tingjunkie Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 (edited) Mate Late is awesome. I get the same exact thing from SpecialTeas.com but it's called MateChino.I recently got into premium loose leaf tea big time. I use a tetsubin (cast iron teapot) too. So far, I have only ordered loose leaf tea from SpecialTeas. My faves are...Temple of Heaven Gunpowder (nice, cheap, non-vegetal green)Extra Fine Sencha (complex, vegetal green)China Dao Ren Mao Feng (smooth everyday green)Peach Blossom White (yummy white)MateChino (chocolatey mate)Rooibos Savannah (rooibos w/cocoa, almond, & rum)Has anyone ordered from Adagio Teas before? http://www.adagio.com/ They look very similar to SpecialTeas, but with more customers (judging by # of reviews), and they package all their teas in free tins. Something I wish ST did. Edited January 14, 2007 by tingjunkie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killersnowman Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 my sister lives in japan and sends me some really good high quality japanese green tea. it is fantastic. the best stuff ive ever had. so yes i enjoy loose leaf tea. and this is a stupid question and should probaly be ignored but has anyone ever packed a bowl with some loose leaf tea? hehehe i dont wanna try it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingjunkie Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 QUOTE (killersnowman @ Jan 14 2007, 12:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>and this is a stupid question and should probaly be ignored but has anyone ever packed a bowl with some loose leaf tea? hehehe i dont wanna try it...I recently started a post about this (sort of)...http://www.hookahforum.com/index.php?showtopic=7675Sounds like a bad idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgs0lid Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 I really have never drank tea before other than IT... sounds good Ill have to get some Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 Nothing makes a better flavor than loose leaf black tea...Twinings is an unimaginative but servicable tea that makes a large number of loose leaf teas. The flavors are tasty and well-balanaced, unlike Tazo (Starbucks) which tends to be topheavy and soapy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeding_Heart1 Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 QUOTE (Sonthert @ Jan 14 2007, 01:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Nothing makes a better flavor than loose leaf black tea...Twinings is an unimaginative but servicable tea that makes a large number of loose leaf teas. The flavors are tasty and well-balanaced, unlike Tazo (Starbucks) which tends to be topheavy and soapy.i work at starbucks and i am a tea conoussiur(sp). Tazo isnt the best but gets the job done for regular people, although the zen tea(green, with lemongrass and spearament) is pretty good. Im going to be writing the company soon to see if they could go a "tea of the month" sort of thing and have a tub of loose tea and cups with infusers! who knows they might do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gib0r Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 I've recently made serious attempt at quitting smoking, and thus haven't been back here in a while. Seeing as I've recently got into tea, I'm happy to see a on going discussion about it and believe I have something to add. It is my opinion that those who have not heard of, or otherwise not tried such varieties of high quality traditional Asian teas, are doing themselves a grave injustice. Green/Cooked Pu-erhs, Formosa/High Mountain Oolongs, Wuyi Yan Cha, etc, are worth the extra investment, time, and care. Though I've been able to find limited amounts of such selections from retailers some of you have already mentioned, I've found myself recently dumping a lot of money over at www.houdeasianart.com. Guang and Irene know their tea and offer quite a selection. I'd equate the quality of their tea to starbuzz. Simply creme of the crop.to answer the question about Adiago... They are well used and trusted, with good customer service. www.teachat.com <-- Adiago's forum community.to add to said list, Rishi-tea is also up there as a reliable supplier for all kinds of tea blends that some of you are used to, as well as to a few cooked pu-erh styles and some good quality Oolongs.anyways. I highly recommend you check Hou De out. Might change your life! www.houdeasianart.comwww.rishi-tea.comwww.adaigo.comwww.wikipedia.orghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu-erh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingjunkie Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 (edited) QUOTE (gib0r @ Jan 14 2007, 01:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I've recently made serious attempt at quitting smoking, and thus haven't been back here in a while. Seeing as I've recently got into tea, I'm happy to see a on going discussion about it and believe I have something to add.I think teas are great for us hookah crowd- not only because it goes so well with hookah, but (at least for me) it is a healthy outlet for our addictive personalities. With shishas, or teas, I just love trying new flavors, going through the process of preparing them as perfectly as possible, sitting down to relax and savor the flavors, etc. I think getting into teas can be a great way to help you to quit smoking. Good for you, and good luck. You can even use this as motivation... The more you cut back on smoking, the more elements and subtleties you will be able to taste in your fine teas I have a family history of alcoholism, so I have made a conscious effort not to get into spirits, wines, or beers. I am also limiting myself to one hookah session per week (washed shisha only). The tea however gives me a healthy, everyday way to be addicted to something. For me, it's not the substance, but the process of searching it out, finding my faves, and preparing it well. Thats why I love cooking and eating too!I'll have to check Hou De out. Thanks for the lead gib0r! Edited January 14, 2007 by tingjunkie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camelflage Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 