Teas I am currently drinking

You seem to feel comfortable with one particular brand. Why don't you go to their website and see what other offerings they have? You might want to look for some "plain" teas not mixed with other things, and without milk or sweetener. Toci

in my opinion, good quality loose teas offer so much more than bag teas. I suggest checking out your local tea store. If your an earl grey fan, these ususally offer some good blends. Online vendors can also be a good place to by, though I like being able to directly see and smell the tea I'm buying. I think either of these options offer similar or better quality than store brands, and almost always at a lower price, even for very high quality teas. Judging by what you seem to like thus far, you might want to dry an oolong like Ti Guan Yin, which I would most certainly drink without anything added. Ask your local purveyor for brewing instructions. I personally prefer a gaiwan of yixing tea pot for brewing good tea, but these methods are overinvolved for some people.

In the end, there are so many tea varieties of varying quality that you could make it a serious hobby of exploring them, as I have. I wish you the best of luck with your quest.

Nico

I'm guessing that if you live in the Northern Hemisphere it isn't hard for you to find fresh mint these days. That granted, I think you could have a much more vivid Moroccan mint tea experience by combining some plain leaf (or Gunpowder) green tea - it almost doesn't matter which one - with a sprig of fresh mint.

/Lew

Even more so in the mountain west, where it's been extremely wet this year. My parents yard is being taken over by mint. As soon as i see two dry days in a row I'm going to go harvest a bunch of it and hang it up to dry.

OK, but *please* use some of it fresh!

/Lew

My difficulty is just trying to find a good Lapsang Souchong. Not one that tastes like cardboard, but a true Lapsang which will flare my nostrils with smoke.

I will try that. I have some peppermint here in my garden, and I have an extra tin of Twinings Gunpowder in the pantry. I'll give it a gander.

I find it doesn't steep as well when it's fresh, unless it's shredded or macerated.

I also find that 3-year-old dried back-yard peppermint is still plenty strong, but that's just me.

Some finely sliced hairs of fresh mint tossed with sliced strawberries and sugar has a thoroughly unique flavor, though. It's one of those things that you can't describe. It's like trying to explain what fresh pineapple tastes like to someone who's never had it.

Well, neither Earl Grey nor Lapsang Souchong is my cup of tea. However, I do like and trust Upton Tea, and they have half a dozen of each. You can buy one dollar samples to compare them, and read reviews by people who have bought them. Toci

Have you tried Hu-Kwa? It's an excellent lapsang, available here:

(no affiliation, bla bla bla...)

No, but I might actually take a look at it. I have heard good things about it, as well as bad (from those who swear up and down on Upton's). I like Republic of Tea's Lapsang Souchong better than Taylors (which tastes like wet cardboard and gave me a migraine to boot). I wish there were some good vendors here in Houston, though.

i love hu-kwa - it has the weight of history behind it, which appeals to me, and it's a great cup of tea on a wintery day. terrific aroma. some people just don't like lapsang.

The absolute best I have had is Harrod's _Tarry Souchong_, but I don't think it's available in the US.

Surprisingly good is the Lapsang Souchong from First Colony Coffee and Tea in Norfolk. Colonial Williamsburg resells it at a somewhat inflated price, but it has a good smoky flavour that still lets the tea taste through.

--scott

I have to say that I am adversed to Earl Grey at this point. I have tried both Bigelow's and Tazo's Earl Grey, and these two tend to pack much more bergamot than Twinings. I have not yet tried RoT's Earl Greyer, but something tells me I might as well drink a bottle of Aqua Velva instead.

I cannot resign myself to being a fan of this particular blend because of its perfume-like aroma. With every sip I feel like I am guzzling Eau de Cologne. I am a college student, and with that said I am attached to all the qualities therein. So I am looking for both quality and affordability.

I guess I tend to like the dark, mellow tones. Not so much tannic taste, but some kind of substance I cannot quite put my finger on. With that in mind, if I like L.S., I presume I should try an Assam or a Darjeeling, eh? Maybe Prince of Wales?

Also, I hear that weather and climate can manipulate the palate. Living in Texas Hill Country, I am subject to hot, humid summers, chilly winters, and temperate autumns and springs.

The taste is different when it's dried. Infused dry mint tastes like mint tisane, infused fresh mint + green tea + lots of sugar tastes like mint tea. I roughly cut and pound it before putting it in the pot. Well you're free to prefer the tisane. BTW, I'm finishing my mint tonight. I'm going away for a week and the rainy season is so dry this year that my balcony's herb garden will probably dry up in my absence.

Kuri

For Morrocan mint tea, grow *nana* mint, and if you can't get some spear mint.

Kuri

fwiw, most home-grown and wild peppermint doesn't have anywhere near the potency of the commercially grown stuff. I hear that a walk through the peppermint storage room at the Celestial Seasonings factory will clear your sinuses.

I meant that the North-African drink was "not pepper-mint" but another sort of mint. For me the difference of taste between the different mints is huge, much bigger than that of the green teas added to it.

Not for a gardener at my level : I buy the pot of mint already (commercially) grown. I don't know well what makes the differences of potency, there is the same phenomenon for *hot/mild* peppers, I guess the quality of ground and amount of sun matter a lot. You can compensate by using more leaves.

Kuri

Ok, I know I posted this before with limited replies, but could someone please tell me WTF lapsang souchong is? More precisely, what is the translation or the pinyin of the tea in Mandarian; not a transliteration.

What class does it belong to? Reds....wulongs?