A casual place for banter and anything that doesn't fit in anywhere else.
Have chat and a natter. Talk about anything and everything that's not political!
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Puer is delicious, strongly flavourful, can't really be oversteeped and has a wide flavour range.
Someone else already mentioned alishan oolong - any high mountain taiwanese oolong is a good choice. Tie guan yin (tyeh gwan yin - iron goddess of mercy) is another popular oolong.
Have a browse on Bird & Blend – I'm too broke for fancy tea nowadays, but they have so many types and flavours to try. You can get small bags of tealeaves just to get a taste for them before you commit to a full tin. And they send you sample teabags to try with every order.
They also do advent calendars which could be a good way to try a bunch of stuff!
My favourites were Earl Grey Creme and Monkey Chops. 🍌
this. We did the bird and blend advent calendar a few years ago and have never looked back.
Their monthly tea subscription is my favourite!!
I'd say find a local tea shop and get small amounts of a couple different types. The tea that makes it to western markets is usually pretty low quality, black teas are the most likely to be decent. There isn't gonna be a huge quality difference between brands either. If you want really good stuff, you gotta order online from specialized sellers, usually from asia.
Also, ditch the tea ball thingy and get a steeping basket or steep straight in the pot, the leaves don't have room to expand in there and you don't get good flavour.
I can try to recommend something more specific based on which flavours you like the most (earthy, woody, chocolate, malty, fruity, floral, vegetal, grassy, nutty etc.)
Sadly unavailable right now but my personal favorite is “They China Food!” from Adagio’s fandom blends.
If you’re looking for something interesting and different that’s a good place to look in general.
Local tea shop near my house sells me Alishan Secret Garden High Mountain Oolong which is heavenly.
Russian country tea. It’s a blend that has some lapsang souchong and other black teas so it’s a little smokey but not too much. Great in fall and winter.
Gunpowder green. Bolder green tea with a unique rolled preparation.
Ti Kuan Yin. A high quality oolong tea that has aging time and techniques between green and black but unique flavors. I love it with honey.
Pu’erh. A fermented tea. Tons of unique flavor in it. Comes in black and green varieties. Maybe try a small purchase to see if you like the fermented funky flavors.
I brew all my loose leaf multiple times, you can easily get 3-5+ steeps from good loose leaf. They say don’t wait more than 5-6 hrs between brews as mold can form in the wet but drained leaves.
