How many times do you revisit a type of tea/flavor/brand before moving on?

Once? There are so many teas I like that if I find one I don’t, I don’t try it too many times. If I’m exploring a whole genre of tea like green or white, I’ll try it a few more times, usually different brands or different flavors if they sound different enough from what I’ve tried before or if someone whose taste I respect recommends them, but even then I tend to go back to what I know I like pretty quickly if I’m not enjoying the new tea.

I never give up, apparently. Despite the fact that I have yet to love green tea, white tea green oolongs or matcha, I still try them every once in a while. Admittedly I don’t try them frequently, but every once in a while..

EDIT: If it is a specific tea, I will try it again unless it was tremendously horrible. Mostly because I can’t afford to swap it away and I hate throwing out perfectly good things. Most of the time I try to pawn the yucky ones off on my fiancee.

Usually once, unless I’ve seen notes where people have had a much better out come on the same tea than I have. Then I give it a second try.

A brand/company themselves, well I haven’t given up on one yet.

i find 2 cups gives me a good chance to figure out if i actually like it or not. there HAVE been a handful of teas that only needed (less than) 1 cup! (anything with liquorice or rose as the predominant taste. yuck!)

Probably too many when I think about my experience with Republic of Tea: tried 3 and was about to give up on them forever and then I tried that green bush plantation blend and loved it. So maybe it’s not such a bad thing to keep an open mind with companies that have let you down. But I’m a lot more cautious about buying before trying now!

Right- I am mostly thinking of individual teas, or in the case of companies, if more then 3-5 types have “failed”…though I have usually tried at least 2 styles of tea from any one company before even considering walking away entirely.

I understand the limited Budget issue, It was one of the reasons I posted this question, as I am pondering how to further my refocusing on tea.

You have similar tastes as I do…interesting. I’ve come to the fact that I do not like black teas, dessert teas, red rooibos, hibiscus, licorice, amongst other things. So, what i usually do is just stay away from them. I’ve tried enough over the years to know that I do not like them and probably never will. I don’t really thing of myself as missing out much considering that there’s soooo many other teas out there to try.

When I try a new flavored tea I usually will only try it if it has some a few elements in it that I really enjoy (mint, jasmine) or from a vendor that I know I really enjoy. I typically give up on a tea company after about three tries (this is picking the three that I really want to try, ones I think I will like the most). If I didn’t like their teas, I see no reason to keep trying from them. There’s too many teas and too many tea vendors out there to waste time and money on if you didn’t like their teas or their business. Same with teas you know you don’t care for (blacks, desserts, etc).

Once in a while my curiosity gets the better of me and I have to try something that I don’t like, and I’m only confirmed by the fact that I don’t like that certain type of tea or vendor.

I don’t think there has ever been a particular type of tea I flat out didn’t like and gave up on. I do have problems with straight greens, a lot of them have a steamed veggie taste I’m not fond of (or, god forbid, mushroom!). But I keep on persevering—even a cup of tea I don’t like adds to my palette and tea knowledge. I’ve also found that I do like most types of tea, except for rooibos which often makes me nauseous. Yet I still try out rooibos blends if I get them as a sample, part of it is the fact that I absolutely hate to waste.

I have thought of giving up on a certain type or flavor of tea, but every once in a while I come upon something great that I might not have tried. Like Della Terra’s Blueberry Creme—never would have tried it if I swore off rooibos, so even if I dislike 8 out of 10 blends with it, there’s always a gem hidden somewhere! Even the one flavor I absolutely abhor, banana, I will try if I get a sample with it.

I usually try individual teas at least twice- unless it was really, really terrible.

I got a free sample of “Christmas Cookie” tea from Teasource and it was the worst tea I had ever tasted, it was like drinking perfume, I couldn’t even finish the first cup. That is one of the rare times where I won’t give a tea a second chance. Christmas Cookie might be a substitute for coal in some naughty person’s stocking.

If i don’t like a tea the first time I’ll try it at least once more, probably 3 times. I’ll check how other people who like it prepare it, adjust water temps, steep time, sugar, etc. And also wait a couple days before trying it again. I tried Prince of Wales tea a few days ago and didn’t like it at all but I’d been under the weather and that can effect taste. I’ll give it another try in a few days and hopefully will like it better.

I won’t write off any brand just because I didn’t like one or more of their teas, especially if they have a good variety. I usually like Bigelow and Twining but they have a few teas that I don’t like. However if a brand is really terrible every time I try it I’ll be reluctant to try it again.

I have to admit, I have given up an adagio. I’ve tried a few and haven’t like a single one.