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Post by Critical on Sept 6, 2020 7:08:39 GMT
This may be a thread just for me and momrek06, but we have so many coffee lovers on this site that I figured we had to have some tea lovers too!
As I always tell people about my tea habit, I don't drink, smoke, do drugs or eat foods that are bad for me. Tea is my only vice. When I told my neighbor that she said, "It's not a vice, it's self-care."
A friend of mine who cat sits for me occasionally once said, "You have too much tea." Um, that's not a thing. She also said I have too many books. Same response. I DO have a lot of tea (and books), but it's not too much. I have very broad tastes and I drink at least a cup or two (or five or six) every day. I only stay away from flowery teas with things like camomille and hibiscus (is it potpourri or tea?). Otherwise, I'm open! Lately, because money has been very tight, thanks to Covid, my spending is way down, but of the last 3 online orders I placed, two were for tea.
Anyone else have a tea habit? What are your favorites?
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Post by momrek06 on Sept 6, 2020 14:42:50 GMT
YES YES YES DEFINITELY Critical !!! US TEA DRINKERS need our OWN thread for sure!!! Yup TEA is my only VICE!!! I will say as I have gotten older I will only drink caffeinated TEAS in the a.m. and switch to DEcaf by 3:00pm (I need to get my beauty sleep in) too much CAF keeps me awake at night. My FAV is that British Tea "P&G TIPS". Loaded with CAF but it gives me that PUNCH to start my day. I also will try flavored teas but not a huge fan of them. I like the basic BLACK TEA. I also drink my tea BLACK, nothing in it. AND it has to be broiling hot. Oh and as far as coffee vs tea drinkers.......I have a huge family and I am a total MINORITY. No one in my family likes TEA except ME.
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Post by Critical on Sept 8, 2020 7:45:30 GMT
You're much more of a purist than I am. I drink ALL kinds of tea - black, green, white, red, flavored, herbal, you name it. I even have some yellow tea and a packet of purple tea too! I'm not a fan of super flowery teas with things like camomille or hibiscus (it is potpourri or is it tea?), but I've found I like safflower and even rose in the right amount.
I'm prone to heartburn and acid reflux and have to watch my caffeine. I start my day with either Twinings English Breakfast (if Twinings is good enough for Queen Elizabeth, it's good enough for me! ) or Republic of Tea's Get Burning, which is a green rooibos with chili pepper and cinnamon. I almost always finish my day with a cuppa too. Sometimes it's just Typhoo black decaf (I converted to Typhoo from PG Tips years ago), but sometimes it's one of my flavored teas. Right now I'm having a black tea with chocolate and vanilla that I got from a little tea shop in my city.
I usually drink mine with one sugar and a splash of creamer (usually coconut or almond) OR with a bit of honey, depending on the tea.
I used to stick to just a few flavors, but as I tried more and more, I liked more and more! My friends know to bring me back tea when they travel abroad. My favorite of those teas came from a friend who came home from her trip to Morocco with a bag of authentic Moroccan mint tea. It is excellent! I've always been a very adventurous eater, so I guess that expanded to include teas as well. I'm always finding a new favorite!
This is about a quarter of my tea stash. It also fills a whole metal breadbox, most of a narrow kitchen cabinet and another shelf in another cabinet. The whole bottom shelf is August Tea (https://august.la/), which has really expanded my tastes.
Since you stick with black teas, have you tried the Fortnum and Mason blends? They have some excellent black tea blends (they're in the square green canisters on the middle shelf in the pic). I think they sell them other places, but I buy mine at Williams Sonoma. The saleslady and I had a good laugh over the label - "Ingredients: tea.: Alrighty then!
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Post by momrek06 on Sept 8, 2020 16:25:12 GMT
Critical lol at the very LAST sentence in your post!!! WOW, that is one very IMPRESSIVE tea stash!!! Yes, I am a really BORING tea drinker ..... as not only do I love BLACK teas, the tea bag can only be in the water for basically one minute. I love it WEAK. Whenever I order tea out, I always ask for "teabag on the side". My MOM is truly a coffee drinker but she always always has so many fancy teas in her home for guests. I experience with all her flavored teas like she even has "blueberry" because her summer home is in MAINE and that is their state fruit. For me, blueberry tea is just ok, in moderation, sure. Not something I would have on a regular basis AT ALL. One of my biggest pet peeves for us TEA DRINKERS ... did you ever go to a Hotel Lobby (even upscale lovely hotels) or to a conference or any place, Salon, Spa, that would offer you a free cup of coffee or tea. Those setting up these stations DEFINITELY cater to the coffee drinkers. Because so often, the carafe with the hot water is DISGUSTING. You can tell that they definitely had used this carafe prior for coffee. Many times I have made myself (what I thought was a lovely cup of tea with an interesting blend of tea) ONLY to have it taste absolutely GROSS. Geez. Why? I have actually complained in different hotels I have stayed at and requested my OWN CLEAN CARAFE with boiling water.
