Chizakura said

What are your Can't-Live-WithouTEAS?

Now these are the ones that you cherish every sip, and when you’re running low, you panic and slowly sip through it so you won’t run out before your next order arrives.

Mine’s Premium Taiwanese Assam, and Mi Xian Black from Butiki. Unph they’re good, and I re-steep them til kingdom come to get as many cups out of them as I can! Ha.

One of my past loves was Cream of Earl Grey from Davids. I’d drink around three-four of those a day for quite a while there, but come to think of it that tin’s been sitting full on the shelf for around two months now without me making a single cup. =/

7 Replies
ifjuly said

I’ve rated other teas higher I’m sure in my logs, but this is a matter of which teas I want to have around regularly—some amazing premium teas, say, gave me memorable experiences I doubt I’ll forget anytime soon, but where that one sampling bout was definitely enough to tide me over for a long time as a particular memory as opposed to being something I look to for comfort or whatever repeatedly within the parameters of my day-to-day tea-drinking schedule.

premium blacks I reach for again and again:
-Verdant Laoshan Black
-Golden Moon Sinharaja
-a good muscatel darjeeling and/or Nepalese black…as for specifics, they vary each season

earl greys, one of my favorite categories:
-Upton Imports Lavender Earl Grey (maybe not the finest, but it’s pretty cheap and easy to replenish and was one of the first loose EGs that really clicked with me, so there’s a comfort/nostalgia factor as well)
-Zen Tea Earl Grey Cream (probably the most well balanced EG I’ve tried)
-Della Terra Earl Grey Cream (esp. in winter as the cream is super rich buttery-smooth, perfect for cold dark nights)

favorite specimens in the “just that simple predictable but crave-inducing taste of British breakfast-y black tea blends” category:
-Andrews and Dunham Double Knit Blend
-Harney and Sons Tower of London
-Persimmon Tree Vintage Black

smoky:
-Upton Imports Baker Street Afternoon Blend (balanced, with the unusual pairing of delicate darjeeling qualities with smoke)

flavored blacks:
-Della Terra Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
-Harney and Sons Florence

whites:
-Butiki Cantaloupe and Cream

greens:
-Butiki Holiday Potato Pancakes and Applesauce
-Den’s Tea Pineapple Sencha
-Den’s Tea Organic Genmaicha with Matcha

other:
-Butiki The Killer’s Vanilla Guayusa (haven’t found anything else that induces such an awesome balance of stimulation and relaxation as this…so far matcha just makes me jittery)

no caf:
-New Mexico Provence Rooibos
-Persimmon Tree Rooibos Vanilla Chai (excellent no-caf chai option, something I need ’cause I pretty much only ever want chai right before bed in the winter months)
-American Tea Room Choco-late (in cold months, when you want the rich sweet taste of hot chocolate)
-Della Terra Lemon Chiffon
-Persimmon Tree Mint Chocolate Chip Rooibos

sleep-inducing:
-New Mexico Extra Sleepy Bear (nothing else works better when I want to be completely dead-to-the-world conked out)

sore throat/sickness:
-Stash White Christmas (not just mint, but ginger and white tea too!)

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Toast said

I definitely agree on the Cream of Earl Grey; absolutely tasty. My cupboard however would not be complete without some type of Russian Caravan. Sometimes simplicity = satisfaction.

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Lala said

I cannot live without Earl Grey. Does not have to be any specific brand but has to have bergamot in it! However, my cupboard is never without Twinnings Earl Grey.

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Nicole said

Wild Mountain Taiwanese Black, Zhen Qu or Mi Xian & Flowery Pineapple Oolong from Butiki

Eros from T

Black Pearl from Mountain Tea

Silk Dragon Oolong from Tea Merchant

Jackfruit Black from Mahamosa

Peach Apricot Black & Golden Yunnan from New Mexico Tea

Paris from Harney & Sons

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TeaKlutz said

Black Dragon Pearl by Adagio for the morning. I need black dragon pearl tea (I don’t care what company it’s from) in my LIFE. Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearl by Teavana for the night.

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Della Terra- Lime Chiffon, Pineapple Upside Down Cake (first teas I bought from them, and I drink them nearly everyday.)

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Nitoo6of6 said

This is hard to answer too many choices :)
Ok I always need to have on hand:
1. an earl grey or earl grey cream
2. one strong plain black breakfast tea
3. milk oolong and
4. a medium roast oolong like monkey picked Tieguanyin or wuyi rock tea

Since joining steepster the world of tea has certainly opened up for me. I am really enjoying more different teas but for now this is my absolute must have in my cupboard!

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