Hot tea

[Reginald Fairfield]

I haven't been much of a tea drinker until I picked up some discounted Twinings brand tea bags after Christmas. Of course my favorite is seasonal, the peppermint vanilla herbal tea. They also have a nice Christmas themed black tea with cinnamon and cloves. Their ginger flavors are a little strong for me.

Which flavors do you like? Do you prefer a specific brand?

 

[themysterybidder]

I love a traditional cup of Tetley tea with milk, and on occasion a teaspoon of sugar. Tetley is my all time favourite for tea. As for speciality teas, I loved Twinings Lapsang Souchong for years, however, they changed the name to 'Distinctively Smoky' and I think they changed the ingredients as it doesn't taste and even smell as strong as it once did. I tried another brand of 'Lapsang Souchong' but it still didn't hit the spot. I also enjoy Redbush and Green Tea!

 

[Chris]

Another Tetley drinker (with milk) here. I can easily consume 7 cups a day.

 

[LadyDestani]

I'm a more recent hot tea drinker. I don't have a favorite brand yet as I've just been trying a bunch of samples over the past 2-3 years.

I like a lot of different flavors, so it depends on my mood. I tend to prefer stronger, spicier teas in the fall/winter and lighter, floral, green or white teas in the spring/summer. On a cold night, there's not much better than settling down with a mug of hot Chai tea and a blanket.

I just had a cup of mint green tea last night.

 

[tiffanistarr]

I tend to always go back to a nice black tea with a little bit of sugar in it. In the summer time I enjoy a nice fruit tea in the evening. The holidays are the best time for hot tea imo. I love some nice peppermint teas and different spiced teas. A nice warm of cinnamon spice tea with a pinch of sugar! Ugh so good!

 

[-Lumi-]

I am a big chai fan! I like it both hot and iced but per the thread I'll talk about my hot preferences.

For bagged tea I enjoy the Double Spice by Stash as well as their gingerbread and pumpkin chai varieties when those are released. At the moment I'm drinking loose leaf tea and it's really yummy!! Slightly messier and more finicky to brew but it tastes really good. I have vanilla chai by the brand The Metropolitan Tea Company.

I like to make my chai with some sugar and milk!! It also tastes really good with cinnamon honey instead of sugar.

 

[nightglow]

When I drink teas, it is usually green tea. I don't stick to a particular brand.. it just depends what is available at the store. Sometimes I can find it with elderberry which is good.
Other tea I like is peppermint tea and matcha tea.

There was a tea I had once that had hibiscus flower in it, but I don't remember what it was called. It was good, but a little strong. Not something I'd go looking to buy to bring home.

My spouse found this dragon fruit syrup that had crumbs of dragon fruit in it. It is for adding to drinks. We sometimes make a pitcher of green tea and put a dab of that in it.

 

[xSuperMario64x]

I have some bags of organic green tea, if I want something hot to drink then I'll usually make a cup. I also drink it unsweetened, so it has a mellow flavour and is relaxing
I think it'd be nice to get loose leaf green tea, but I'm not enough of a tea drinker to warrant spending that much money on it.

I also love Harney & Son's hot cinnamon spice tea! that tea will a small amount of honey is amazing I haven't had any in a long time... and I just looked at their website and found that they sell 4oz tins of loose leaf tea, so I may have to buy some soon hehehe

 

[Newbiemayor]

I don't drink hot tea super often, usually I drink iced tea, but when I do my favorites are mint tea and English breakfast. And I usually add some sugar because I love sweets

 

[oak]

I thought this was gonna be about gossip for a second but my taste in tea is pretty basic. Orange pekoe or some earl grey tea with a little sugar and milk

 

[BTCircley]

Hot tea sweet!

 

[ZeldaCrossing64]

I'm starting to grow fond of tea as of recent! I bought a pack of Salada's orange pekoe tea and I'm in love. I also like black tea and green tea, but I'd like to try other flavors someday.