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Post by waywyrd on Sept 8, 2020 18:08:11 GMT
Hey, now - no need to be either or, I like both coffee AND tea. Coffee in them morning, iced tea all day in summer, hot tea in the evenings. I use a little creamer in black teas with a bit of sugar but prefer just honey in green teas. For some reason that tastes better to me. *shrug* I usually get mine from Stash Tea, but some of those black teas on that August site look REALLY good. I might have to make an order...Passage and Leatherbound sound delicious. Irish Breakfast, Chai Spice, Dragonwell Green and Monkey King Jasmine are what I've been drinking the most of lately.
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Post by springmaiden27 on Sept 9, 2020 10:23:09 GMT
I love tea! I have several flavors, and enjoy making a small pot, and drinking the cups to relax. I’m a big fan of Bewley’s tea. I’ll usually drink my tea black, but when I do sweeten I do so with either cactus honey or gallberry honey. My friends and family know they can always buy me some tea, and I’ll be happy 😊
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Post by justCoz on Sept 9, 2020 13:48:19 GMT
Oh no, stumbled one this thread this morning when I don't have time for a real reply, must come back later! Only a tea drinker, not coffee. Like Karen, caffeinated in the morning, switching to decaf after 2pm. If I drink caffeine after 2pm I'll be awake until 2am. More later about what I drink and favorite flavors.
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Post by Critical on Sept 10, 2020 1:35:43 GMT
Hey, now - no need to be either or, I like both coffee AND tea. Coffee in them morning, iced tea all day in summer, hot tea in the evenings. I use a little creamer in black teas with a bit of sugar but prefer just honey in green teas. For some reason that tastes better to me. *shrug* I usually get mine from Stash Tea, but some of those black teas on that August site look REALLY good. I might have to make an order...Passage and Leatherbound sound delicious. Irish Breakfast, Chai Spice, Dragonwell Green and Monkey King Jasmine are what I've been drinking the most of lately. I'm the same way with "additives": sugar and creamer in black, honey in green (and usually white). I did get a few different black teas that had granulated honey in them and that was an adjustment!
Oh, there are SO many great teas from August! My two favorites are Big Easy and Painted Desert. My cousin loves Psychocandy and Dots & Loops. They used to release a new line of teas each season and when they sold out, that was it. Then they sent out a survey to their regular customers a few years ago asking which teas they'd want to be available permanently. Although my two favorites aren't in the top ten, they did make the cut. They used to sell a sampler of each season's teas, either on their own or with a tea spoon (best one I've ever used) and a tea infuser (also the best one I've ever used). Now they sell a top ten sampler and, I think, a sampler of ALL of their teas. Their stuff definitely isn't middle of the road and you'll never find them selling an English Breakfast, but I love finding new flavors that I love! A few years ago, they sold a yellow tea that, I swear, smells and tastes like peanuts! NO flavoring added. I had to try it. It isn't my favorite, but I like it a lot.
My other favorite site for teas is Adagio (https://www.adagio.com/). They have a huge selection and really good prices. IIRC, if you sign up for their emails, you get a $5 off code for your first order. Thye coolest thing they have is the option to create your own tea blend. AND they have a huge selection of "fandom" blends from customers who create tea blends themed to books, TV shows, movies, etc. Several of my favorite teas are from a Hamilton fandom sampler and another is from an American Gods fandom sampler. There are some very talented tea mixers out there!
I LOOOVE their Masala Chai and my next splurge will be their Colonial Tea Trio, which has two (maybe three) of the teas that made up the bulk of what was tossed into Boston Harbor.
For a few years, I subscribed to a monthly book and tea box. You'd get a new hardcover and a tea that was curated to go with it. I discovered so many new authors AND new tea companies that way. I was so sad when they went out of business.
My cousin is a teaholic too, although she just discovered about a year ago that there's something in black tea that messes with her system. She can't even have decaf. I can't imagine. Literally every birthday and Christmas, we buy each other tea. She's sent some great samplers from companies I've never heard of.....and now want to spend a ton of money with!
