At the beginning of the year I tend to buy my teas for the next 3-6
months, and I've been looking for some new experiences since I'm
starting to get burnt out on my old favorites. I'm looking for a few
suggestions for both daily teas and a couple higher end ones. By daily
tea, I mean a fairly inexpensive-moderate priced loose tea. Mainly a
green tea, an oolong, and a black tea. Black tea has been the one area
where I never seem to find a good one unless it is flavored or blended
with another.

My current daily favorites I'm looking to replace are Kukicha, Sencha,
Oriental Beauty Oolong, Ginger Peach Black, and Jasmine green pearls.

Thanks, and I look forward to the responses!

- Dominic
Drinking: PG Tips

The last three lead me to believe that you like full-flavored stuff.
Why don't you try to pick yourself up some "ren shen wu long" or
ginseng oolong tea. It's got a nice sweet kick to it.

Dominic 3/6/06


> At the beginning of the year I tend to buy my teas for the next 3-6
> months, and I've been looking for some new experiences since I'm
> starting to get burnt out on my old favorites. I'm looking for a few
> suggestions for both daily teas and a couple higher end ones. By daily
> tea, I mean a fairly inexpensive-moderate priced loose tea. Mainly a
> green tea, an oolong, and a black tea. Black tea has been the one area
> where I never seem to find a good one unless it is flavored or blended
> with another.
>
> My current daily favorites I'm looking to replace are Kukicha, Sencha,
> Oriental Beauty Oolong, Ginger Peach Black, and Jasmine green pearls.

Dominic, one approach that might help is to buy teas in season. Even lesser
green teas, plucked at the right time and provided to you fresh, will be
better than their counterparts off season. Then, later, Darjeelings. Taiwan
Oolongs have two seasons: spring and winter. I buy relatively small
quantities and try to follow the teas around the calendar, although I often
jump the gun admittedly.

My favorites are Bao Zhong, Bai Hou, and....heck, they're all my favorates
when I'm drinking them.

Michael

Michael

Hey Dominic. I would look for some Keemun Mao Feng, some Buddha Palm
oolong, and ... can't help with the green. The best green I ever had
was some Yame gyokuro. Quite "ya-me", but I got the impression it
wasn't easy for my friend Bear to get a hold of. Oh yes, and
Margaret's Hope 2nd Flush Muscatel Darjeeling. That last is the daily
tea. The most inexpensive great tea I've found.

Ian
--
http://sundry.ws/

Michael Plant wrote:
> Dominic, one approach that might help is to buy teas in season. Even lesser
> green teas, plucked at the right time and provided to you fresh, will be
> better than their counterparts off season. Then, later, Darjeelings. Taiwan
> Oolongs have two seasons: spring and winter. I buy relatively small
> quantities and try to follow the teas around the calendar, although I often
> jump the gun admittedly.
>
> My favorites are Bao Zhong, Bai Hou, and....heck, they're all my favorates
> when I'm drinking them.

I do also buy tea in season, but this post was mainly for a good couple
daily teas to drink at work. I have a whole different set of teas that
I drink at home when I can properly brew and enjoy them... but at work
I just want a small variety of quality teas to enjoy depending on my
mood and tastes that day. I try to keep one green, oolong, black, and
one or two random ones.

And Mydnight, I do like a fairly full-flavored tea at work while I tend
to go for the more delicate and subtle teas while at home.. again, to
properly enjoy them.

I really have grown tired of my work selection, and while I am low on
most of them I thought it would be a good time to restock with all new
teas to liven things up a bit.

And Ian, thanks for the suggestions I will be hunting for those for
sure.

- Dominic

"My current daily favorites I'm looking to replace are Kukicha, Sencha,

Oriental Beauty Oolong, Ginger Peach Black, and Jasmine green pearls."

