When I first realized, about two weeks ago, how much I liked green tea
I immediately bought some from coffee bean direct based on their
BizRate rating and the advertisement on google. However, I am
wondering if it was perhaps a mistake. It seems very odd to me that
their teas are at least 1/2 the price I find on any other website.
Does anybody here have any experience with them? I purchased some CO2
decaffeinated green and some Pinhead gunpowder (supposedly..) It'll be
here tomorrow. I'm looking for ways to tell if I receive what I
thought I purchased. Thus, is there any easy way to tell the
difference between CO2 decaffeinated tea and ethyl acetate
decaffeinated tea? I'm very suspicious as the stuff I purchased was
approx. 15 dollars a pound. The cheapest I've found elsewhere is
around 30.

-S.

I had never heard of coffee bean direct before your post, but it seems
like they have unbelievable pricing on their products. If the actual
tea shipped looks like what is in the photo's then it should be pretty
solid stuff.

I may have to buy some and check it out. 2lb. foil bags of tea for like
$5/lb is crazy

On 2006-01-23 19:31:34 -0800, "Dominic T." > said:

> I had never heard of coffee bean direct before your post, but it seems
> like they have unbelievable pricing on their products. If the actual
> tea shipped looks like what is in the photo's then it should be pretty
> solid stuff.
>
> I may have to buy some and check it out. 2lb. foil bags of tea for like
> $5/lb is crazy

I see that now. I was unaware that the tea they claim they are selling
is so expensive EVERYWHERE else. I just purchased from the first
vendor I thought had a decent price. Now I see nobody else sells for
that rate. It seems very strange to me that nobody else sells this tea
for that price. I would have expected to find at least one other
online vendor with a similar price, but I have searched to no avail.
That's why I'm worried I wasted my money. You usually get exactly what
you pay for. =/

I will let you know how it goes as I expect to receive them tomorrow.
I checked my tracking number and they got into town sometime today.
Thus, they should be delivered to my work tomorrow where I plan to brew
up a pot. I can take some pictures of the tea from home if you think
you can identify them for me

P.S. How can you tell anything from their tiny pictures? They're like
their enlarged versions are the size of my thumbnail!

-S.

S. Chancellor wrote:
> When I first realized, about two weeks ago, how much I liked green tea
> I immediately bought some from coffee bean direct based on their
> BizRate rating and the advertisement on google. However, I am
> wondering if it was perhaps a mistake. It seems very odd to me that
> their teas are at least 1/2 the price I find on any other website.
> Does anybody here have any experience with them? I purchased some CO2
> decaffeinated green and some Pinhead gunpowder (supposedly..) It'll be
> here tomorrow. I'm looking for ways to tell if I receive what I
> thought I purchased. Thus, is there any easy way to tell the
> difference between CO2 decaffeinated tea and ethyl acetate
> decaffeinated tea? I'm very suspicious as the stuff I purchased was
> approx. 15 dollars a pound. The cheapest I've found elsewhere is
> around 30.
>


If you like it and it is cheap, then what is the problem? Sounds like
a good situation to me. Others might not think it is good "quality"
but as long as you enjoy it, who cares?

Sometimes online vendors manipulate their prices to make them look
lower than they actually are by raising the shipping costs. If their
prices are low but the shipping costs are higher than everyone else's,
then the total cost might not be such a bargain after all. Be sure to
take the shipping into account when comparing prices. Just a thought.

Well, I think consensus here is that the vast, vast majority of tea and
tea-related paraphenalia sold in the western hemisphere is vastly
overpriced.

So either your vendor is just pricing the stuff at a reasonable rate or it's
decidedly inferior.

For example, I see gaiwans sold online and in "occidental" stores (ie those
stores that sell oriental merchandise to a western market) for $30-50. But
I've found those same gaiwans on a site I mentioned a few weeks ago for
around $5. This at first seemed to me an incredible price, but talking to
people in the know has convinced me that this price is about average, and
about what you'd pay at a store in the East or catering to Easterners.