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Post by Critical on Sept 10, 2020 1:47:51 GMT
Critical lol at the very LAST sentence in your post!!! WOW, that is one very IMPRESSIVE tea stash!!! Yes, I am a really BORING tea drinker ..... as not only do I love BLACK teas, the tea bag can only be in the water for basically one minute. I love it WEAK. Whenever I order tea out, I always ask for "teabag on the side". My MOM is truly a coffee drinker but she always always has so many fancy teas in her home for guests. I experience with all her flavored teas like she even has "blueberry" because her summer home is in MAINE and that is their state fruit. For me, blueberry tea is just ok, in moderation, sure. Not something I would have on a regular basis AT ALL. One of my biggest pet peeves for us TEA DRINKERS ... did you ever go to a Hotel Lobby (even upscale lovely hotels) or to a conference or any place, Salon, Spa, that would offer you a free cup of coffee or tea.Those setting up these stations DEFINITELY cater to the coffee drinkers. Because so often, the carafe with the hot water is DISGUSTING. You can tell that they definitely had used this carafe prior for coffee. Many times I have made myself (what I thought was a lovely cup of tea with an interesting blend of tea) ONLY to have it taste absolutely GROSS. Geez. Why? I have actually complained in different hotels I have stayed at and requested my OWN CLEAN CARAFE with boiling water. Pretty much every art and craft show I do offers free coffee to vendors and maybe two of them offer free tea. It's so annoying. I don't drink coffee and I don't eat donuts, so I have no options. I figured out LONG ago that I needed to bring my own. I'm never without my insulated travel mug. When I travel, I have my little electric kettle, a bunch of tea and bottled water (and sugar, and creamer....).
When I worked at the museum and facilitated the book club, we bought our own carafe for hot water. We used the museum's carafes to brew coffee, but those of us who were tea drinkers refused to use coffee water out of those gross carafes. It doesn't matter how well you wash them, they'll always taste like coffee. It's why I always bring an electric kettle with me. I'm NOT running water through a coffee maker to brew my tea!
I'm not a fan or blueberry anything except actual blueberries. I've never had a tea with strawberry that I liked either. A friend of mine was in love with this strawberry tea, so I tried it. UGH. Not only bad, but very artificial tasting.
I'm lucky that, under non-pandemic circumstances, the tea shop in my city will actually brew you up any type of tea if you'd like to try it OR just give you a little pack of it. I usually end up buying a giant bag of it!
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Post by nennie on Sept 10, 2020 13:56:29 GMT
I love tea just cold with lots of ice, sugar and lemon. I can drink it hot but not my favorite.
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Post by Critical on Oct 10, 2020 9:47:51 GMT
I was SO close to ordering this mug for myself for my b-day and then I got to the shipping costs - $8.50? I just can't do $30 (I had a coupon that brought the item cost down) for a mug. Maybe at Christmas, I can buy some tea AND the mug and get free shipping.
Instead, I bought some tea from The Tea Spot. I got Bolder Breakfast, which is black and pu'erh teas with chocolate, and then Blood Orange Smoothie, a rooibos with orange and vanilla (and some other good stuff). My cousin and I pretty much always buy tea for each other for birthdays and Christmas and generally get sample packs from companies that are new to us OR from companies we love. She got me a sampler from The Tea Spot last Christmas and those were my two favorites. Fun little b-day splurge!
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Post by momrek06 on Oct 10, 2020 15:19:25 GMT
I was SO close to ordering this mug for myself for my b-day and then I got to the shipping costs - $8.50? I just can't do $30 (I had a coupon that brought the item cost down) for a mug. Maybe at Christmas, I can buy some tea AND the mug and get free shipping.
Instead, I bought some tea from The Tea Spot. I got Bolder Breakfast, which is black and pu'erh teas with chocolate, and then Blood Orange Smoothie, a rooibos with orange and vanilla (and some other good stuff). My cousin and I pretty much always buy tea for each other for birthdays and Christmas and generally get sample packs from companies that are new to us OR from companies we love. She got me a sampler from The Tea Spot last Christmas and those were my two favorites. Fun little b-day splurge! ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE MUG!!! I LOVE IT, Critical!!! BUT damn that shipping price for one mug is cray cray. Better plan to wait and get more items along with the mug and no ship fees. I love how you and your cousin love to try all different TEAS!!! I need to EXPAND MY BASE!!! I am a BORE when it comes to trying anything other than BLACK teas. As I sit here with my morning 'P&G TIPS' cup of tea!!! What a great IDEA for a Christmas Exchange!!! Geez, my best GF is a teaholic like us, I should do that with her. FUN FUN FUN!
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Post by Critical on Oct 12, 2020 8:11:48 GMT
The Tea Snob mug is totally appropriate for me. I am one and totally own it. My motto is, "Friends don't let friends drink Lipton." When I started drinking tea MANY years ago -and I only really started drinking tea at all because my BFF did - I literally ONLY drank this flavored tea Lipton made. IIRC, it was blackberry-flavored black tea. They don't even make it any more. I think I also drank a raspberry one. With honey. That's it. Over the years, I just tried new teas and my tastes expanded. I'm a pretty adventurous eater, so I'll try anything. I generally don't like super flowery teas, but that's about it. As with most foods (unless they're just awful), I always give a new tea at least two tries. Sometimes it'll grow on me. I was SURE I didn't like ANYTHING floral in my tea, but then I tried one with mallow flower and a few others and actually liked it. Even one with rose buds - another I was sure I'd hate - ended up winning me over. I just don't expect it to taste like anything other than what it is. This Blood Orange Smoothie that I ordered (and am drinking a cup of right now) obviously doesn't taste like English Breakfast, but it's lovely. I spoke too soon about my cousin and our birthday exchange! This year, she sent me a teapot. Alas, although it's cute, it's also light blue (my kitchen is red, black and white) and I already have two teapots. At least Amazon makes it easy to do free returns, so maybe I'll use the money to buy a tea sampler!
