I am a newbie myself, and may forever be (at least until I retire or
have a few more hours in the day) but here are my thoughts. I find that
the enjoyment of tea comes in just trying some different things and
taking the time to pay attention to it both in preparation and
subsequent intake. This can be done with almost any decent quality tea,
which can be picked up at many vendors. I've had most fun with loose
leaf teas because the tea leaves themselves can be interesting in how
they unfurl. I would suggest a cheap kettle and one of those Chinese
thermoses on ebay and maybe a sampler pack from somewhere reputable like
Upton, SpecialTeas, etc. Follow the instructions on the bag. For
greens, maybe go a little cooler. Be careful with Darjeelings because
an oversteep can become very bitter (in a bad way) in my experience.

As for the rest, I've found the most rewarding tea experience is one
where I just take the opportunity to relax and immerse myself in the
experience.

The indexing, classification, experimentation, rating, and accessorizing
of tea is all fun too, but its secondary to the tea drinking experience
itself.

My 2c
Steve

CE - Curt E. wrote:
> I know there are rich histories and complex processes of tea production and
> tea preparation. I realize there are many different teas and blends
> thereof. I want to learn all about it and where to get the freshest and
> best of it all.
>
> Where should I go...web...web store...real store/place...books? What should
> I do?
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> Curt E.
>
>