My First Post

I have been researching blogs, especially tea blogs, for weeks. I finally decided I am overthinking the whole thing. So, I am jumping in with both feet. I'll figure out how to swim later.

I started my tea journey in the 70's when I would go to the grocery store with my mom and buy Bigelow tea. Constant Comment was the first I believe. Back then the bags were packed in a heavy cardboard 'tin' with a metal top and bottom. You had to pry the oval shaped metal lid off. I thought this brand tea was quite special. My family drank only Lipton. It was always unsweet and iced. I was the rebel. In my wild child craziness I also drank Bigelow's Lemon Lift and Cinnamon Stick, however, it was Earl Grey that really converted me to the journey.

It was probably around the beginning of the 21st century when I first tried Twinings. Earl Grey of course. Then one day I tried Twinings Earl Grey Green Tea. I was hooked, or maybe addicted. When Twinings stopped selling this tea locally I went into depression... and withdrawal. I found Ahmad Green Earl Grey on Amazon and once again I was in love.

By 2010 I was trying all kinds of bagged teas besides Twinings and Ahmad. Stash and Republic of Tea were a couple of the bigger names. One day I discovered a world food mart in a nearby town that had an entire aisle dedicated to teas. It seemed like heaven. From this experience I moved beyond black teas and green teas, to discover the world of oolongs and even puerhs.

I had tried loose leaf tea with Ahmad Green Earl Grey a few times and liked it but I wasn't convinced there was a significant taste difference. Then in the summer of 2011 I found a tea vendor within 2 hours of my home. I brought home four teas that day and my journey was turned upside down. I could not believe how much flavor I had been missing. I also could not believe a single teaspoon of leaf could be reused 5 or 6 times. I was blown away.

Since then I have had the pleasure to try many more loose teas. I discovered good puerh could be steeped 14 or 15 times. I learned there are many many varieties of unflavored teas. I am now on a quest to try them all. I hope you join me.