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Post by Critical on Oct 14, 2020 22:47:19 GMT
Heads up! Whole Foods has all packaged teas on sale 35% off until (I think) 10/20. GREAT deals, especially on brands like Republic of Tea and Mighty Leaf, which are a little pricier. I'm for sure going to stock up on the various Yogi teas I drink for health - Ginger, Throat Care and Bedtime. momrek06 - they've got PG Tips!
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Post by momrek06 on Oct 15, 2020 0:33:14 GMT
Heads up! Whole Foods has all packaged teas on sale 35% off until (I think) 10/20. GREAT deals, especially on brands like Republic of Tea and Mighty Leaf, which are a little pricier. I'm for sure going to stock up on the various Yogi teas I drink for health - Ginger, Throat Care and Bedtime. momrek06 - they've got PG Tips! YOU ARE AWESOME!!! THANKS Critical!!! This gives me the opportunity to go and experience with MANY different TEAS!!! WOOT WOOT!!! On those YOGI teas, do you find they work? I have seen them at WF and SPROUTS and MOTHER'S and often wonder if people are happy with the results. I want to try the BEDTIME one!!! But I love the idea of Throat care as well!!!
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Post by Critical on Oct 15, 2020 4:43:01 GMT
Heads up! Whole Foods has all packaged teas on sale 35% off until (I think) 10/20. GREAT deals, especially on brands like Republic of Tea and Mighty Leaf, which are a little pricier. I'm for sure going to stock up on the various Yogi teas I drink for health - Ginger, Throat Care and Bedtime. momrek06 - they've got PG Tips! YOU ARE AWESOME!!! THANKS Critical !!! This gives me the opportunity to go and experience with MANY different TEAS!!! WOOT WOOT!!! On those YOGI teas, do you find they work? I have seen them at WF and SPROUTS and MOTHER'S and often wonder if people are happy with the results. I want to try the BEDTIME one!!! But I love the idea of Throat care as well!!! I mean, your results may vary, but I think they do. I like Yogi's Throat Comfort and Throat Coat from Traditional Medicinals - they taste very similar and are close in price too. I tend to get "coughy" at times and that tea really helps. Stops the coughing and, if my throat is sore, it really helps. Plus, I like the flavor.
I use the bedtime tea when I'm really battling insomnia or just really need to wind down. I think it works. Same with the ginger tea. I'm prone to heartburn and acid problems and ginger is good for that. I also have several ginger turmeric teas that I like.
I drink all of these herbals with a little honey.
The 35% off is especially good with the higher priced teas. I'm going to grab a canister or two of Republic of Tea's British Breakfast. They had a sale like this last year and I totally stocked up on my favorites and tried a few new ones.
This is the other tea I bought for myself for my birthday: Davidson's Cherry Vanilla Tea Really nice with a little sugar and creamer. Like dessert, but not so many calories
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Post by momrek06 on Oct 15, 2020 15:47:31 GMT
YOU ARE AWESOME!!! THANKS Critical !!! This gives me the opportunity to go and experience with MANY different TEAS!!! WOOT WOOT!!! On those YOGI teas, do you find they work? I have seen them at WF and SPROUTS and MOTHER'S and often wonder if people are happy with the results. I want to try the BEDTIME one!!! But I love the idea of Throat care as well!!! I mean, your results may vary, but I think they do. I like Yogi's Throat Comfort and Throat Coat from Traditional Medicinals - they taste very similar and are close in price too. I tend to get "coughy" at times and that tea really helps. Stops the coughing and, if my throat is sore, it really helps. Plus, I like the flavor.
I use the bedtime tea when I'm really battling insomnia or just really need to wind down. I think it works. Same with the ginger tea. I'm prone to heartburn and acid problems and ginger is good for that. I also have several ginger turmeric teas that I like.
I drink all of these herbals with a little honey.
The 35% off is especially good with the higher priced teas. I'm going to grab a canister or two of Republic of Tea's British Breakfast. They had a sale like this last year and I totally stocked up on my favorites and tried a few new ones.
This is the other tea I bought for myself for my birthday: Davidson's Cherry Vanilla Tea Really nice with a little sugar and creamer. Like dessert, but not so many calories Wow Critical ... did you see the reviews for the Cherry Vanilla Tea....everyone LOVES it!! I am getting it for sure!! For me, for my GF and for my Mom!! The beginnings of me reaching beyond my base!!! Do you know if WF has the Davidson line of teas? If they don't I will get it on Amazon!! The Republic of Tea's British Breakfast ...... YUMMY ....... it tea sounds similar to P&G ...... and that canister is so attractive!!! Yes on the Yogi's I am going to give them a try!!
