I recently tried Lipton Pearl long-leaf tea. It's good. But it comes in those pyramid-shaped teabags, and it turns out they're made of NYLON! You can't put that in your compost bin because it does not break down.

What a disappointment. Of course, I can't recommend this tea, and can't buy it again.

What is the matter with these companies?

At RateTea.net they get it, too, Review of Black Pearl Tea,

Surprisingly different from Lipton teabags, and surprisingly high quality. Rich, malty aroma, some bitterness in the aftertaste but smoother up front. A remarkably pleasing, full-bodied tea. I recommend brewing for about 3 minutes...more and it becomes too tannic.

My main complaint about this one, like all of Lipton's pyramid teas, is the nylon teabags that are not biodegradable. Why can't they get this right?

Posted by Dave Johnson at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My wife is British, and if you know Brits you know that means there is a LOT of tea-drinking going on. So this surprised me ... until I read it: Brits love their coffee ... research

It's a banner day for coffee news at the Beeb. Java-related research dominates the list of most-emailed stories at BBC News.

Coming in at No. 1 is a report that "Coffee 'protects female memory." Three spots later, we learn that "Coffee 'boosts female sex drive."

... Scientists reported in Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour that caffeine made female rats randy during an experiment in which the rodents were dosed with the stimulant before mating. ...

Posted by Dave Johnson at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've got a bad cold. AND I'm doing my taxes. AND it's raining. AND it's cold. So it's a foul mood day, not a blogging day.

It's also a good day for Throat Coat tea. It's a slippery elm-based tea that soothes the throat. It works for me.

Posted by Dave Johnson at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was in a Peet's today to get a large decaf, and they had just put out a pot of their Russian Caravan tea. I tried a taste and wasn't ready for what happened. I'm not a big tea drinker, but I had an immediate, strong, positive reaction. This is a bold-tasting tea. It has a smoky flavor, a depth, the over-used word "dark," but smooth and not bitter at all, and for some reason I had an almost emotional reaction. I actually felt for a second like I was in a tent on the steppes hundreds of years ago, a fire heating us, surrounded by Cossacks and Mongolians, haggling over furs.

I am not a tea buyer I'm a coffee drinker. But I bought a tin of this, and will be enjoying it on occasion.

Here is the Peet's description of Russian Caravan,

Well-rounded blend of China blacks, with a full, smooth, slightly smoky flavor.

This tea is not of Russian origin, but is a blend in the tradition of the 19th century Russian tea trade. Horse and camel caravans would spend sixteen months making the roundtrip journey to eastern China and back, arriving in the Russian capital laden with chests of tea. The tea quite likely aged a bit during its long journey, and “Russian Caravan” tea probably improved with the opening of the trans-Siberian railroad. Peet’s Russian Caravan is our own blend of China black teas with a full, smooth, and smoky flavor.

Posted by Dave Johnson at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My local Peet's finally has some Peaberry Especial. I'll sample it tomorrow morning and write up a review. Meanwhile, my British wife solves the decaf tea problem by drinking Celestial Seasonings Caffeine-Free Tea. She loves it.

Posted by Dave Johnson at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From Anne -

I gave up caffeine about a year ago, after I had anxiety problems and ended up in the emergency room thinking I was having a heart attack. The state of the world has most to do with it, but I've found that caffeine was a significant component. I miss good black tea the most.

Because of my tea addiction, which had a ritual component to it (my husband's family is English), I've spent a lot of time and money trying to find truly good decaffeinated black tea. I have failed. Admittedly, the tea I used to drink was sort of the espresso of tea: an Irish blend called Lyons Gold. It made a very assertive, malty, brisk cup of tea. Non tea-drinkers who came to our house and were offered a cuppa would be served Lyons steeped perhaps 3 minutes (we always went for 5), with milk and no sugar unless they requested it. We made quite a few converts. "Oh, so THIS is what tea is supposed to be like!" Restaurants who bring you a metal pot of hot water and a separate tea bag are committing a crime against good tea-brewing practices. But that's another story.

Continue reading "Caffeine-no-more" »

Posted by Guest at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (3)

The other day I tasted a sample of Golden Congou at a local Peet's. It was wonderful, except...

Peet's describes the tea as,

Exquisitely crafted rare tea from China’s Wuyi Mountains. Golden tipped young leaves brew a bright malty cup with a refreshingly sweet finish.

That's why you're not supposed to ...

wait for it ...

Continue reading "Leaves" »

Posted by Dave Johnson at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)