What is your favorite tea and why?

I have favorites, some of them rotate throughout the seasons, and some of them remain steadfast. For example, I always love chai (that is spiced tea blends) but I find that they become a favorite of mine with the coming of autumn and throughout the winter.

My always favorite pure teas are Yellow Teas and Ali Shan Oolong.

My always favorite flavored teas are Earl Grey (and I have favorites among Earl Grey, right now my top spot belongs to Earl Grey Excelsior from Tealicious Tea Company), Chocolate flavored teas, and Jasmine (I prefer Silver Needle jasmine or Jasmine Pearls)

I tend to prefer black teas in the morning (although I generally sleep through the morning – I’m a night owl), so I should say, the first part of the day, I prefer black teas. For the afternoons, I prefer greens, and move into an Oolong mood somewhere during the afternoon as well. (again, “afternoon” tends to be late afternoon/early evenings for me)

For the evening (which is actually “late-night”), I usually turn to caffeine free tisanes. They aren’t my favorites, but, they are a decent alternative to drinking caffeine, and they help me unwind and relax a little so that I can sleep.

While I love a variety of teas, if I had to pick “one tea to rule them all”, I would pick Jasmine Pearls. They can be resteeped TONS of times and they have a nice floral flavor but still have that green tea punch. I could drink it all day …. if there weren’t so many other yummy teas out there in the world. But it’s a great go to/stand by tea.

Special occasion…Puerh- Xingyang 1998 Golden Leaf (Verdant), Mornings…Black- (tie), Laoshan Black (Verdant) and Bailin Gongfu Black (Teavivre), Special occasion….White- (tie), Laoshan White (Verdant), Afternoons….Jasmine Silver Needle (Puripan), Afternoon and evening….Flavored, Butiki Tea’s naturally flavored tea’s. To cook with and drink….Variety- China Lapsang Souchong (Happy Luckys Tea House), (Green and Oolong undecided.)

Upon thinking of a favorite tea I had to ask myself what would make a tea a favorite. I LOVE so many teas and there are about 10 that are my “go to” teas. The ones that hubby knows he can make for me at any time if I am too busy working (I work at home all hours of the day and night) and he wants to pamper me. Those are the teas I would never not be in the mood for. While there are teas far more complex, pu-erhs that have a special place in my heart, and teas from companies like Mandala, Samovar, Butiki, Teavivre, Den’s, Lupicia, and Verdant that are what I consider some of the best stuff on earth, there is one tea that makes me so very happy, anytime, anywhere. Hot or iced, straight, or with additives, it is always one that makes me beam with delight and brings a smile to my face. I can simply sniff it and fall in love with it all over again. That tea for me is Strawberry Zabaglione by 52 Teas.

All that comes to my head when pondering this is “Black tea”. I do think of the Teavivre Bailin Gongfu black which I really enjoy, but I think my favourite tea memory is Harney and Sons’ Golden Snail which no longer exists but I loved to bits. In non-tea teas I will always love mint tisanes. Mint has been one of my favourite flavours since I was in single digits.

You know what’s funny? I’m a huge black tea fan, and most of my tea buying is black teas, typically flavored ones at that.

But if I had to pick one tea (in a stranded on a deserted island type of scenario), it would probably be Moroccan Mint.

It’s simple, yet versatile. Amazing both hot and iced. Somehow both relaxing and invigorating. Plus, I can never seem to get enough of it.

So yeah, that would be it. Though, I should specify that I like my Moroccan Mint with a gunpowder base, with both spearmint AND peppermint. Not sure what the true historically accurate Moroccan Mint is, but this is the combo that seems to work the best for me.

Spring Darjeeling. Darjeeling tea in general.
Wuyi: wuyi da hong pao (Adagio Teas)
And just recently discovered Pu’er Teas that I really like: Tea Trail 2004: Willow Grove Workshop (Verdant Teas)

Flavored: love rose, jasmine and anything lemony.

Dislikes: chai in any shape or form. Sigh… believe me I have tried … just doesn’t work for me. Milk with tea.

Rishi Tea – Hong Yue. It comes from an Assam plant that was transported to Taiwan. It is the perfect blend of black tea, with notes of dates, raisins, wintergreen, camphor. I can usually get 5 good infusions out of it, which for a black tea is great! I love it!

I really like Adagio’s Thai Chai. It’s flavorful and feels bright; it always picks me up. It has coconut, spices, and lemon grass, The taste feels well balanced to me. Sometimes I’ll mix it with another chai or Teavana’s Cha Yen Thai for a little more diverse flavor. The other chai tends to add more spice (which is what I do in the mornings for a wake me up). Teavana’s Cha Yen Thai adds some sweetness to it, a mild licorice flavor.

If I had to choose a favorite tea I think it would be my lychee tea I got from China! I thought it was a black tea when I bought it (about 5 years ago) but now I’m starting to think it’s a Pu’erh. There is no label on the box, just a darling yellow flower pattern. When I bought it I wasn’t really into tea so I drank one or two cups and left it alone until I moved out last year. I drink a cup now and then and the flavor just keeps getting better and better! Sadly, I’m down to only three or four cups left :[