Loose tea recommendations

terlywerly · 02-06-2010 6:26pm #1

Hi!!
This is a very coffee-heavy forum but I'm hoping maybe someone could advise me about tea. I recently have branched off from traditional supermarket teabag tea and have tasted a few different types of tea made from loose leaves and brewed. The most recent tea I tasted was lemon Rooibos which I have to say was fantastic!! I'm just wondering can anyone recommend a good website that has descriptions/pictures of different types of tea eg white/green/black etc and possibly a website where I could buy tea and tea related equipment that isn't too expensive delivery wise to Ireland.
Thanks!!

RE*AC*TOR · 02-06-2010 6:44pm

If you are near/in Dublin check out Palais Des Thes on Wicklow st.

terlywerly · 02-06-2010 7:03pm

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

If you are near/in Dublin check out Palais Des Thes on Wicklow st.

Ack! Was only in Dublin on Saturday!! Don't live there unfortunately but I googled and they have a website which had some good info on it.
Cheers for that! And next time I'm in Dublin I'll definitely drop in to them. Is Wicklow Street the same street as has the Molton Brown store?

banshee_bones · 02-06-2010 7:10pm

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

If you are near/in Dublin check out Palais Des Thes on Wicklow st.

Id second this, when you go in the door they have a different tea brewing each day and they give you a free small cup of it to try. Staff are really helpful and know their stuff.

I like this stuff but its just one of many I guess..

http://www.dilmahtea.com/

terlywerly · 02-06-2010 7:21pm

banshee_bones wrote: »

Id second this, when you go in the door they have a different tea brewing each day and they give you a free small cup of it to try. Staff are really helpful and know their stuff.

I like this stuff but its just one of many I guess..

http://www.dilmahtea.com/

I've heard of Dilmah before (not sure where though). Can it be bought in shops as opposed to online? Delivery is always the killer...

banshee_bones · 02-06-2010 7:25pm

terlywerly wrote: »

I've heard of Dilmah before (not sure where though). Can it be bought in shops as opposed to online? Delivery is always the killer...

Well there was a chain of coffee shops in Galway where I used to be able to get it, not sure outside of that but im sure you can, just have to keep an eye out for it id say

terlywerly · 02-06-2010 7:32pm

banshee_bones wrote: »

Well there was a chain of coffee shops in Galway where I used to be able to get it, not sure outside of that but im sure you can, just have to keep an eye out for it id say

I'll definitely keep a look out, the Rose and French Vanilla sounds yummy.
I actually have a brother studying in Galway at the moment, maybe he'd be able to source it for me. Cheers!

banshee_bones · 02-06-2010 8:36pm

terlywerly wrote: »

I'll definitely keep a look out, the Rose and French Vanilla sounds yummy.
I actually have a brother studying in Galway at the moment, maybe he'd be able to source it for me. Cheers!

ha okay well tell him to try in Mocha Beans , thats where I got it.

terlywerly · 02-06-2010 10:26pm

banshee_bones wrote: »

ha okay well tell him to try in Mocha Beans , thats where I got it.

Thanks, will do!

FTGFOP · 04-06-2010 4:49pm

I can heartily recommend House of Tea.

They're an Irish company with a shop in the CHQ building in Dublin. They have a nice selection on their site and shipping is reasonable. One of their tea samplers might be a good way to start off your connoisseurship.

...and come back and post about your adventures, we need more tea-folk on here!

just-joe · 04-06-2010 5:05pm

+1 on the palais du the!

I got some Japanese tea today, "fleur de geisha" today, as they had it as the sampler the last time I was in. So nice!!

I'll let ya know how it goes when I try it at home.

terlywerly · 05-06-2010 12:07am

FTGFOP wrote: »

I can heartily recommend House of Tea.

They're an Irish company with a shop in the CHQ building in Dublin. They have a nice selection on their site and shipping is reasonable. One of their tea samplers might be a good way to start off your connoisseurship.

...and come back and post about your adventures, we need more tea-folk on here!

Wow, now that's what I'm talking about lol

Definitely gonna put in an order here, such great sampler packs wow, and Irish based too.
And I will most definitely post about my tea-ventures when I have some, I never realised how much more there actually is to tea than a Lyons teabag flung into the mug :eek:

just-joe wrote: »

+1 on the palais du the!

I got some Japanese tea today, "fleur de geisha" today, as they had it as the sampler the last time I was in. So nice!!

I'll let ya know how it goes when I try it at home.

Will definitely try here also, love the idea of free samples too (unemployed mentality haha)

Thanks guys!!

terlywerly · 06-06-2010 8:36pm

Just ordered 2 teas from House of Tea - grapefruit mango Rooibos and Blood Orange Fruit tea. Starting with the fruity ones, will work my way to the others.
Hope they don't take too long to arrive!

brianthebard · 08-06-2010 12:41pm

You could also try your local asian/ethnic shops for different tea varieties, I got a loose green tea in my local recently that's lovely, they had many other options.

terlywerly · 08-06-2010 12:45pm

brianthebard wrote: »

You could also try your local asian/ethnic shops for different tea varieties, I got a loose green tea in my local recently that's lovely, they had many other options.

I'd never have thought of that, cheers for the idea! Hopefully the tea I ordered should be here by the end of the week.
Also realised I've had Lapsang Souchong. Quite liked it too

steerforth80 · 08-06-2010 12:52pm

i usually by from these when im in Belfast. Think they might deliver.. top quality.. http://www.sdbellsteacoffee.com/

Daffs · 08-06-2010 6:38pm

House of Tea or clementandpekoe.com.
Lemon Ginger Rooibos or Rooibos Chai is tickling my fancy at the moment...

terlywerly · 08-06-2010 7:19pm

I'm liking the Rooibos because its caffeine free - perfect for night time! I really hope my order comes soon.
Anyone have any black tea recommendations?

terlywerly · 10-06-2010 2:11pm

Well my tea arrived this morning. Have only tried the blood orange so far. Not as strong as I thought, though I am probably comparing it mentally to actual blood orange. Nice, refreshing, will definitely be keeping it. Gonna try the rooibos later on, I can smell it through the bag and it smells amazing!