 

[LateGamer]

I’ve been a tea drinker for a long time. As someone who lives in the US I sometimes get teased since coffee is much more popular. But my all time favorite that I drink almost every morning is Rishi brand Earl Grey. I usually drink it without any adds, mostly because I am too lazy when I wake up. But I really love to make London Fog…adding the hot milk and pure vanilla syrup. My second favorite is English Breakfast. I also love several green teas. And although Earl Grey does have the essence of Bergamot fruit in it, I don’t like fruity teas, or teas that don’t really have tea in them…like herbal, etc. I’m kind of a tea snob….I don’t buy teas from grocery stores or in bag form. I buy full leaf teas from a local tea shop that imports them directly. But I love tea!

 

[Pyoopi]

I do drink lots of tea and pretty much have a cabinet dedicated to tea. I consider myself to be normal with the amount because my sister is a giant tea connoisseur and she has a plastic bin full of teas. Imagine a plastic bin full of crayons but it's tea.
I have a lot of favorites. I generally lean toward black, green and white teas. I don't like herbal at all. The only black tea I don't like is earl grey.

In terms of favorite brands and flavors

Spoiler: list of teas

Harney & Sons - great selection and easy to find in most local supermarkets
Fave(s): Darjeeling, Sencha (bag)
Good: Cherry Blossom, Pumpkin Spice (bag)
Stash Tea - decent variety. better to buy off online than in store
Fave(s): Ginger Peach (bag)
Kusumi Tea (Paris) - very good but very expensive. Comes in tiny, cute tins. You'll turn into Gollum in trying to reserve this as much as possible.
Fave(s): Green Almond (loose)
Fortnum & Mason (UK) - very nice and their biscuits are yummy but expensive. Their packaging/graphic designs are beautiful.
Fave(s): Royal Blend, Afternoon Blend, Celebration Blend (loose)

Nice to have:
Jugetsudo Tea - great flavors but also expensive.. lol
Fave(s): Genmaicha, Hojicha
Good: Apple Hojicha
Nitto Kochah - these are powdered teas, but are great to take on trips or on-the-go.
Fave(s): Royal Milk Tea (the blue bag, but I'm sure all the flavors are really good)

 

[BetsySundrop]

I love tea! I have a little tea spot in my kitchen and i tend to buy it in bulk online then keep my tea spot jars refilled.

I like all kinds, flavored, herbal, regular, but I do try to find decaf - cannot have much caffeine at all. It's really hard to find good decaf tea (not chemicaly processed).

Green tea, irish breakfast are good. For flavored, I like cranberry cream and always nuts from adagio. For other tea that doesn't have "flavoring" I like jasmine silver needle but it does have the caffeine so not much of that.

I think I have the palate of a peasant. I have some wuyi da hong pao (not cheap). I don't tend to drink it much. Aside from the moderate caffeine, meh, i like the cheaper ones better.

I'm forever on the lookout for good decaf/low caf varieties.

 

[LateGamer]

I love tea! I have a little tea spot in my kitchen and i tend to buy it in bulk online then keep my tea spot jars refilled.

I like all kinds, flavored, herbal, regular, but I do try to find decaf - cannot have much caffeine at all. It's really hard to find good decaf tea (not chemicaly processed).

Green tea, irish breakfast are good. For flavored, I like cranberry cream and always nuts from adagio. For other tea that doesn't have "flavoring" I like jasmine silver needle but it does have the caffeine so not much of that.

I think I have the palate of a peasant. I have some wuyi da hong pao (not cheap). I don't tend to drink it much. Aside from the moderate caffeine, meh, i like the cheaper ones better.

I'm forever on the lookout for good decaf/low caf varieties.

I love Jasmine teas especially jasmine pearl and Jasmine silver needles. I didn’t mention it above but I also love pu ehr! I have cakes but I find them so hard to get small slice off with the little blade that often i skip it again because I’m lazy in the a.m. But Rishi makes a chocolate pu ehr in bags that I will occasionally get.
I don’t drink expensive teas either! They are more expensive than grocery store, but there are teas out there that are super expensive and I just get the moderate priced teas.
I do the same as you, keep them in their tea caddies and transfer into a smaller container for day to day. I’ve been collecting tea pots for quite a long time and have them on display shelves….little yixing pots (my favorite) and the small Japanese cast iron ones. It’s so fun to use different tea pots.

 

[Reginald Fairfield]

I forgot a while ago, I was given a tea bag sample of flavors called "Yuletide Toddy" and 'Madame Butterfly". I don't know what to expect.