Hi Dominic,

With regards to some nice full flavoured black teas I'd like to suggest
a couple of chinese blacks. I personally really like Yunnan's for
their full bodied subtlely sweet flavour. Ying Ming Yunnan is a nice
affordable one with Golden Heaven or Golden Monkey being your more high
end ones. Most good tea vendor's will carry a variety of Yunnan's. As
was suggested, you can never go wrong with a nice second flush
Darjeeling. An Assam is a nice choice for a more full flavoured estate
tea aswell. I personally really like a good Earl Grey and a good
Vanilla Chai when I'm at work, mostly because it's pretty much
impossible to mess them up.

You may consider a white tea for sipping at home. White Peony is a
nice affordable one, and anything with the words "silver needle" in it
is a good high end choice.

Just my opinion,

Robert Hanson
http://www.hansontea.com

Robert wrote:
> with regards to some nice full flavoured black teas I'd like to suggest
> a couple of chinese blacks. I personally really like Yunnan's for
> their full bodied subtlely sweet flavour. Ying Ming Yunnan is a nice
> affordable one with Golden Heaven or Golden Monkey being your more high
> end ones. Most good tea vendor's will carry a variety of Yunnan's. As
> was suggested, you can never go wrong with a nice second flush
> Darjeeling. An Assam is a nice choice for a more full flavoured estate
> tea aswell. I personally really like a good Earl Grey ...
.... schnipp

A man after my own heart. For those high end cravings let the second DJ
be a muscatel.

Karsten / Darjeeling

wrote:
> A man after my own heart. For those high end cravings let the second DJ
> be a muscatel.

Yunnan and a second flush DJ are on my list, Karsten since I know you
are as close as humanly possible to this subject matter... what are
some particular estates I should be looking for?

- Dominic

Dominic,
for high end 2nd muscatels Castleton would be my number one choice -
how bold. I found them to be the most consistent over the years and the
2005s I had the pleasure to sample were nothing short of terrific.
Second choices would be the Margarets Hope Ian already mentioned
(sampled 2 different invoices last year - not bad at all and a bit
cheaper). Another real nice Musc I had the pleasure to drink (and to
stock up on) was last years Soureni, comparatively cheap (1/4 of the
Castleton) but my personal best value among 2005s DJs.
I'm personally also partial to Autumnals (more so than to FFs), the
Makhaibari Vintage I rambled about in another thread was my personal
favorite DJ of 2005, and then there have been some nice (semi-)Oolongs
(Gopaldhara !) and small batches of some private bio-organic projects,
yadda yadda ...
However, I guess the first non-DJ after my return in 2 weeks will be a
tippy Yunnan, yeeessss ...

PS: Just two hrs ago I got another sample of a 2006 DJ FF. My friend
Mr.R didn't tell me the estate, as always he'll name it only after I
told him my impressions. So it's back to the hotel for another one of
those guessing games.
More FF (Sungma, Rohini ?, Puttabong) coming in tomorrow, I'll report
back.

Karsten / Darjeeling

wrote:
> Dominic,
> for high end 2nd muscatels Castleton would be my number one choice -
> how bold. I found them to be the most consistent over the years and the
> 2005s I had the pleasure to sample were nothing short of terrific.
> Second choices would be the Margarets Hope Ian already mentioned
> (sampled 2 different invoices last year - not bad at all and a bit
> cheaper). Another real nice Musc I had the pleasure to drink (and to
> stock up on) was last years Soureni, comparatively cheap (1/4 of the
> Castleton) but my personal best value among 2005s DJs.
> I'm personally also partial to Autumnals (more so than to FFs), the
> Makhaibari Vintage I rambled about in another thread was my personal
> favorite DJ of 2005, and then there have been some nice (semi-)Oolongs
> (Gopaldhara !) and small batches of some private bio-organic projects,
> yadda yadda ...
> However, I guess the first non-DJ after my return in 2 weeks will be a
> tippy Yunnan, yeeessss ...

Great! Thanks, I'm not a big FF person, not just in tea but I'm never
one to go for something just because it is the first. Second flush was
mainly what I was looking for, but I knew 2005 wasn't the best year and
I actually had stayed away totally because I didn't have any insight as
to what was actually worthwhile. Castleton was at the top of my own
list, so with you seconding that, I think I'll start there. I had
already put the Margaret's Hope down too from Ian's suggestion, so that
is a sure thing too. I will have to find the Soureni you mentioned, I'm
unfamiliar with that one.

