China or India?

And....perhaps, you sell these teas????????????

Good catch, Shen! It's the same site that was asked recently to get lost, too. Quoting from their cutesy web site,

[site name snipped] is little bit william & britta walker, but mostly really good tea. we've been longtime tea drinkers and wish to share this enjoyable nectar with all those around us.

Not only that, but their cloying site mascot, supposedly a squirrel, looks more like a bear. I suppose that's why Dominic complained about the graphics.

/Lew

maybe we can have an automatic post 1/ week such as "DO NOT ADVERTISE IN HERE" the regulars could load that in filter/killfile

Look, I'm just talking about tea and I wanted to know about what others in this group like. I didn't say anything about what brand of tea. I thought we were welcome to talk about tea, in general, as long as it doesn't include advertisement. I'm trying to abide by the rules and talk about tea! Sheesh. Just forget it.

Hey don't bring me up again :) I took enough heat already, now I know how Ralph Nader must feel.

- Dominic

Hey it's cool, just relax, it was a bit soon and you didn't preface your post well with anything disarming. I personally prefer Japanese most of the time, but I have been growing to love Chinese teas over the past two years or so. Gyokuro, Sencha, Bi Lo Chun, Shui Xian, Huo Mountain Yellow tea, and some Dan Congs.

- Dominic

Hey Lew, for the love of Pete! Dominic in his infinite wisdom *did* invite William and Britta to join the group to talk about tea out of the context of sales and store. So, as soon as one of them tries to talk about tea, off we go again. Jeez! Not only was there no mention of commerce in her post, not even a URL to go to. Wow. Is this what it's come to? Now, to slink back to my tea leaf strewn lair (however you spell that) to sulk. And what did the beary squirrel (or squirrely bear if you like) ever do to you? Michael

I take full responsibility for whipping up the lynch mob into a frenzy... I could have been nicer initially, but when I see bad design, potential security issues for customers, and wild claims like "The best tea in the world" at $3/oz. My uniformed side comes out.

Will and/or Britta, you are welcome to hang out here, truly... I think everyone is just jumping the gun and on edge about all of the recent spam and garbage. Imagine we are all new friends sitting in your living room who know nothing about each other, think about how you handle that type of thing and just mirror it here.

A new gathering of people doesn't traditionally begin with an infomercial, or jump right into the meat of a conversation. Tell us a bit about yourselves, what *you* like. What you've tried, what you do for fun, anything... no one thinks you are some evil corporate shill, you are two young folks getting into tea and trying to turn it into a business a bit early... green if you will (oof, rimshot please).

I will say this, though, you might want to watch untrue statements like "The best tea in the world" and you may want to explore a bit more of the world of tea before getting into business. Just my opinions, but they would prove helpful in creating a more truthful and trusting business. Most of the vendors we deal with are encyclopedic in their knowledge and TRULY offer some of the best tea in the world, but we also know most of the REAL best tea in the world will never make it to any of our lips in our lifetimes... a few maybe but I'd have to mortgage my home, kidnap a prominent Japanese/Chinese family, and even then I'd doubt my chances at the best in the world.

- Dominic

Most of the vendors we deal with are encyclopedic

Hi Dominic! I believe I know what you mean by that... Just as I started to believe (for a few minutes) that perhaps I have tried and learned quite a bunch of things about different teas I realized what a foolish sensation that really was. It happened when what I knew as an earthy (maybe even muddy) dark infusion called Puerh was actually an immense category of teas that comprises dozens and dozens of types and that it can be such an specialized thing that collectors are willing to pay several hundreds of dollars for a few grams of "old" weird tea. After that I saw that happening with all other types of teas and so I said to myself "never ever again think you even suspect to know a single thing about tea". And well, I guess that the most I can say about a tea I have tried is "it was the best tea I remember having, maybe". No, but really, first flush sencha is the best tea in the world (just joking).

Michael, What irked me was that the post seemed to fishing for preference and the survey followed quickly upon the heels of an advertising poly. It's obviously a very new business with limited stock and the vendors need to know what to carry to entice a knowledgeable customer. Of course, it was a survey question! Had it been phrased in a way that was more straightforward, it would not have bothered me, at all. Although I, too, found the bear-squirrel-whatever critter a little creepy, the graphics hardly influenced my response. It was the jive that provoked it. Shen

Welcome Will and Britta,

To answer your question: I tend to prefer Indian black teas. Assams are my current fave. In fact, I bought some Golden Tips Assam from Tao of Tea and it's my go-to black tea. Very smooth!

