So being British my Mum passed on a love of hot tea and recently I've been thinking about trying different blends/brands.

With all the coffee houses you would think that there would be wider access to good tea but it appears, at least in Florida, that there is none to be had save for online.

Anybody have a breakfast or mild blend that they recommend?

Cheers!

Like every imaginable topic, SF has an expert for that.

I'm not expert so I'll be watching this thread. My tastes wander a bit. These days, I'm drinking the Japanese style hojicha tea in the mornings - it's based on tea leaves (just like green tea) but is more roasted / fermented (again, not an expert).

But it's mild and earthy and fits my mornings these days. It's soothing....

Long time Darjeeling fan. Prefer the second blush to first. You may favor first blush as it is milder.

Quite a few reputable sources to choose from. Upton is a solid choice: https://www.uptontea.com/

The Republic of Tea is my go to tea source.

https://www.republicoftea.com/

PG Tips

Accept no substitutes

To limit caffeine intake, herbal tea.
Roobios, African Sunrise.
The African Sunrise has a peppery tang which to me is appealing.

I manage to get by with plain old Lipton black tea.

I really like Typhoo for black tea, Republic of Tea Cardamon Cinnamon herb tea, and the occasional mint tea or chamomile herb teas.

You need to brew it properly, with a kettle to heat the water and a teapot for brewing/steeping.

Tetley man here.

I like oolong. My wife’s mom gets us stuff from Chinatown in Houston, so I can’t really help with a source. I find oolong to have a fairly classic tea flavor without too much bitterness. I tend to stay away from the more exotic or flavored stuff, but if you enjoy that I’ve heard David’s Tea is a good website for very aromatic blends with more than just tea leaves in them.

- Bret

After 3pm, it's herbal for me. Apricot tea with honey at the moment.

A Twinings "Black Tea Variety Box" with four types of black tea will be helpful. You'd find out if you have a "taste" for tea. English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Lady Grey, Irish Breakfast. Maybe a decade ago they'd all taste the same but recently I enjoyed a box and can tell the difference.

It is important to time the steep. Rarely do I steep a black more than 3 minutes. Often I'm in the two-minute camp.

quote:

Originally posted by GaryBF:
I manage to get by with plain old Lipton black tea.

That’s what most folks drank when I worked in London and my preference for tea here as well.
The one thing I do is keep the box in a ziplock bag. It seems to stay fresher/stronger that way.

quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:
PG Tips

Accept no substitutes

drinking that now,,

excellent tea,


also like Yorkshire tea,,


I usually rotate between Yorkshire, PG, Barry's (gold and irish breakfast),

in a pinch I go with Twinning,


bigelow is ok,, if it is the only one available,



and just a bit of honey,

I've always been partial to an Irish Breakfast Tea.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GA95AV4
But when I just want a hot cuppa in a hurry, a bag of Lipton is pretty decent.

Not a lot, but during the winter, I’ll drink a bit more. Tazo Green Ginger for the last couple years.

Absolutely.

My go to morning mix is a half and half of Lhapsang Souchong and a high quality sweeter variety of green tea. The water temp I use is lower so as not to over do the green, and that also moderates the smokiness of the Lhapsang.

I learned about this combo on a trip to Charleston as it was a favorite in colonial America.

Along those lines, I highly recommend Oliver Pluff & Co as a source for some high quality brews.

quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:
PG Tips

Accept no substitutes

This … in spades.

Lived in London for 4 years. This was our go to tea. With a nice chocolate McVite's on the side.

Andrew

I've always liked Twinings. I usually get the variety box but Lady Grey is probably my favorite.

I order a lot of my tea direct from Kyoto Japan. Actually cheaper and better that way.

I prefer Twinnings, for breakfast tea. I prefer Celestial Seasonings for herbal.

I make mine a little different than most. I put a little sugar free creamer (hazelnut/Sweet cream or French Vanilla).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXQ1yzlEGRw