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Post by Critical on Oct 16, 2020 1:13:01 GMT
momrek06 - I've never seen Davidson's anywhere but on Amazon. I'd never even heard of the brand until I thought "I wonder if someone makes cherry vanilla tea" and did a search on Amazon. I think it's lovely. I'm wary of fruit flavors because they can sometimes taste really artificial, but this stuff doesn't. It takes and smells more like tart cherries to me, which is good. Don't even get me started on pumpkin spice teas. Blech I still will drink regular old Twining's English Breakfast, but the RoT British Breakfast is a step above. If I can get it on sale, I do. I also like their Get Burning herbal blend (it's a green rooibos with chili and cinnamon) and their black Ginger Peach. I'll try nearly anything they make, although I am glad they send you a sample with their catalog. There have been a few that were definite no-gos! The other thing I avoid is any tea blend with Stevia. I'm one of those people for whom Stevia tastes really bitter - imagine the worst artificial sweetener - like early 80s-era Tab soda. RoT makes a variety of HiCaf teas that I've tried and, while I love the caramel black, the cinnamon toast flavor has Stevia. Nope I almost always give new teas at least a few cups before I decide if I like it, and they usually taste better and better to me. With the cinnamon toast tea, it just got worse and worse!
The nice thing about sales like the one at WF is that you can try a bunch of flavors you might not try at full price. Have fun!
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Post by Critical on Oct 18, 2020 4:06:47 GMT
Well, I went crazy in that Whole Foods sale and bought seven boxes of tea! Mostly herbal/health stuff, but I did try Mighty Leaf's green tropical, which is excellent. Normally, ML teas are just too pricey for me (it's the fabric bag and crocheted string, I think) and even at 35% off $5.19 for 15 teabags is a splurge! Wish it was cheaper 'cause it would make excellent iced tea!
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Post by momrek06 on Oct 19, 2020 23:58:16 GMT
I WENT I WENT but sadly NO DAVIDSON'S...oh well. I will try AMAZON because I definitely want to try it!!! OK I got YOGI GINGER and YOGI BEDTIME. (As I like your reasonings on both). 16 bags and marked down to 3.24 from I believe it said $4.99!!! I ALSO GOT TWO OF THE REPUBLIC'S!!! I got BRITISH and EARL GREYER!!! BIG SAVINGS WITH THESE TEA's because you get 50 BAGS marked down from like $11.00 to $7.34 Can you believe Critical that is roughly 0.15cents a CUP!!!! The YOGI's are actually more per cup and you get such an attractive container with the REPUBLIC's. WHICH for you will be lovely on your TEA STAND!!! GOOD MONDAY MORNING and I tried "BRITISH" and its lovely!!! SEVEN BOXES Critical!!!!!!! But the deal was so good I can see why!!!!!!! Of course hubby and I got tons of groceries as well but it was a successful trip!!! We went Sunday afternoon!!! Ok I have never had MIGHTY LEAF's but see it often.......hmmm.......something I will need to try. Quick question, I saw the TAZO GINGER and it was 20 bags (more than YOGI) and on sale for $2.59 ....... have you tried TAZO's line at all? I do love their AWAKE and EARL GREY and was wondering about their GINGER. I am not sure if we talked about GREEN TEA.......while I do realize it is so good for you........I despise it. OMG I have tried to like. Plain and with flavorings but yuck. My SIS LIVES FOR HER GREEN TEA. Do you like GREEN TEA?
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Post by Critical on Oct 22, 2020 6:30:05 GMT
It's funny you mention Tazo, but Zen is one of my favorites of theirs and it's a green tea. I have a friend who pretty much ONLY drinks Zen. RoT makes a fabulous green blend called Get Lean that has orange and vanilla in it. It's amazing - tastes like a creamsicle. I actually had a few cups last night. Sadly, you can only get a normal amount of teabags of it on their website. Otherwise, it's in one of those stacking tins with two other flavors and you only get maybe 10-15 (I've never checked) bags of each flavor. Every year or two I place a big order with RoT and get the free shipping. I usually try to time it with a freebie of a flavor I like. They regularly give away full-size canisters of various flavors with a purchase of a certain amount - maybe $50 or $100 (not hard!). Last week it was their apple cider tea. TeaSource makes an amazing green tea blend with mandarin orange that I LOVE. It's going to be part of my Christmas present to my cousin this year, since she drinks mainly green tea.
Before my mom had to stop drinking ANY caffeine, she loved RoT's People's Green Tea, but I've never liked it. She gave a bunch of it to my cousin.