QUOTE (Bleeding_Heart1 @ Jan 14 2007, 12:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (Sonthert @ Jan 14 2007, 01:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Nothing makes a better flavor than loose leaf black tea...Twinings is an unimaginative but servicable tea that makes a large number of loose leaf teas. The flavors are tasty and well-balanaced, unlike Tazo (Starbucks) which tends to be topheavy and soapy.i work at starbucks and i am a tea conoussiur(sp). Tazo isnt the best but gets the job done for regular people, although the zen tea(green, with lemongrass and spearament) is pretty good. Im going to be writing the company soon to see if they could go a "tea of the month" sort of thing and have a tub of loose tea and cups with infusers! who knows they might do it!yeah i drink the tazo zen, not bad for just a quick tea. i work with mostly koreans and they have some amazing tea that i have to find the name of so i can share it with you guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingjunkie Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 (edited) QUOTE (gib0r @ Jan 14 2007, 01:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>anyways. I highly recommend you check Hou De out. Might change your life! Wow! I'm sure it's excellent tea, but those prices are too much for me to handle. Not saying it's not worth it, but I guess I'm not as much of a connoisseur as you! Maybe one day. It's too bad there is no middle ground either- I only saw 1oz samples, or prices by the pound. I usually order my tea by the quarter pound.I do really like the fact that they tell you when each tea was grown and harvested- like a bottle of wine. Wish other places did that. Edited January 14, 2007 by tingjunkie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgs0lid Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I will probably go to this store tomarrow and get some tea... any reccomendations? www.tehku.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rattler Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 gib0r is that tea really that much better? I like good tea, but I am hesitant to spend that much money on tea. Then again I really like Sweet Tea in the summer down here so the quality of that tea might be lost on me . Only one way to know. I guess I will have to order a 1 oz sampler and find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gib Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 QUOTE (rattler @ Jan 15 2007, 03:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>gib0r is that tea really that much better? I like good tea, but I am hesitant to spend that much money on tea. Then again I really like Sweet Tea in the summer down here so the quality of that tea might be lost on me . Only one way to know. I guess I will have to order a 1 oz sampler and find out. Forgive the new account change. After that post this morning I haven't been able to log back in under my gib0r account. Its true, the teas offered through HouDe are by no means cheap, however when compared to what one would spend on "good loose leaf tea" at one of your high end grocery stores, I believe there a marginal difference, especially taking into account volume. Considering that a typical cake size is at about 400g, and the typical serving size should be around 3g, and considering you can brew the same batch 4-5 times, you're looking at some 500-600 cups of tea per cake. Now I don't mean to give the impression that I spend 50 dollars on cakes of Pu-erh, or bags of Oolong; I don't. But considering the very real state side collectors market that exists for these kinds of tea, and that Pu-erh actually improves in flavor/aroma/appearance as it gets older, I have absolutely no problem clunking down 20 or so dollars on a fantastic tasting cake pressed last year, that will only get better the longer I keep it. Hopefully you can understand why a 30 year cake costs so much. Think Wine, or a well kept Double IPA. I will tell mention however, that these types of teas can be purchased for considerably less directly from china if you don't mind ordering in bulk, spending $30 dollars shipping, and waiting 6-8weeks for delivery. Either way, its an investment. But believe me when I say its worth it. There is really nothing quite like a good Pu-Erh or Oolong. So yeah, all in all, the tea market is not unlike the video game market Direct from china: http://www.jingteashop.com/ general information: http://www.pu-erh.net/ check em out. -sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingjunkie Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 (edited) I still have yet to try pu-erh tea. I hear it's one of those love it or hate it type things. You've convinced me though- will try a sample with my next tea order.I just tried a peach flavored Oolong from SpecialTeas today for the first time. First flavored oolong I have ever tried. I like it a lot. By the way, is there a rule of thumb for how many infusions a tea will yeild? I know blacks don't generally infuse well a second time, but I'm not sure about how many I should get from greens, whites, and oolongs. Does it depend on each individual tea, or is there a standard? Edited January 16, 2007 by tingjunkie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gib Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 (edited) QUOTE (tingjunkie @ Jan 15 2007, 06:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I still have yet to try pu-erh tea. I hear it's one of those love it or hate it type things. You've convinced me though- will try a sample with my next tea order.I just tried a peach flavored Oolong from SpecialTeas today for the first time. First flavored oolong I have ever tried. I like it a lot. By the way, is there a rule of thumb for how many infusions a tea will yeild? I know blacks don't generally infuse well a second time, but I'm not sure about how many I should get from greens, whites, and oolongs. Does it depend on each individual tea, or is there a standard? Pu-erh, you can typically get anywhere from 5-10 brews, esp with aged or cooked varieties. I usually brew greens, whites, and oolongs 2 or 3 times at most. Looking at SpecialTeas Pu-erh selection, I will say this... There