So if the tea comes and seems ok to you, it could be that you've just found
a store that isn't marking up its wares 5000%.

S. Chancellor wrote:
>
> P.S. How can you tell anything from their tiny pictures? They're like
> their enlarged versions are the size of my thumbnail!

So I fall for the bait, and I go there, and in the list they have a
tiny thumbnail, and I click on a tea and next to the tea is a tiny
picture, but under the picture is a "click to enlarge" link, so I
dumbly click and a window pops up and - GAAAAH!! The Assam that Ate
Pittsburgh!!

Seriously. Were you being sarcastic? Those photos make each tea leaf
look like a stick of cinnamon...

--Blair

P.S. Holy boiling point, Batman! They're selling White Peony for $12 a
pound! Their $7/lb Darjeeling looks like a BOP, though...

"Pat" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> S. Chancellor wrote:
>> When I first realized, about two weeks ago, how much I liked green tea
>> I immediately bought some from coffee bean direct based on their
>> BizRate rating and the advertisement on google. However, I am
>> wondering if it was perhaps a mistake. It seems very odd to me that
>> their teas are at least 1/2 the price I find on any other website.
>> Does anybody here have any experience with them? I purchased some CO2
>> decaffeinated green and some Pinhead gunpowder (supposedly..) It'll be
>> here tomorrow. I'm looking for ways to tell if I receive what I
>> thought I purchased. Thus, is there any easy way to tell the
>> difference between CO2 decaffeinated tea and ethyl acetate
>> decaffeinated tea? I'm very suspicious as the stuff I purchased was
>> approx. 15 dollars a pound. The cheapest I've found elsewhere is
>> around 30.
>>
>
>
> If you like it and it is cheap, then what is the problem? Sounds like
> a good situation to me. Others might not think it is good "quality"
> but as long as you enjoy it, who cares?
>
> Sometimes online vendors manipulate their prices to make them look
> lower than they actually are by raising the shipping costs. If their
> prices are low but the shipping costs are higher than everyone else's,
> then the total cost might not be such a bargain after all. Be sure to
> take the shipping into account when comparing prices. Just a thought.
>

I'd agree with this and say: the "you get what you pay for" relationship is
not always exact. It seems to me that there are some sites that are way WAY
expensive, and while their tea may be just that tad bit more ethereal, I'm
not sure I want to pay double for the little bit of extra nuance that I
might get. Then there are places that do charge an arm and a leg for tea
that's not really that great. I think the only way you are going to be able
to tell is to taste. And look at it this way, if it doesn't taste good then
you're not out a ton of money. What really hurts is to pay an exhorbitent
amount for a tea and then get it home and find it's subpar. So I'd say, let
your palette be your guide...it will change too over time. Tea is (pardon
the pun) a very fluid hobby.

Melinda

Blair P. Houghton wrote:
> ...under the picture is a "click to enlarge" link, so I
> dumbly click and a window pops up and - GAAAAH!! The Assam that Ate
> Pittsburgh!!

Heh, yeah the photo's are huge and I kind of doubt that they are stock
photo's due to the size, so that was why I was guessing that they are
representative of the real thing. The Sencha green tea looks to be
pretty high quality if this proves true, and the White Peony deal is
very solid. My curiosity is now piqued, but I think my fiance will kill
me if I start buying 2lb. bags of tea now as I have two full cupboards
dedicated already I can't wait to hear how the quality turns out!

BTW: Blair you from PGH? Or just use it in your analogy? I live and
work near the 'burgh, where Steeler fever is in full, scary, force.

The prices fall in the range of penny/gram. Typical of commercial
Indian,Chinese,Ceylon.