My palate changes all the time. I just finished up some 2005 Monkey- Picked from Seven Cups which at first I thought was harsh and bitter. I put it away for a while (perhaps it aged gracefully) and when I went back to it I enjoyed it so much more than before.

Alan

P.S. We DO want to hear from you guys. Please stick around and discuss tea. I for one am "thirsty" (groan) for more tea discussion. I've learned a lot here, and enjoy hearing different perspectives.

I'm willing to give the newcomers the benefit of the doubt on this one, better to allow new people to enter than to scare them off by assuming the worst...though I doubt my response will help very much with marketing anyhow.

For me, what I enjoy is really a matter of context, because that determines how much tea I want to prepare at a given time, how much time I have to devote to it, etc. If I'm going to be focused on something other than the tea (such as work or school) I'll drink the simpler and cheaper teas I have and save the best for when I have time to truly appreciate it. For everyday consumption I usually drink black teas from Assam, China, and sometimes from Turkey and Ceylon. While those are my favorites in terms of quantity, for taste I prefer a good white tea or lighter green when I have time to deal with multiple infusions. I think I agree that palates change over time, I used to adore Lapsang Souchong, and while I can drink it now, I went through a period where I couldn't even get near it.

This reminds me of a very productive thread from over a year ago, the "What's in your cup" thread.

I have never had tea from the Tarajulie estate, but as for tea in general, what I love most about our favorite quaff is the enormous variety. I can't imagine drinking the same kind of tea over and over for days on end. I like to start the day with something on the dark side, Assam, China Black, or Shu move along into lighter things like Darjeeling, Chinese greens, Sencha, Gaoshan or other light Oo from Taiwan or Anxi, and finish the day with a gong fu session of Yan Cha, Sheng, or Dan Cong. My tea progression through the day is like the backbone to everything else I do and gives me an enormous sense of pleasure and continuity. Sometimes it's just a bother, but most of the time deciding what to have next brings me away from the little irritations that seem to clutter our lives and centers me on something I enjoy and a preparation ritual that distracts from the distractions. Deciding on a first flush Darj instead of a Guricha Sencha is part of directing who I am at the moment and where I am going in my day.

The downside of doting on variety is that I have an enormous number of open teas sitting around, each calling out like a precious orphan demanding its rightful due. The Fukamushi Sencha (the tea equivalent of crack cocaine as far as I can tell) is especially heart-wrench: "Drink me, drink me, I don't have much time!" That's why I love puerh so much: it thrives on abandonment, even for years! "Leave me alone, I'll be fine ... no, really!"

And then too, prowling for something different can lead me into some exotic neighborhoods where I might get in over my head, like ordering my first matcha set the other day. Six months ago I dismissed matcha as a novelty for the truly twisted soul. Mmmm.

So, Britta, I can't imagine being happy drinking the same tea "morning, noon, and night." That's the way I drank coffee, paying no attention, satisfying a need, getting a fix. As for chai, I usually avoid flavored tea. I suppose because I already have such enormous variety, I don't feel the need to add blueberry or watermelon flavoring to my cup. Chai, on the other hand, I have enjoyed, not very often and never the pre-mixed kind. For me it is especially good after an Indian meal.

You've got a point there, Judge.

/Lew

Salsero, I agree I like to choose tea based on my mood and time of day. I usually like something darker with more tannins in the morning, then move to something lighter as the day goes on. I love a cup of chai after a meal with a little bit of sugar, never the premixed powder stuff (ugh). The tarajulie is my go to tea through the day though; if I want a cup of tea I know it will satisfy. Right now I am all about Indian tea.

Just a little side-note, there are only trace amounts of tannins in tea- what you're referring to is a similar class of compounds known as "polyphenols."

I agree with you both about the importance of variety, I don't think I could possibly stick to one type. I would like to eliminate some of the open bags/tins I have laying around, though. :/

-Brent