Tea Nerds

  I think I have a new favorite tea to add to my list! I've wanted to try The Grand Arbiter's Existential Despair from Tea Punk Teas for awhile now and last week I made the leap to order. It arrived today and it's LOVELY! It smells amazing and that scent makes it into the tea after it's brewed and into the taste. I brewed it for 4 minutes and it's a lovely brandy color. It's great black and with creamy oat milk and honey.  They also sent a sample of another that I'd been considering (how did they know?????) - Rotgut Assam, a blend of Assam, orange peel, ginger, and Scotch. I haven't tried it yet but I'm excited to... Not today as it's nearly 3pm, so getting late for high caffeine.     I love that they gave me a title... The Brave! I most certainly am enjoying my Despair! Tea Punk Teas if you'd like to check them out.  I've heard grand things about them in the past and I'm looking forward to trying other teas from them in th...

 Loose leaf tea - the beginnings for a beginner  First of all, this progression of posts that we're about to start is not at all about telling you what kind of tea you should or should not be drinking.  Many people drink bagged tea, loose leaf tea, or a combination of the two.  Personally, I used to drink all bagged tea but have transitioned to drinking mostly loose leaf but I keep some bagged tea around for when I'm tired or in a hurry and need convenience.  I still peruse the tea aisle in Walmart or the grocery store to see if there's anything that I just "have to try"! Tea bags truly are more convenient but they tend to be filled with smaller bits of tea leaf and often have a lot of tea "dust" in them.   Loose leaf tea is larger pieces of tea leaf and is often whole tea leaves that are dried and processed by artisans in order to give the consumer a better tea experience when they steep and drink their tea.   The larger piece of tea leaf th...