demiurgent | Teas I am currently drinking a lot of. (Reply)

I know this is of tremendous value to you all.

My current tea list: (in no particular order)

Lapsong Souchong (Taylors of Harrogate brand): This is one of my favorite teas, really. It’s a smoky black tea, which means that it’s entirely fermented (and the leaves are therefore black), but during the process it is infused with woodsmoke. It tastes like hickory smoke, almost, as a moderately light accent, though pine smoke is typically used. I use Lapsong Souchong when I’m trying to clear my head, or want to enjoy what I’m drinking.
Tesco Irish Blend: My systems administrator at work is Irish, and when she goes home she likes to bring presents back with her. This is a common black supermarket tea in Ireland, notable for being stronger, more robust and generally better than most American Orange Pekoe teas. I typically keep my Tesco at the office and have a cup when I first get in.
Red Rose: It’s a potent cup of tea, the advertisements say. Red Rose is the tea I have drunk most often in my life, having been raised on it. Traditionally, Red Rose is one of the best orange pekoe black teas in America, and a nicely decent basic tea. I think the quality has slipped a bit in recent years, or else my palate has improved as I drink more delicate teas. Still, if I’m drinking tea at home, I’m often drinking Red Rose.
Earl Grey (Twinings Brand: I resisted being an Earl Grey drinker for years. It was so... cliché. Everyone who wanted a no-brainer way to drink tea they thought elevated them over the common base tea drinker drank Earl Grey. It was as pretentious as the guy who order the latte drink in Seattle and uses every possible drink permutation and superfluous word (”I’ll have a Caffe Latte, Vendi double nonfat decaf with two shots of vanilla, medium foam and cinnamon.” “One drip coffee coming up, jerkwater.”) but without the sophistication that requires. Still, I finally got old enough that I could enjoy Earl Grey for what it is rather than what other people think it is. In the privacy of my own home, at least.
Instant Chrysanthemum Beverage: A guilty pleasure from the asian market. For under a buck you get ten plastic sacks of something that looks like instant coffee but produces a vague tealike drink with sugar and lemon. Now, people who know me know I despise sugar in tea. I still do. But despite being on this list, Instant Chrysanthemum Beverage (I swear that’s what it’s called) just isn’t close enough to tea to trigger my teasnobbery.