I guess for green tea, I prefer it with another flavor and not on its own. My mom, OTOH, loved what she calls "tea that tastes like dirt." Different strokes.
If you're a bargain hunter (and I totally do the math on how price per teabag), RoT has great prices on bags of 250 teabags. If you find a tea you really love, it's a nice little discount. That's how I bought Get Burning from them....until WF started having those great sales!
ETA: I just went to check on buying a larger amount of that cherry vanilla tea and, if you buy it direct from Davidson's and get a pack of 100 unwrapped tea bags, it's only $14. If they're wrapped, it's $25.95! I've been drinking this stuff so fast, I definitely don't need them wrapped! I haven't looked into their shipping costs, but if they're not bad, I think I'll order directly from the company.
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Post by waywyrd on Oct 22, 2020 12:53:40 GMT
I finally made an order from August to check out their teas - I like chai and strong black teas in winter so I got some Passage, Low Country and Cabaret to try. I eventually want to try alll the green teas they have listed, but I have a bunch I need to use up already so those can wait. Now to impatiently wait for my order to get here...
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Post by Critical on Oct 23, 2020 1:07:13 GMT
I finally made an order from August to check out their teas - I like chai and strong black teas in winter so I got some Passage, Low Country and Cabaret to try. I eventually want to try alll the green teas they have listed, but I have a bunch I need to use up already so those can wait. Now to impatiently wait for my order to get here... I hope you like them! The one thing that stands out for me about August is that you can really taste the individual ingredients in the teas. I'd use the adjective "bright" to describe the flavors. They're definitely not like ANY other tea you'll find! That's one of the things I love about them.
If you decide to order some of their green teas, I HIGHLY recommend Big Easy. It's one of my all-time favorites. If you like chocolate, Painted Desert is great too - black tea with chili and chocolate. Also, buy one of their one cup tea infusers! They are awesome. I've bought a lot of different tea balls and infusers, but I keep going back to that one. Same with their tea scoop. It's not fancy or expensive (49¢!), but it's the best one I've used.
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Post by Critical on Oct 31, 2020 7:20:53 GMT
It's that time of year - the Adagio tea advent calendars are available! I blew it last year and didn't order in time, so I'm getting my order in early this year. Advent Calendar
Also, tomorrow ONLY (10/31), their Bella Luna Blue tea is available. They only sell it on days when there's a blue moon. The next day isn't until sometime next August! Not quite as exclusive as the Brigadoon tea, which is only available every four years, on Leap Day!
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Post by momrek06 on Nov 2, 2020 1:10:42 GMT
OMG, TEA-AHOLICS.......I never BOOKMARKED this page and while school is busting me, I basically only pop on and off FoRT for the SOAP threads I am on. 5pm just made a lovely cup of YOGI GINGER.....I have come to LOVING this tea!!! I am so glad Critical you mentioned getting this flavor at WH!!! AND of course after 3pm I have NO caffeine. So this is perfect for something to sip before I start dinner at 6pm. So that INFUSER is the BOMB!!! I have used the ball in the past and have never been overly impressed with the ball for loose tea which I rarely have.......but that one you posted is FABULOUS!! $20.00 and you never need another ball infuser. OH and ADAGIO ...... while the Advent Calendar is awesome I think that 12 days of Christmas is something my GF and my MOM would LOVE LOVE LOVE. Critical, did you remember to order your Advent Calendar? I chuckled at ADAGIO's site as they break down their teas cost PER CUP like I always do when buying tea........its CRAZY when you buy a cup of tea OUT like say at the URTH CAFE or at BODHI TEA where its like $3.75 for a cup of tea and to think if you made a cup at home it's basically PENNIES. !
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Post by Critical on Nov 2, 2020 5:04:20 GMT
OMG, TEA-AHOLICS.......I never BOOKMARKED this page and while school is busting me, I basically only pop on and off FoRT for the SOAP threads I am on. 5pm just made a lovely cup of YOGI GINGER.....I have come to LOVING this tea!!! I am so glad Critical you mentioned getting this flavor at WH!!! AND of course after 3pm I have NO caffeine. So this is perfect for something to sip before I start dinner at 6pm. So that INFUSER is the BOMB!!! I have used the ball in the past and have never been overly impressed with the ball for loose tea which I rarely have.......but that one you posted is FABULOUS!! $20.00 and you never need another ball infuser. OH and ADAGIO ...... while the Advent Calendar is awesome I think that 12 days of Christmas is something my GF and my MOM would LOVE LOVE LOVE. Critical , did you remember to order your Advent Calendar?I chuckled at ADAGIO's site as they break down their teas cost PER CUP like I always do when buying tea........its CRAZY when you buy a cup of tea OUT like say at the URTH CAFE or at BODHI TEA where its like $3.75 for a cup of tea and to think if you made a cup at home it's basically PENNIES. I did! I ordered yesterday with minutes to spare on the Bella Luna Blue tea. Adagio is one of my favorites. I think their prices are great (don't forget to get the $5 coupon on your first order! I think you have to sign up for their emails), the tea is excellent and they have such a great variety. I love the fandom teas - so many great combinations - and I love that you can create your own blend if they don't have what you want.
