'm new to the forum,

1. I've been drinking tea for a few years now mostly a cup of tea till the last year where I've began to really enjoy and collect nicer teas and was taught to brew gong fu style.
2. My first tea was probably a English breakfast tea but I like to think as my tea journey really starting when I tried higher quality teas this year and that would probably be a Puerh silver needle tea cake.
3. My favorite tea at the time would have to be a tie between 2007 Xiang Yi Hei Cha and My 2005 CNNP big yellow mark cake. My love for hei cha is growing with every one I try it's unbelievable that it's up there with my Sheng Puerh love.
4. My current next purchase will probably be either a high quality hei cha brick that I'm soon to sample and see what I feel about it or I'm really looking for a Julunzhu teapot but can't seem to find one that is good price and right size. So might just stick with buying a shu ping.
5. My favorite spot to brew is probably my living room since my set up can easily move around and there is great seating/ lighting.

Thank you for letting me introduce myself I hope to continue my journey with the help of this forum and make great friends!
MaxHeiCha

[JP2R]

How long have you been drinking tea?
Hmmm .. drinking tea .. since I was little - paying attention to the tea I was drinking? That's more recent.

What was your first Tea?
Two types come to mind - Lipton and Luzianne - I know they are name brands and not specific teas, but those are the ones I had been drinking.
I have recently tried a saffron chamomile tea - I like it because it isn't bitter

What is your favorite Tea currently?
Anything by Pukka

What is your next purchase?
Undecided right now - a friend of mine just recently started putting things together to make her own tea combos

Where is your favorite spot to brew up?
I'm always at work .. so .. there is that ...