Cuppa tea love?

Exciting adventures IRL.
Post Reply
User avatar
Alan
Posts: 2240
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:35 pm
Location: Through that hairy wormhole.

Cuppa tea love?

Post by Alan » Thu Jan 24, 2019 12:41 pm

Ive been trying my best to try and apprciate tea. Ive been through a whole bunch of flavours and a whole bunch of variations and just about every one of them tastes like water ran through and old gym sock to me. The closest I got to liking was a "Morrisons The best" one that I believe was apple cinnamon and maple but even then I felt the only nice taste was the maple and it felt like it was teasing me by giving only the feint aftertaste and I actually found the taste experience to be frustrating if that makes any sense!

I can't even seem to appreciate Earl Grey, hot.

People seem to utterly love tea though so before I give up and resign myself to being an uncultured swine, would any of you have any recommendations? Both in flavour, brand and preparation. I dont understand why people love this stuff so much! Help me understand!



Maybe its because I'm Scottish and I can never appreciate the drink of the auld enemy. :-k
A man who could tell more truth and eat fewer pies.

User avatar
Mantis
Landlord
Posts: 3474
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 5:39 pm
Location: The Grid

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Mantis » Thu Jan 24, 2019 12:48 pm

There's only so much you can get from bags. I buy loose leaf stuff and the flavour is far better when you brew it.

Bird and Blend do all sorts of interesting flavours. One of my favourites is a black tea called Smokey Russian, which has a lovely campfire smell to it.

If you're going to stick with bags, never put milk in first. Always give it a few minutes just in the water to let the flavour out.

User avatar
Wrathbone
Local
Posts: 3631
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:08 am

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Wrathbone » Thu Jan 24, 2019 1:42 pm

After a lifetime of only drinking regular tea with milk, I bought a selection of 40 random pukka teas last summer and I've been drinking herbal / fruit teas ever since:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pukka-Herbal-O ... +selection

I'd say 70% of them are nice, 20% are excellent and 10% are horrible. My favourites are peppermint and liquorice (strong flavour) and sweet vanilla green (green tea that somehow tastes genuinely good, unlike almost every other green tea I've ever had).

User avatar
Strudel
Posts: 429
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:05 am

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Strudel » Thu Jan 24, 2019 3:08 pm

I'm a big lover of tea. Currently I'm enjoying a lot of the T2 varieties, particularly Melbourne Breakfast, French Earl Grey, and Assam.

I dislike fruit teas for the most part; they always spell nice but just taste of hot water - I totally understand when you say you find it frustrating. I do love the fruit flavoured black teas (like the first two mentioned above) because then you do actually get the nice taste and aromas together.

I think the type of tea you'll like will very much come down to personal preference though. I know a lot of people who like the stronger black teas but find the fruit-flavoured black teas far too sweet for them.

User avatar
Sly Boots
Bar Staff
Posts: 6277
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:34 am
Location: Hampshire
Contact:

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Sly Boots » Thu Jan 24, 2019 3:11 pm

I used to be a big tea monster, nothing fancy, just your usual PG Tips, Tetley or whatever, but started to find it was playing havoc with my stomach so switched to coffee which seems to be milder in that sense. I still have a cup every few days as a treat to myself. Love the stuff.

User avatar
DjchunKfunK
Bar Staff
Posts: 2197
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:02 am

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by DjchunKfunK » Thu Jan 24, 2019 3:22 pm

Sorry can't help, I also think it tastes horrid, as does coffee. The only hot drink I like is hot chocolate.

User avatar
Raid
Local
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:07 am
Location: Keep of the Lead Lord

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Raid » Thu Jan 24, 2019 6:28 pm

I love a cup of tea, but I struggle to explain why. I do put far more milk in mine than most seem to, so it has some body to it rather than just being basically water. There's just something immediately comforting and relaxing about it.

User avatar
Snowy
Local
Posts: 2500
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:57 am
Location: Ballhang

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Snowy » Thu Jan 24, 2019 8:01 pm

For me it needs to be robust and only have a spot of milk, if any. Sugar is likewise off the menu completely.

I go for Assam or blends advertised as strong (although I do love a cup of Earl Grey too), then add boiling water slowly so as not to inflate the bag with air, and let it steep for 2 minutes. More and it can stew, less and you are denying yourself the tea-y goodness on offer. Spot of milk and a decent biscuit, heaven.

Also love coffee, but my bean-to-cup machine has made me into an espresso snob.
RCHD wrote:Snowy is my favourite. He's a metal God.
08/10/2003 - 17/08/2018
10501 :-({|=

User avatar
Stormbringer
Rad Dad
Posts: 1418
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Hyperborea
Contact:

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Stormbringer » Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:32 pm

Alan wrote:
Thu Jan 24, 2019 12:41 pm
Ive been trying my best to try and appreciate tea.
That's where you went wrong. Coffee is the only way.
Between tedium and fright
Such is the song of the nether world
The hissing of rats
And the jarring chants of angels

User avatar
Sly Boots
Bar Staff
Posts: 6277
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:34 am
Location: Hampshire
Contact:

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Sly Boots » Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:36 pm

:o

User avatar
Alan
Posts: 2240
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:35 pm
Location: Through that hairy wormhole.

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Alan » Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:24 pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:32 pm
Alan wrote:
Thu Jan 24, 2019 12:41 pm
Ive been trying my best to try and appreciate tea.
That's where you went wrong. Coffee is the only way.
Kind of been my conclusion. I guess tea and olives are something I’ll just never understand. :(




It bugs me!
A man who could tell more truth and eat fewer pies.

User avatar
Sly Boots
Bar Staff
Posts: 6277
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:34 am
Location: Hampshire
Contact:

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Sly Boots » Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:26 pm

If you've been adding olives to tea you've been doing it wrong ;)

User avatar
Stormbringer
Rad Dad
Posts: 1418
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Hyperborea
Contact:

Re: Cuppa tea love?

Post by Stormbringer » Fri Feb 22, 2019 11:06 am

Alan wrote:
Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:24 pm
It bugs me!
Just let it go and drink more coffee.
Between tedium and fright
Such is the song of the nether world
The hissing of rats
And the jarring chants of angels

Post Reply