I was tempted by the 12 Days of XMas too, but could only get one.
I can't see it on their site now, but a few years ago, I got my cousin a tea kit that allowed you to create your own blend. You got a base tea - black or green - and then little bottles of different ingredients. It looked like so much fun!
That infuser is literally the only one I use. I've bought a bunch of them and I always go back to that one. I even bought these little silicone ones that look like teabags that, while being super cute, were a pain in the you-know-what to clean out. Plus, the holes were bigger than the metal infuser, so leaves still got through. I've used the paper tea bags - the ones you fill up and then they sort of seal to the side of the cup with water while the tea is steeping - but I prefer to not use something that then gets thrown out.
The other cool thing about Adagio is that you get points for each purchase that you can use for discounts on future purchases. I got $10 off my order, which is a 3oz (or more) bag of tea. With that discount, it brought my total down to $49, which is the minimum for free shipping!
Glad you're enjoying the ginger tea! I really like it too. Sometimes I just want something hot to drink. The spiciness of the ginger seems to warm me up a little too.
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Post by momrek06 on Nov 2, 2020 16:22:46 GMT
OMG, TEA-AHOLICS.......I never BOOKMARKED this page and while school is busting me, I basically only pop on and off FoRT for the SOAP threads I am on. 5pm just made a lovely cup of YOGI GINGER.....I have come to LOVING this tea!!! I am so glad Critical you mentioned getting this flavor at WH!!! AND of course after 3pm I have NO caffeine. So this is perfect for something to sip before I start dinner at 6pm. So that INFUSER is the BOMB!!! I have used the ball in the past and have never been overly impressed with the ball for loose tea which I rarely have.......but that one you posted is FABULOUS!! $20.00 and you never need another ball infuser. OH and ADAGIO ...... while the Advent Calendar is awesome I think that 12 days of Christmas is something my GF and my MOM would LOVE LOVE LOVE. Critical , did you remember to order your Advent Calendar?I chuckled at ADAGIO's site as they break down their teas cost PER CUP like I always do when buying tea........its CRAZY when you buy a cup of tea OUT like say at the URTH CAFE or at BODHI TEA where its like $3.75 for a cup of tea and to think if you made a cup at home it's basically PENNIES. I did! I ordered yesterday with minutes to spare on the Bella Luna Blue tea. Adagio is one of my favorites. I think their prices are great (don't forget to get the $5 coupon on your first order! I think you have to sign up for their emails), the tea is excellent and they have such a great variety. I love the fandom teas - so many great combinations - and I love that you can create your own blend if they don't have what you want.
I was tempted by the 12 Days of XMas too, but could only get one.
I can't see it on their site now, but a few years ago, I got my cousin a tea kit that allowed you to create your own blend. You got a base tea - black or green - and then little bottles of different ingredients. It looked like so much fun!
That infuser is literally the only one I use. I've bought a bunch of them and I always go back to that one. I even bought these little silicone ones that look like teabags that, while being super cute, were a pain in the you-know-what to clean out. Plus, the holes were bigger than the metal infuser, so leaves still got through. I've used the paper tea bags - the ones you fill up and then they sort of seal to the side of the cup with water while the tea is steeping - but I prefer to not use something that then gets thrown out.
The other cool thing about Adagio is that you get points for each purchase that you can use for discounts on future purchases. I got $10 off my order, which is a 3oz (or more) bag of tea. With that discount, it brought my total down to $49, which is the minimum for free shipping!
Glad you're enjoying the ginger tea! I really like it too. Sometimes I just want something hot to drink. The spiciness of the ginger seems to warm me up a little too.
OK OK OK OK CriticalOMGOSH that website for ADAGIO.........I was on it for an HOUR.........I WANT IT ALL!!!!! And in the middle of shopping the $5.00 coupon POPPED UP and I was able to use it on this current order!!! I bought 3 of the 12 DAYS of CHRISTMAS, I bought the EARL GREY MOONLIGHT 4oz TIN, I bought a box of the 12 singles of EARL GREY, and I bought the PORCELAIN CUP AND INFUSER!!! AWESOME FAB REVIEWS THROUGH THE ENTIRE WEBSITE. I clicked on every thing at the top of the page hence finding the GIFTS ......... so MOM gets the PORCELAIN CUP but I am keeping THE INFUSER. So check out that INFUSER.......the gift set was $19.00 marked down to $14.00 so I decided for that price I will try THAT infuser before I buy the one you told waywyrd about ....go look at it and tell me your thoughts!!! What FUN I had on that site........such a USER FRIENDLY website to get around and I love their little 98, 96, 94 grading on everything!!! FUN FUN FUN!!! THANKS FOR TELLING ME ABOUT THAT SITE!!!
