Tea connoisseurs - Can you recommend a great brew?

Adamc

Wife doesn't drink alcohol but loves good tea. 

I'd love to hear your great loose tea blend recommendations. We have previously enjoyed Fortnums blends etc. 

She also loves a good herbal tea such as Birchall peppermint/lemongrass+ginger. 

Could people please recommend excellent tea I could get her as a gift?

I'm also in the market for a low-fuss infuser. One with minimal emptying/washing burden and doesn't get discoloured too easily (other than the unavoidable tannin staining)


Many thanks 

Farway

I use Portsmouth Blend, it's blended especially for our hard, chalky water so may not suit your area

I get mine from https://www.tea-and-coffee.com/, and you will see lots there to choose from, and I'm sure they could advise for your area's water

I see they have infusers as well but no idea about those because I use bog-standard tea pot & strainer

Emmia

Can I thoroughly recommend the tea house of Covent Garden... Sadly the physical shop has gone but they're still online

https://www.theteahouseltd.com/

They also sell an excellent range of infusers, although my OH is using one I bought from Whittards which is really for pots as he likes big mugs of tea (it gets dishwashered too). 

DigSunPap

As I live in Kent I feel as if I am well versed in tea tasting! We have a great choice here but my go to is this Kentish breakfast tea, have been buying it for years now and will never change.

https://www.tea-and-coffee.com/kentish-breakfast-tea-fbop

DullGreyGuy

East India Company (https://lifestyle.theeastindiacompany.com/collections/teas) do some fairly special teas... with associated prices at times. Not a big tea drinker myself but went to an event at one of their stores trying some of their mid priced items (for them) and was really surprised about the scale of differences between things (talking 1st and 2nd blush not comparing green and black tea)

DigSunPap

DullGreyGuy said:

East India Company (https://lifestyle.theeastindiacompany.com/collections/teas) do some fairly special teas... with associated prices at times. Not a big tea drinker myself but went to an event at one of their stores trying some of their mid priced items (for them) and was really surprised about the scale of differences between things (talking 1st and 2nd blush not comparing green and black tea)

This is a good shout also - have tried East India before and they are great

A._Badger

Try a  good single estate Assam tea. Not everyone likes the taste, which some people describe as malty, but if you do, and especially if you like your tea strong, then it may suit you. A good source at reasonable prices is teaparadise.co.uk. They have several to choose from.

Adamc

DigSunPap said:

DullGreyGuy said:

East India Company (https://lifestyle.theeastindiacompany.com/collections/teas) do some fairly special teas... with associated prices at times. Not a big tea drinker myself but went to an event at one of their stores trying some of their mid priced items (for them) and was really surprised about the scale of differences between things (talking 1st and 2nd blush not comparing green and black tea)

This is a good shout also - have tried East India before and they are great

I think I've heard of them on a radio programme and was meaning to try. 

DigSunPap

Adamc said:

DigSunPap said:

DullGreyGuy said:

East India Company (https://lifestyle.theeastindiacompany.com/collections/teas) do some fairly special teas... with associated prices at times. Not a big tea drinker myself but went to an event at one of their stores trying some of their mid priced items (for them) and was really surprised about the scale of differences between things (talking 1st and 2nd blush not comparing green and black tea)

This is a good shout also - have tried East India before and they are great

I think I've heard of them on a radio programme and was meaning to try. 

Do it!! - you wont regret it!

Brie

This is my OH's favourite place for loose tea.  I've bought some herbals there too (perfectly happy otherwise with Lidl's assam bags....) as well as the infuser tongs which are the simplest thing to use for a cuppa.  

Specialist Teas & Coffee Merchants | Online & Poole | IT's Tea (itstea.co.uk)

Rosa_Damascena

DigSunPap said:

Adamc said:

DigSunPap said:

DullGreyGuy said:

East India Company (https://lifestyle.theeastindiacompany.com/collections/teas) do some fairly special teas... with associated prices at times. Not a big tea drinker myself but went to an event at one of their stores trying some of their mid priced items (for them) and was really surprised about the scale of differences between things (talking 1st and 2nd blush not comparing green and black tea)

This is a good shout also - have tried East India before and they are great

I think I've heard of them on a radio programme and was meaning to try. 

Do it!! - you wont regret it!

I wouldn't touch it, based purely on the trading name of the company.

Sainsbury's red label is nothing special but a good option for an everyday cuppa.