FTGFOP · 10-06-2010 3:30pm

Having some Mokalbari. Good times.

terlywerly · 10-06-2010 4:12pm

This is gonna sound so naive but I had genuinely no idea there was such an amount of teas out there - such variety! I'll be tea tasting for the rest of my life

The OH thinks I'm mad with all my little tea caddys and boxes

EDIT: Just tried the Grapefruit and Mango Rooibos... omnomnomnom so good!

just-joe · 13-06-2010 6:46pm

Just about the tea I got last week, said I'd let y'all know how it goes - mild enough, but you can really smell/taste the cherry - really nice! Was cool to use a tea pot instead of bags too, exciting times!

Quite light so great for evening time too, I reccommend it!

FTGFOP · 15-06-2010 9:59pm

terlywerly wrote: »

[...]Anyone have any black tea recommendations?

terlywerly wrote: »

[...]The OH thinks I'm mad with all my little tea caddys and boxes[...]

I've loads of caddies too, sadly most of them are empty at the moment.

As for black tea recommedations I'll just tell you what I like on the House of Tea website: Assam SF TGFOP1 Doomni, Kenya GFOP Milima, and Keemun Superior OP. And maybe try a Darjeeling you like the sound of as well.

I think a decent Assam is a must-try and I like the Kenyan later in the day and in the evening. The Assam is an Indian tea and the Kenyan would be Indian-style too.
The Keemun is a Chinese tea, a different thing, a little piney, a little smokey, and has a sweetness that builds on the tongue.

What would you drink during the day, terlywerly? -and how would you take your tea?

terlywerly · 15-06-2010 11:12pm

FTGFOP wrote: »

I've loads of caddies too, sadly most of them are empty at the moment.

As for black tea recommedations I'll just tell you what I like on the House of Tea website: Assam SF TGFOP1 Doomni, Kenya GFOP Milima, and Keemun Superior OP. And maybe try a Darjeeling you like the sound of as well.

I think a decent Assam is a must-try and I like the Kenyan later in the day and in the evening. The Assam is an Indian tea and the Kenyan would be Indian-style too.
The Keemun is a Chinese tea, a different thing, a little piney, a little smokey, and has a sweetness that builds on the tongue.

What would you drink during the day, terlywerly? -and how would you take your tea?

As of up until I started investigating into the world of 'non traditional' teabag tea, I always drank my tea with no sugar, and strong. Sometimes with a tiny bit of milk, other times with lemon, depending on my mood.
The OH got me an Assam tea for Xmas (I think the label on it said something like Kardemumma or something, the brand name I mean). Its nice, not too strong though. Its so hard reading the details on a website to know what to expect from a tea though!
Thanks for your suggestions though, will definitely get around to trying them. I was thinking of ordering the Black Tea sampler. Would that be a good all round indicator of some nice varieties?

FTGFOP · 16-06-2010 1:46pm

Definitely. All the ones I've recommended are in there anyway, a bonus is that if you don't like one of my suggestions you only have 50g on your hands rather than 100g.

Any tea I drink in the morning has milk in it. I'd gag otherwise. I'm a bit of a caffeine junkie when I first wake up and I'd usually down two half-litre mugs to knock off the cobwebs. I used to take sugar anytime I took milk but I gave it up this year.

I googled Kardemumma and just got that it was Swedish for Cardamom, where did your OH get the tea?

As for descriptions, yeah, you're still pretty much guessing what a tea will taste like from most descriptions. The US version of the TeeGschwendner website has some of the best descriptions I've come across. That link goes to a description of my favourite tea, Assam Marangi, which is pretty much hot ale from my point of view.

terlywerly · 16-06-2010 3:57pm

FTGFOP wrote: »

I googled Kardemumma and just got that it was Swedish for Cardamom, where did your OH get the tea?

I asked him last night and he said some speciality shop in Sligo when we were up visiting friends. He said there were a few different teas under the same brand name.
EDIT: just found this online, this is the brand alright: http://www.teaandcoffee.ie/?page_id=132&category=1&page_number=1

I'll be up in Dublin within the next few weeks so I may pop in to House of Tea and pick up some and have a good wander about while I'm at it!

FTGFOP · 16-06-2010 7:34pm

By the way, I don't know where in the country you are but if you're near Cork, Kilkenny, or Dundalk, Gurman's might be worth a visit as well.

terlywerly · 16-06-2010 7:43pm

FTGFOP wrote: »

By the way, I don't know where in the country you are but if you're near Cork, Kilkenny, or Dundalk, Gurman's might be worth a visit as well.

The OH will be in Cork in a few weeks, may get him to have a nose for me!! Cheers! <raises teacup in salute>

Daffs · 05-07-2010 8:10pm

Any suggestions on where to purchase a teapot suitable for loose tea. With a infuser part, preferably that you can remove that has a tray to set aside. Any one?

Slaphead07 · 05-07-2010 10:34pm

Daffs wrote: »

Any suggestions on where to purchase a teapot suitable for loose tea. With a infuser part, preferably that you can remove that has a tray to set aside. Any one?

TK Maxx have a lot of that sort of stuff and are cheaper than most.

FTGFOP · 06-07-2010 11:34pm

Is this for making tea at work, daffs?

Loose tea recommendations

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