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Post by Critical on Nov 3, 2020 3:58:50 GMT
And in the middle of shopping the $5.00 coupon POPPED UP and I was able to use it on this current order!!! I bought 3 of the 12 DAYS of CHRISTMAS, I bought the EARL GREY MOONLIGHT 4oz TIN, I bought a box of the 12 singles of EARL GREY, and I bought the PORCELAIN CUP AND INFUSER!!! AWESOME FAB REVIEWS THROUGH THE ENTIRE WEBSITE. I clicked on every thing at the top of the page hence finding the GIFTS ......... so MOM gets the PORCELAIN CUP but I am keeping THE INFUSER. So check out that INFUSER.......the gift set was $19.00 marked down to $14.00 so I decided for that price I will try THAT infuser before I buy the one you told waywyrd about ....go look at it and tell me your thoughts!!! What FUN I had on that site........such a USER FRIENDLY website to get around and I love their little 98, 96, 94 grading on everything!!! FUN FUN FUN!!! THANKS FOR TELLING ME ABOUT THAT SITE!!! I love Adagio. I've been shopping there for going on 20 years - since before they moved from tins with a latched lid to resealable bags!
I love Earl Grey Moonlight. It's similar to the Downton Estate Blend that Republic of Tea makes. You get the bergamot, but some smoothness from the cream part.
I ordered on Saturday and my order shipped today via FedEx ground, which means I'll have it within a week. I also got a customer fandom blend of chocolate earl grey called My Dear Watson and some Christmas tea. RoT discontinued their black Downton Christmas tea and replaced it with an herbal that does not have great reviews, so I'm on the hunt for a replacement.
I'll probably order from Adagio again, as soon as their Reindeer Fuel tea is available again. I can't remember all of the ingredients, but it's basically a black tea with chocolate and peppermint. Fabulous and only available for Christmas. THAT'S how they get you - special teas that are only available for a short time. I looked and the Bella Luna Blue is back on August 22, 2021!
The other site that has great tea is Stash. A friend turned me onto their website a few years ago. It is not just the stuff you can get in stores. They have a bunch of different blends and sell loose tea as well, which is my preference. They also have a ton of super cute mugs! Because, you know, why not get another mug
That infuser looks really similar to the August one. Maybe slightly different at the top, but similar. I like that it's study and metal - and not screen that can bend - and it sits in the cup.....and that it's easy to wash and reusable. I HATE throwing things out!
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Post by waywyrd on Nov 3, 2020 14:00:43 GMT
So I got my order from August and made a cup of the Cabaret last night - it is SO GOOD. Like a malted chocolate covered cherry, nice strong flavor but really smooth. I love it. I'll try another flavor tonight...
I switched to one of those full cup infusers, too. I have a ball infuser and one of those cutesy little silicone infusers that looks like a guy hanging in the cup, but it's a pain in the rump to clean. The big infuser is much easier to rinse out and the tea has room to steep.
Stash is a good site, I got all the green teas I'm drinking now from there. Their Holiday Chai and White Christmas teas are excellent, too.
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Post by justCoz on Nov 3, 2020 17:29:56 GMT
My favorite is white tea. I like that it's naturally sweeter. I like that it takes less time to steep. I like that it's processed for the least amount of time over both green and black tea. I love flavored white tea but it's been much more difficult for me to find flavored white teas. Green tea is much more prevalent, but I really don't care for the taste of green tea. Considering they're all made from the same plant I do think it's odd how much I dislike green tea when I love white or black tea. Even though the flavor of tea leaves is better than tea bags, I often make tea first thing in the morning for my caffeine fix. I love tea bags because I don't have a lot of steps before enjoying my tea! I cannot drink most herbal teas because so many of them have rose hips which I'm very allergic to. Last time I had it it felt like my throat was constricting. I prefer not to become more allergic. I also don't really care for other herbal teas I've had, maybe because I actually want my tea to contain tea. I like the flavor of tea. As an aside (a mini rant), I realize it's what everyone including the companies labeling them call them, but any herbal "tea" that doesn't contain tea is technically called a tisane. Tea is a plant, not the process! Tea balls are a pain! We ended up buying fill-your-own tea bags for loose tea. My son-in-law has a couple of infusers, but as I previously mentioned that's generally a whole process I can't be bothered to take the time to make. I do not like cooking and that's getting a little too close to being in the kitchen longer than I want! Since I've been having trouble finding flavored white tea bags I've taken to buying unflavored white tea bags and using flavored syrups. Bentley tea used to be my favorite flavored white tea bags but haven't seen it for a long time. Their black tea is very good too. I've had a couple of good Republic of Tea white tea choices but haven't found a good, reliable, inexpensive way to buy them.
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