Sam Strano > wrote in message >. ..
> Does tea go stale, and if it does how long does it take?

Depends on the tea, e.g. a fresh Darjeeling first flush lasts for 8 to
12 month (the more fruity and the more "oolongish" the shorter the
period), a Darjeeling Inbetween lasts for 4 to 6 month (also mostly a
question of the fleeting "fruity" character), in contrast a Darjeeling
second flush lasts up to six years!

Dieter