Jim

S. Chancellor wrote:
> When I first realized, about two weeks ago, how much I liked green tea
> I immediately bought some from coffee bean direct based on their
> BizRate rating and the advertisement on google. However, I am
> wondering if it was perhaps a mistake. It seems very odd to me that
> their teas are at least 1/2 the price I find on any other website.
> Does anybody here have any experience with them? I purchased some CO2
> decaffeinated green and some Pinhead gunpowder (supposedly..) It'll be
> here tomorrow. I'm looking for ways to tell if I receive what I
> thought I purchased. Thus, is there any easy way to tell the
> difference between CO2 decaffeinated tea and ethyl acetate
> decaffeinated tea? I'm very suspicious as the stuff I purchased was
> approx. 15 dollars a pound. The cheapest I've found elsewhere is
> around 30.
>
> -S.

On 2006-01-23 23:01:35 -0800, "Blair P. Houghton"
> said:

>
> S. Chancellor wrote:
>>
>> P.S. How can you tell anything from their tiny pictures? They're like
>> their enlarged versions are the size of my thumbnail!
>
> So I fall for the bait, and I go there, and in the list they have a
> tiny thumbnail, and I click on a tea and next to the tea is a tiny
> picture, but under the picture is a "click to enlarge" link, so I
> dumbly click and a window pops up and - GAAAAH!! The Assam that Ate
> Pittsburgh!!
>
> Seriously. Were you being sarcastic? Those photos make each tea leaf
> look like a stick of cinnamon...
>
> --Blair
>
> P.S. Holy boiling point, Batman! They're selling White Peony for $12 a
> pound! Their $7/lb Darjeeling looks like a BOP, though...

Oops.. I only had looked at several green teas as I cannot stomach
black tea. I don't know what the oxidation process releases from the
tea but it causes me to have bad headaches and intestinal distress.
(Which is why I never drank much tea until i tried some green tea and
had no problems.. I didn't know it was the same plant until later or I
probably wouldn't have touched it.)

The pictures for the decaffeinated green tea I bought, and the jasmine
green tea I was looking at don't enlarge when you click them. That's
why I was confused The gunpowder, however, looking at it now,
appears to be the size of my head.

-S.

Dominic T. wrote:
> Heh, yeah the photo's are huge and I kind of doubt that they are stock
> photo's due to the size, so that was why I was guessing that they are
> representative of the real thing. The Sencha green tea looks to be
> pretty high quality if this proves true, and the White Peony deal is
> very solid. My curiosity is now piqued, but I think my fiance will kill
> me if I start buying 2lb. bags of tea now as I have two full cupboards
> dedicated already

LOL, my wife frequently says "why do you need more tea? Don't you have
enough already?"
Actually, she's more understanding than that, though she doesn't care
for the stuff herself -- she prefers those milk/chocolate syrup
concoctions with a shot of coffee in them.


stePH
np: King Crimson, "VROOOM"

jeez jim, you never let things go, do you?

> The prices fall in the range of penny/gram. Typical of commercial
> Indian,Chinese,Ceylon.
>
> Jim
>
> S. Chancellor wrote:
>> When I first realized, about two weeks ago, how much I liked green tea
>> I immediately bought some from coffee bean direct based on their
>> BizRate rating and the advertisement on google. However, I am
>> wondering if it was perhaps a mistake. It seems very odd to me that
>> their teas are at least 1/2 the price I find on any other website.
>> Does anybody here have any experience with them? I purchased some CO2
>> decaffeinated green and some Pinhead gunpowder (supposedly..) It'll be
>> here tomorrow. I'm looking for ways to tell if I receive what I
>> thought I purchased. Thus, is there any easy way to tell the
>> difference between CO2 decaffeinated tea and ethyl acetate
>> decaffeinated tea? I'm very suspicious as the stuff I purchased was
>> approx. 15 dollars a pound. The cheapest I've found elsewhere is
>> around 30.
>>
>> -S.
>

The mark ups can be crazy. I get temple of heaven gunpoweder for like 8
bucks for 500G at my local asian market. That's about 1/3 of what upton
sells it for I think.

