What do you look for in an every day tea?

My everyday kind of teas are ones with flavours that I really love and that are easy to appreciate without having to pay a lot of attention. They’re easy to drink and the kind of flavours I’m often in the mood for. Usually they’re the kind of teas that are good brewed western style or are super forgiving and can just be tossed in a pot with hot water and not a lot of attention to brewing parameters.

While I’ve been on a trying new stuff kick for a while and have been neglecting my usual teas, some of my favourite every day teas are Irish Breakfast, Raspberry Honey Black from Metropolitan Tea Co, 2nd Flush Nepal Golden Tips from What-cha, Six Summits Oolong from Teavana, Jessies Tea & The Earl’s Garden from DAVIDs, London Fog from Cornelia Bean, and matcha lattes.

The main special occasion tea that comes to mind is gyokuro. It’s intense and meant to be savoured, and while I love gyokuros, I wouldn’t want to drink them every day. The price point is secondary for me.

My everyday teas have one of 2 things:

1. A flavor profile that is familiar and reminds me of what I drank as a teen (but better quality)

2. A flavor profile that is not too complicated. I save those for the weekends, when I have time to savor. :)

Current favorites:

Canton Breakfast Tea http://www.cantonteaco.com/canton-english-breakfast-tea.html

What-Cha 2nd Flush Fancy Assam http://what-cha.com/black-tea/assam-2nd-flush-2014-stgfop-1-black-tea/

Harney Malachi McCormick Blend https://www.harney.com/malachi-mccormick-s-blend.html

Those are the current rotation for the everyday cuppa that travels well on the commute to work and meets the needs stated above!

In an everyday tea I look for a full-bodied, full-flavored creamy-smooth tea without astringency or bitterness. Something that’s reasonably bold or robust to get one going in the morning. And anything I’m going to drink that frequently should be organic or at least have passed pesticide residue testing. I drink tea for the anti-oxidant health benefits so why would I want added chemical toxins?

An amazing/special occasion tea for me is one that is much more complex and nuanced thus requiring additional time and attention to fully appreciate.

I don’t have a special occasion tea. I tend to drink what I love, and my flavor profile changes with the seasons. Usually I’ll sit down in the afternoon with a tea and take the time to really enjoy it, but other than that I grab what sounds interesting and make a cup.

An everyday tea for me is usually green since that’s my favourite type of tea. It’s got to be a good price or good value when ordering larger amounts. I don’t want to have to cry if I can only get one infusion in for the day and think of the wasted expensive tea leaves. It needs to be tasty but not too complex. I prefer a nice mellow, nutty, sweet green tea for a basic everyday.

love the responses, makes sense