I drink tea. A lot of tea. I've tried a few tea vendors, have a few favorite teas, and definately have some favorite tools, so I thought I'd put together some resources here for others. When a specific tea is mentioned below, I've included the date I last bought it. Tea varies by the season, and what was good last year, might not be good this year. I like all the teas mentioned below, but wanted to give some idea of their "vintage."
Upton Tea. Upton's has a wide selection of teas and outstanding service. I have on rare occassions wondered about the freshness of some of the tea I've received, but have overall been very happy with their service and quality. If you are looking for one-stop tea shopping, this is your best bet. My favorite Upton's teas are:
Dunsdale Estate Organic TGFOP EX/SP Nilgiri. December 2006. This tea is from an estate in the Nilgiri mountains, in India. It has a nice, somewhat floral taste, with a heady woody aroma. I can't stop drinking this stuff. Nilgiri is a very trendy tea-growing region right now -- it's the new Darjeeling -- so prices are on the rise. But this tea is worth it.In Pursuit of Tea. IPOT is a much more specialized vendor than Upton's. IPOT sells teas of the very highest quality from India, Taiwan and China. They do not have a wide selection like Upton's, but what they have is fantastic. Their service and quality is outstanding. If I could afford it, I would only drink IPOT teas. But, alas...
Himalayan TGFOP1. November 2006. This is a high-grown mountain tea, styled like a Darjeeling. But it has more in common with Nilgiri teas -- it's floral, a bit woody and very refreashing. Lately, I've been alternating between the Nilgiri above and this tea for my breakfast cup.
China Pu-Erh Tuo Cha, Size 1. September 2006. This tea is a "beginners" pu-erh that is shaped into tiny little bowls. It's very hearty and full tasting, with an earthy taste that doesn't make me think I'm drinking mud, the way many other pu-erh's do. This tea is fast becoming my weekend favorite.
Yunnan Harvest Time Golden. November 2006. This tea is very light and has a lovely clear color. It's slightly sweet, and the aftertaste reminds me of caramel. Like the Russian Caravan below, I like to drink this tea in the afternoon. It's very soothing.
Finest Russian Caravan. September 2006. This is a blend of high-quality teas from India, China and Taiwan. I don't normally drink blends, but this one is very good, with a kind of neutral "tea" taste that non-tea drinkers like. For me, this is a good afternoon tea, after I've savored the Nilgiri in the morning. Some Russian Caravan blends have smokey flavors or overtones because they have Lapsang Souchong (a smoked tea) in their mix. I have never caught any smokey taste or smell from the Upton's version, so I don't believe it contains Lapsang. That's good for me -- I don't like Lapsang!
Osmanthus Green. September 2005. When I drink green tea, this is the the green I drink. It's a China green base, scented and decorated with Osmanthus flowers. The tea base is good, and comes through nicely. This tea has a faintly sweet, apricot taste that lingers. China Jasmine fans looking for a change would probably like this tea quite a bit.
Chamillo Blend. June 2005. I don't drink caffiene in the evening, so this is my infusion of choice after 5pm. It's outstanding. It is simply bursting with minty, orangy flavors, and the hibiscus is prominant but not overwhelming. I don't generally like chamomile tea, but this one is really, really good.
Royal Yunnan Black Tea. December 2005. This tea is soft and lush, with gentle honey flavors and a subtle, background spiciness. Only the youngest, freshest tea leaves are used for this tea, and their processing ends in a beautiful golden hue. Unlike most black teas, this one can be infused several times. This is my very favorite tea.Harney and Sons. Harney is another good, general tea vendor. They don't have the wide selection that Upton's does, but they have good teas at reasonable prices. They sell loose leaf tea on their website, and tea sachets at stores like Barnes & Noble. I like the sachets for traveling. I don't buy from them often, but I've always been pleased with their offerings, especially:
Winter White Earl Grey. June 2006. This is a white tea flavored with oil of bergamot. The bergamot does overwhelm the tea base, but since I'm not a white tea fan, that's fine with me. This is a light, refreashing cup. I usually buy this in the sachets.
Chatsford Teapot. I love my Chatsford. It has an ingenious filter basket that is large enough for most any tea to steep. When the steeping time is finished, you remove the basket (this is super easy). The tea stays in the pot, waiting to be poured into your cup. It looks great, it's easy to clean, and it's simple to use.
Chatsford Mug Strainer Kit. This is my favorite solution for making tea while traveling. The strainer basket fits in most mugs. Add your leaves, add boiling water, and after a suitable amount of time, remove the basket. The outer shell can be used to dry out the leaves if you want to reinfuse them. I travel with this kit, a mug, an electric coil for boiling water, and a tin of tea. It's not elegant, but it's efficient and easy.
IngenuiTEA Teapot. This is an ingenious tea brewing device -- you put the tea in the top, add boiling water, wait, then put the teapot on top of your teacup or mug. The pressure from the teacup releases a valve in the bottom, and your tea drains into your cup. The leaves stay behind in the pot. The only drawback to this system is that it can be a bit hard to clean -- in fact, I broke mine trying to clean it. But I got 3 good years of service out of it, and it is a great way to make tea at the office because the whole teapot can go in the microwave.