OTOH, it could be inferior tea. Proof of the pudding is in the tasting.
Brew some up, see if you like it, and figure you didn't lose to much if
it isn't good (and gained a ton if it is)

On 2006-01-23 19:31:34 -0800, "Dominic T." > said:

> I had never heard of coffee bean direct before your post, but it seems
> like they have unbelievable pricing on their products. If the actual
> tea shipped looks like what is in the photo's then it should be pretty
> solid stuff.
>
> I may have to buy some and check it out. 2lb. foil bags of tea for like
> $5/lb is crazy

I received my tea today. The pinhead gunpowder is markedly smaller
than the Extra Gunpowder that I already have, it also tastes much
better. The CO2 decaffeinated tea I purchased has an odd smell to it,
almost like fresh cut grass. However, it does not brew green, but
rather almost the color of black tea. I care for it much less. I
don't know of any way to tell if it's really CO2 decaffeinated or not.

-S.

S. Chancellor wrote:
> I received my tea today. The pinhead gunpowder is markedly smaller
> than the Extra Gunpowder that I already have, it also tastes much
> better.

Well then I'd say you done good! Now I'm going to have to place an
order, my fiance will thank you, I'll share my experience once I
receive it.

>The CO2 decaffeinated tea I purchased has an odd smell to it,
> almost like fresh cut grass. However, it does not brew green, but
> rather almost the color of black tea. I care for it much less. I
> don't know of any way to tell if it's really CO2 decaffeinated or not.

I'm no expert in decaffeinated teas, especially CO2. At first when you
mentioned "fresh cut grass" I instantly thought it may be Sencha... but
then the the black hue when brewed threw me totally off. I can't for
the life of me figure out how a green tea with a fresh cut grass smell
could brew a black tea color, not even if CO2 was involved in any way.
I'll have to do some research on this one, you stumped me. But, how
does it taste? That was the only thing you left out.

- Dominic
Drinking: Shirakiku Brand Sen-Cha teabag

On 2006-01-25 03:37:03 -0800, "Dominic T." > said:

>
> S. Chancellor wrote:
>> I received my tea today. The pinhead gunpowder is markedly smaller
>> than the Extra Gunpowder that I already have, it also tastes much
>> better.
>
> Well then I'd say you done good! Now I'm going to have to place an
> order, my fiance will thank you, I'll share my experience once I
> receive it.

Just keep in mind I'm very much a novice. The tea I've preferred
most so far was some Loose Leaf Green tea from Stash at the super
market. It tasted very fresh and green to me. The bilochun is almost
as 'green', and the pinhead comes in after that. The two other
gunpowders I have were Extra Gunpowder from a brand called "FooJoy" and
Special Gunpowder from Tecksoon.

I hope that gives you some idea of what to expect.

>> The CO2 decaffeinated tea I purchased has an odd smell to it,
>> almost like fresh cut grass. However, it does not brew green, but
>> rather almost the color of black tea. I care for it much less. I
>> don't know of any way to tell if it's really CO2 decaffeinated or not.
>
> I'm no expert in decaffeinated teas, especially CO2. At first when you
> mentioned "fresh cut grass" I instantly thought it may be Sencha... but
> then the the black hue when brewed threw me totally off. I can't for
> the life of me figure out how a green tea with a fresh cut grass smell
> could brew a black tea color, not even if CO2 was involved in any way.
> I'll have to do some research on this one, you stumped me. But, how
> does it taste? That was the only thing you left out.

You're probably right. It seems that a lot of decaffeinated teas are
implicitly Sencha. The tea also isn't 'black' i didn't mean to imply
that. It doesn't taste like black tea either. It's very dark though,
darker than the cheap gunpowder I bought. It is almost the color that
my lipton tea bags make if they're not left in the water too long.

-S.

Dominic T. wrote:
> S. Chancellor wrote:
> > I received my tea today. The pinhead gunpowder is markedly smaller
> > than the Extra Gunpowder that I already have, it also tastes much
> > better.
>
> Well then I'd say you done good! Now I'm going to have to place an
> order, my fiance will thank you, I'll share my experience once I
> receive it.