I guess the more I think about it, I am mainly just burnt out on green
teas and oolongs. So, I've adjusted and Yunnan, DJ, Pu-Erh, and a few
random greens are on my shopping list this time.

- Dominic
Drinking: Bond Street Blend English Breakfast


> PS: Just two hrs ago I got another sample of a 2006 DJ FF. My friend
> Mr.R didn't tell me the estate, as always he'll name it only after I
> told him my impressions. So it's back to the hotel for another one of
> those guessing games.
> More FF (Sungma, Rohini ?, Puttabong) coming in tomorrow, I'll report
> back.
>
> Karsten / Darjeeling

Dominic 3/6/06


>
> Michael Plant wrote:
>> Dominic, one approach that might help is to buy teas in season. Even lesser
>> green teas, plucked at the right time and provided to you fresh, will be
>> better than their counterparts off season. Then, later, Darjeelings. Taiwan
>> Oolongs have two seasons: spring and winter. I buy relatively small
>> quantities and try to follow the teas around the calendar, although I often
>> jump the gun admittedly.
>>
>> My favorites are Bao Zhong, Bai Hou, and....heck, they're all my favorates
>> when I'm drinking them.
>
> I do also buy tea in season, but this post was mainly for a good couple
> daily teas to drink at work. I have a whole different set of teas that
> I drink at home when I can properly brew and enjoy them... but at work
> I just want a small variety of quality teas to enjoy depending on my
> mood and tastes that day. I try to keep one green, oolong, black, and
> one or two random ones.

In that case, let me wholeheartedly second Ian's Keemun suggestion. Keemun
improves with age -- we're not talking decades here -- and will therefore
stand up beautifully in your office. WuYi Oolongs are also said to benefit
from some months of aging and are therefore good office candidates, but only
the more highly roasted, not the greener varieties. I drank an exquisite
first flush Darjeeling Oolong yesterday. Modern Darjes are greener, so keep
them well packed and sealed. My office pack is oft' visited. I've got lots
of Yunnan red teas of various qualities here too for when the mood strikes,
like for example now.
Michael

Dominic T. wrote:
>Black tea has been the one area
> where I never seem to find a good one unless it is flavored or blended
> with another.

Hi Dominic
personal experience taught me that if you like full-flavored black you
won't necessarily like full-flavored greens and vice versa. Still, if
you like bold flavors, I'd go for Yunnan, Keemun or Assam. A Darjeeling
is always a good way into blacks--try Castleton. Another idea would be
to buy several sample sizes instead and have something different every
day until you find a tea you really like. A number of online shops do
sample sizes at very very reasonable prices.
Hope this helps
Carla
www.chennung.com

wrote:
> Hi Dominic
> personal experience taught me that if you like full-flavored black you
> won't necessarily like full-flavored greens and vice versa. Still, if
> you like bold flavors, I'd go for Yunnan, Keemun or Assam. A Darjeeling
> is always a good way into blacks--try Castleton. Another idea would be
> to buy several sample sizes instead and have something different every
> day until you find a tea you really like. A number of online shops do
> sample sizes at very very reasonable prices.
> Hope this helps
> Carla
> www.chennung.com

I really just never find the "right" black tea. I have tea from of all
places AVON (yeah the cosmetic company) it is simply called Black and
White. It is a blend of mostly black tea with some white mixed in. It
is without a doubt the best black tea I have ever had... however there
are absolutely no names or markings on the foil pouch. It has driven me
nuts for years to try to find that particular black tea... and no luck
so far. It was part of a "Feng Shui Tea Set" that came with two yin and
Yang teacups, a teaball, and the small pouch of tea.

I've tried a few Keemun's and none have done it for me. Same with
Assam. I don't add milk or sugar to my teas so the tea has to stand on
its own merits. I will be trying some Yunnans as well as Castleton
estate DJ as has been suggested a couple of times now. Other than that
I have some Pu-Erh, and that's about all on my list so far for my new
purchases.

- Dominic