CTC Assam

Pat wrote: I am trying to

I'm new to tea and am looking right now to learn more and make sure I have high quality tea so the price is not as important at this point. But from what I can tell these 1/4 lb. packs of tea seem like they are going to make a LOT of cups of tea. Double that for the green because I'm making two cups from each teaspoon full.

I wonder how much more expensive it is for some of those "name brands" than off the shelf Lipton. ?? Until you get to the super premium teas it may not be much more.

John F

I have a CTC assam (it has a name but I dont' recall what) that I get at the local co-op for 13 bucks a pound or so. Makes a nice cup, probably cheaper than lipton at that price.You do have to watch them, they brew fast. I will say that the one I drink isn't particularly complex, but it is an eye opener first thing in the AM. I'll probably try some other assams the next time I order from uptons. Don't get put off by pricing either, a little tea goes a long way, and most can be steeped multiple times. I have moslty stopped drinking diet soda, and frankly, for what I was spending on diet coke, i can affoard to drink all but the most expensive blends. I'll have 7-8 big cups a day, usually out of 3 (big) servings of tea.

Every one of the several high end CTCs that I've tried are actually no better, or inferior, to the mass market brands. I tend to buy whatever is cheapest, & am seldom disappointed. As far as the quality of leaf used is concerned;: "Goodness is a decision for the mouth to make." BTW If you ever find the "Kenya" brand; grab it. Definitely good stuff.

Try some of the inexpensive Ceylon teas out there. Alghazaleen, for instance, sells a decent CTC ceylon that your local middle-eastern market will have for less than five bucks a pound. It's probably Uva-grown and it's got decent body to it.

I tend to like the cheap Assam OP teas that these markets sell as Kalami tea. I think you might find them a little bit less robust than you like, but again the Sharzad, Gulabi, or Tea India brands can be had for less than five bucks a pound which is cheap enough that you can give them a try. When this tea is fresh, it's very good, with a fruity, sometimes even peachlike nose to it. That's something the Ceylon cheapies tend to lack.

--scott

---------> I can get 900 grams (just under two pounds) of Lipton Yellow Label for $5.99.

----------> I thought black tea shouldn't be steeped more than once?

I have moslty stopped drinking diet soda, and

---------> Same here. I also used to be a big soda drinker, but I've more or less given that up. I use that as a rationalization for what I now spend on tea. But I can't see spending $5 for 125 grams of CTC tea at Uptons, given how cheaply I can find the Lipton CTC. Unless, of course, the Uptons CTC is dramatically better. That's one of the reasons I'm a little afraid to try it. I don't want to get hooked on something that's going to cost me a lot of money. I really do drink a lot of tea.

OK, well the lipton is still cheaper then! I haven't seen loose lipton around here anywhere, just bags.

I'm not sure about the propriety of steeping black tea multiple times, but I've done it with assam, keemun, Pu Erh's and darjeelings (Not really black I guess) in addition to greens and get pleasing enough results for up to 3.

I'm talking about Lipton Yellow Label, which is sold in India and available in Indian grocery stores. It's not the same as the Lipton tea bags we're used to seeing in American supermarkets. Lipton Yellow Label is cheaper and far superior in quality. You can get it loose or in bags.

"Justin Holmes" wrote in news:1138641657.997303.321090 @z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

Steeping OT here a little I too steep Pu-erh multiple times -- it's one of the ways to justify to my petit bourgeois sensibilities the prices charged for the good grades. :-)

I get fine multiple infusions, though almost never beyond three myself, of Pu-erh. For what it's worth, some Pu=erh vendors also say words to the effect that "this tea is capable of many brewings." Besides, what is the traditional practice of "washing" the Puerh but an ultra-short first infusion?

Ozzy

Gotcha. We have a number of chinese/vietnames/pan asian groceries here, but I think the metro only has 1 or 2 Indian groceries, and they aren't close to where I live.

Well, all this chatting about CTC teas available in indian markets prompted me to go down and pick some up. I've got a small box of Brooke Bond Taj Mahal. After some difficulty opening the box (I shredded it lol) I brewed some up. Very nice stuff! As good as my mail order CTC from a company I no longer remember the name to, and much much less expensive. I did see some lipton green label, but no yellow lable. I avoided the lipton anyway. I've got some very deep issues I need to resolve with lipton before I trust any of their products. Thanks for bringing up the subject! Marlene

. Very nice stuff! As good as my mail order CTC from a company I no

-------> That is what I wanted to know. Thank you very much, Marlene.

---------> You know, I felt the exact same way the first time I went to the Indian market and was trying to decide what to try. Just could not bring myself to buy anything with the "Lipton" label on it. But rest assured, it bears no resemblance to the Lipton you'll find in the supermarket.

The Lipton's Green Label is actually a middling grade blend of orthodox process 100 per cent Darjeeling. Well worth the money if it is'nt too old

Justin Holmes:

I think this is really the way to go, you reduce your caffeine intake by brewing multiple times so you can drink tea all day and at some point what you have is closer to hydrating warm water than tea. If you are stuck on soda, you might find that you feel better at the end of the day if you switch to tea.

Scott:

Good call on the middle-eastern markets for value. I prefer inexpensive Ceylon to inexpensive Assam. In the morning I often drink a Ceylon from the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and for the money it is very good.

Jeremy

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