Yes, do please report back. I'm still on the fence about this myself
-- I've never bought two pounds of any tea at any price.


stePH

S. Chancellor wrote:
> Just keep in mind I'm very much a novice.

Not a problem, believe me I've spent way more on other teas that were
trash... so I'm not holding you accountable. "Novice" or not - tea is
tea, and just like wine I can respect a "novice" opinion much more than
a so-called "expert." Over time you will really just further explore
teas that interest you personally, you will gain technique, water
temps., brewing times, and even respect for tea... taste will always
remain subjective.

If they had shipped you 2lbs. of lawn clippings or tea dust, then I
would be wary... but it seems like they are a reputable company and
ship a decent product at a good price. Nothing novice about that

> You're probably right. It seems that a lot of decaffeinated teas are
> implicitly Sencha. The tea also isn't 'black' i didn't mean to imply
> that. It doesn't taste like black tea either. It's very dark though,
> darker than the cheap gunpowder I bought. It is almost the color that
> my lipton tea bags make if they're not left in the water too long.

I did read up on the CO2 process and green teas, and from what I have
found *nothing* accounts for the darker brew you are getting. It is
true that most green teas don't produce a green color, but a weak
brown... but sencha generally makes a green brew. The color may be OK,
so I wouldn't worry too much about that. From what I found the CO2
process is actually very simple and does not affect the taste of the
tea much or any other quality for that matter except binding the
caffiene.

How did it taste? Earthy/grassy/fishy or more like Chinese Restaurant
tea?

> Yes, do please report back. I'm still on the fence about this myself
> -- I've never bought two pounds of any tea at any price.

I'm in thesame boat Steve.. The problem I have with buying that much is
unless you just guzzle it down how in the world are you going to use
thatmuch tea before it gets stale and old and .... before you just get plain
sick of it! The beauty of tea is that there are so many types. Seems like
you'd end up throwing most of it away out of sheer boredom

-Barky

Barky Bark wrote:
> > Yes, do please report back. I'm still on the fence about this myself
> > -- I've never bought two pounds of any tea at any price.
>
> I'm in thesame boat Steve.. The problem I have with buying that much is
> unless you just guzzle it down how in the world are you going to use
> thatmuch tea before it gets stale and old and .... before you just get plain
> sick of it! The beauty of tea is that there are so many types. Seems like
> you'd end up throwing most of it away out of sheer boredom
>
> -Barky

Yeah, 2lbs. is a ton of tea... but I was thinking of keeping about a
1/2-1lb. for myself and giving the rest away to friends/family. I know
I've gone through 1lb. of Jasmine Green Pearls in less than 6 months
and that is with drinking many other teas as well. I also use tea
canisters that keep the tea for quite a long time. For ~$10 even 1lb.
is a deal if it is fairly decent.

Dunno, I was on the fence too about it and still kind of am.

- Dominic
Drinking: Ginger Peach Black Tea

Barky Bark wrote:
> > Yes, do please report back. I'm still on the fence about this myself
> > -- I've never bought two pounds of any tea at any price.
>
> I'm in thesame boat Steve..

Who the **** is this "Steve" you keep talking to?


stePH

On 2006-01-25 06:37:10 -0800, "Dominic T." > said:

>
> S. Chancellor wrote:
>> Just keep in mind I'm very much a novice.
>
> Not a problem, believe me I've spent way more on other teas that were
> trash... so I'm not holding you accountable. "Novice" or not - tea is
> tea, and just like wine I can respect a "novice" opinion much more than
> a so-called "expert." Over time you will really just further explore
> teas that interest you personally, you will gain technique, water
> temps., brewing times, and even respect for tea... taste will always
> remain subjective.
>
> If they had shipped you 2lbs. of lawn clippings or tea dust, then I
> would be wary... but it seems like they are a reputable company and
> ship a decent product at a good price. Nothing novice about that
>
>> You're probably right. It seems that a lot of decaffeinated teas are
>> implicitly Sencha. The tea also isn't 'black' i didn't mean to imply
>> that. It doesn't taste like black tea either. It's very dark though,
>> darker than the cheap gunpowder I bought. It is almost the color that
>> my lipton tea bags make if they're not left in the water too long.
>
> I did read up on the CO2 process and green teas, and from what I have
> found *nothing* accounts for the darker brew you are getting. It is
> true that most green teas don't produce a green color, but a weak
> brown... but sencha generally makes a green brew. The color may be OK,
> so I wouldn't worry too much about that. From what I found the CO2
> process is actually very simple and does not affect the taste of the
> tea much or any other quality for that matter except binding the
> caffiene.

I'm red-green color deficient, so I asked someone else and it seems the
darkness of the tea is more an "orangy yellow". I think the problem
yesterday was I used too much tea for the amount of water. Today I
used half a teaspoon per 4oz cup of water and the brew initially came
out a yellowish green. It gets dark fairly quick while it's on the
warmer though, but all my teas turns darker as it sits. The dry smell
of the tea is like a cross between seaweed and grass. It kind of
bothers me because it's very sharp. It's not just the smell of seaweed
like some other green teas I tried. (Two others smell very strongly
like Kombu right when they're brewed.)

I'll bring my digital camera to work tomorrow and take some pictures.

> How did it taste? Earthy/grassy/fishy or more like Chinese Restaurant
> tea?

It doesn't taste how I "expect" green tea to taste. But it tastes
pretty much like all the other green tea I have It's fairly smooth
the way I brewed it today, no astringency and also a good taste, but
not very strong.

I'm very surprised about the variety in taste between green teas I've
tried. I am wondering if it has something to do with whether or not
the tea leaf was withered before it was steamed. I was just reading
that some are and some aren't.

-S.

On 2006-01-25 17:45:21 -0800, "Barky Bark" > said:

>> Yes, do please report back. I'm still on the fence about this myself
>> -- I've never bought two pounds of any tea at any price.
>
> I'm in thesame boat Steve.. The problem I have with buying that much is
> unless you just guzzle it down how in the world are you going to use
> thatmuch tea before it gets stale and old and .... before you just get plain
> sick of it! The beauty of tea is that there are so many types. Seems like
> you'd end up throwing most of it away out of sheer boredom
>
> -Barky

I, and my coworkers, probably use at least half an ounce of dry tea a
day at work. It'll be gone in about 2 months I brought in a
communal Mr. Coffee that we use to brew tea in. I figured should buy
some cheap loose tea to put in it. I started messing with loose tea
when I discovered that bagged tea gets spendy quick. Cruddy stash
bagged tea is upwards of 30 bucks a pound. I realized I could get good
tea and use that for cheaper

-S.

S. Chancellor > writes:

> [...]
> I'm very surprised about the variety in taste between green teas I've
> tried. I am wondering if it has something to do with whether or not
> the tea leaf was withered before it was steamed. I was just reading
> that some are and some aren't.

Yes, that has something to do with it. But mainly it's the simple
fact that green tea has been cultivated and manufactured for
(conservatively) two thousand years over a wide geographic range.
Would you be surprised at wide variation in the taste of wines?

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

> > I'm in thesame boat Steve..
>
> Who the **** is this "Steve" you keep talking to?

Aren't you Steve

Barky Bark wrote:
> > > I'm in thesame boat Steve..
> >
> > Who the **** is this "Steve" you keep talking to?
>
> Aren't you Steve

No, I am not. Why would you think that I am?


stePH
in cup: 2003 sheng brick puer, 1st infusion

Dominic T. wrote:
> ...
> - Dominic
> Drinking: Ginger Peach Black Tea

Where from? I love a good ginger peach black, but have only found a
couple worth drinking.


stePH
in cup: 2003 sheng brick puer

stePH wrote:
> Where from? I love a good ginger peach black, but have only found a
> couple worth drinking.