are, more or less, 4 types of Pu-erh (factory, leaf grade, packaging withstanding); Raw/Green Pu-erh, "Cooked" Pu-erh, Aged Raw/Green, and Aged Cooked. Raw/Green Pu-erh is it, the original. Nothing but the defacto picking, processing, and packing that has gone into such teas since....forever. Cooked Pu-erh isn't actually cooked, so much as it is artificially aged. By dampening it and letting its "compost" a bit before compressing, factories are able to speed up the natural microbial process which matures Raw/Green Pu-erh over 10 years, in just under a year. Aged Raw/Green is Pu-erh that is aged close to or over 10 years of age. The quality of which depends on how its stored, and how well the tea was originally produced. It is this type that drives the collectors market, where selections can go for //Thousands//. Aged Cooked Pu-erh is typically 5 or so years old. Seeing as the aging process has already gotten a kick in the pants, it doesn't benefit as much from aging as Raw/Green does. now having outlined the above, be weary of unlabeled (no factory listed) Pu-erh offerings that come in small single serving cakes, or loose form, such as those offered by SpecialTeas, Rishi Tea, Adagio, etc, etc. As is typical of all things Chinese these days, and considering how much money people put into Pu-erh, there is a vast variety of cheap and poorly made cooked offerings on the market. And it’s something that is not always the vendors fault, as they don't know any better. Sometimes they get ripped off too. Cheap cooked Pu-erh typically taste muddy and barnyard-ish, and doesn't have the refined smokiness and subtle sweetness that good cooked, aged green, or well prepared raw have. Back on the subject of standards; a good rule of thumb for Pu-erh (in fact, it may be used in competition) is to soak 3g of tea, in 150cc of water (~5fl/oz), for 3 minutes. I use the gaiwan. http://funalliance.com/tea/gaiwan.htm happy tasting. -Sean Edited January 16, 2007 by gib Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingjunkie Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Thanks Sean I bow down to your tea expertise!That was great information, but it might take a little while to digest in my head. Can you recommend a good pu-erh from Hou De to try as a "starter" tea- i.e. one that is generally well-liked by the masses, a standard example of what a good pu-erh should be, and not too expensive? That would be great. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gib Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 QUOTE (tingjunkie @ Jan 16 2007, 11:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks Sean I bow down to your tea expertise!That was great information, but it might take a little while to digest in my head. Can you recommend a good pu-erh from Hou De to try as a "starter" tea- i.e. one that is generally well-liked by the masses, a standard example of what a good pu-erh should be, and not too expensive? That would be great. Thanks!Full cakes from Hou De.http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php?mai...products_id=531http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php?mai...products_id=231http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php?mai...products_id=342^-- been meaning to try this myself, should be getting it on my next order. MengHai is considered the standard of good cooked pu-erh.1oz samplers.http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php?mai...products_id=484http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php?mai...products_id=263http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php?mai...products_id=556Look into Hou De's Oolongs as well. The Formosa GABA is to fucking die for.-Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingjunkie Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Awesome. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeding_Heart1 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 placed an order last friday and it got here today.. heres what i got!SG27 - set of four teas: Green Tea Sampler x1 @ $13.00 ea.( A tin each of the following: Japanese Sencha Special Grade (TJ16), China Young Hyson (ZG10), Ceylon Melfort Estate Gunpowder GP1 (TC75), and China Pi Lo Chun (ZG92)TE10T - 125g tin: Original Earl Grey x1 @ $6.60 ea.BA22S - 15g sample: Rooibos Apple Cider x1 @ $1.00 ea.BF40S - 15g sample: Raspberry Fruit Tea x1 @ $1.00 ea.BF62S - 15g sample: Strawberry/Kiwi Fruit Tea x1 @ $1.00 ea.BH65E - 100g tin: Lemon Grass, Coarse Cut x1 @ $9.48 ea.BH46T - 50g tin: Certified Organic Peppermint x1 @ $5.20 ea.AC21K - tea glass: Finum® Tea Glass and Filter (Style 1) x1 @ $13.80 ea.TE47S - 15g sample: Moroccan Green Mint x1 @ $1.00 ea.TG45S - 15g sample: Gunpowder Green Peppermint x1 @ $1.00 ea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingjunkie Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 (edited) Nice BH. Post some reviews as you go through them. Especially the rooibos apple cider- sounds awesome! Edited January 16, 2007 by tingjunkie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakemonster Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I'm not really a tea aficianado.... I did get a hankering for tea while shopping at a DFW market.. I got something called Algrazaleen Tea..... Contents say Black Ceylon.... I usually brew some up with a few black cardamon seed and cinnamon.... a wee bit of milk and some brown sugar. My version of "Chai" I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Welcome to www.teaforum.com formerly known as HookahForum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingjunkie Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Aww... Let us have our one little thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gib Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Yeah, back off cancer merchant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingjunkie Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 QUOTE (gib @ Jan 16 2007, 06:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yeah, back off cancer merchant.Is that a Clerks reference! Dude, you are my new best friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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