I buy most of my tea from one of four places, Wegmans, Fortune's,
Presto George, and local asian markets. Wegmans is a chain of
supermarkets that has the largest selection of high end loose teas for
sale of almost anywhere and you get your own and pay by weight.
Fortune's, Presto George, and the local asian shops (like Lotus Foods)
are in the Strip District in Pittsburgh, PA. Fortunes has a website:
http://www.fortunescoffee.com/ but Presto George just has their info:
Prestogeorge Fine Foods, Inc.
1728 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh PA 15222
412-471-0133
contact: Stan Prestogeorge

The Ginger Black is from Presto George in the Strip District in
Pittsburgh, PA. They have some of the most amazing teas and they do a
ton of cool custom blends and flavors. Republic of Tea has a decent,
not great, ginger peach black tea in bag form too that should be
available most places. Fortunes has a loose Mango black tea that is
very nice too and kinda similar.

Stan Prestogeorge is a good guy and they may be happy to ship you some
if you call, if not I can get prices and ship it to you with paypal or
something.

On 26 Jan 2006 18:06:40 -0800, Dominic T. wrote:

> Wegmans is a chain of
> supermarkets that has the largest selection of high end loose teas for
> sale of almost anywhere and you get your own and pay by weight.

Your Wegmans must stock more teas than ours does.

--
Derek

"Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive." --
Elbert Hubbard

I thought I saw people calling you steve.

Derek wrote:
> On 26 Jan 2006 18:06:40 -0800, Dominic T. wrote:
>
> > Wegmans is a chain of
> > supermarkets that has the largest selection of high end loose teas for
> > sale of almost anywhere and you get your own and pay by weight.
>
> Your Wegmans must stock more teas than ours does.

Hmm... I thought they all had the same stuff, but I guess not. The
Wegmans I go to is in State College, PA. They litterally have a 6' deep
x 20' wide alcove with all three walls made up of shelving like a
library from floor to cieling, and filled with 2lb. tins of loose tea
organized by type. It's called "The Tea Spot." It is litterally a
library of tea, and they are all mid-high quality... and some very
pricey. Most are in the $29.99-39.99/lb. price range. They have scales
and nice bags and you serve yourself. The stock changes with the
seasons properly, and at times they will have one or two world class
teas at enormous prices. But I can grab an ounce or two for a small
amount of money and drink some of the best teas in the world. They had
small tins of the highest grade Matcha made last time I went but they
were hundreds of dollars. It is quite possibly the most amazing thing
for a tea lover. Too bad I live 2 hours away from it, but I have family
there and they bring me or send me what I want.

Like right now at my desk I have: a full leaf Organic Tangerine White
Tea, Numi Spring White, Numi Earl Grey, Organic Strawbery Green (real
strawberries and sencha green... mmmm.), and a Keemun Black... all from
my last trip to Wegmans.

I would say Pittsburgh of all the places I've been has the most and
best selection of tea anywhere, which is insane, but true.

Dominic T. wrote:
>
> The Ginger Black is from Presto George in the Strip District in
> Pittsburgh, PA. They have some of the most amazing teas and they do a
> ton of cool custom blends and flavors. Republic of Tea has a decent,
> not great, ginger peach black tea in bag form too that should be
> available most places.

As I posted in another thread that nobody responded to*, Republic of
Tea's offering is more ginger than peach. Best I've had is from the
Perennial Tea Room in Seattle near Pike Place Market. I've since found
a loose-leaf version of the Zhena's Gypsy Tea, though it's called
"Ginger Peach" rather than "Passionate Peach" as the bagged version is,
the descriptions on the tins are identical. And the offering from the
Tao of Tea is just awful.

stePH
* http://tinyurl.com/875qd

Barky Bark wrote:
> I thought I saw people calling you steve.

You might have. They were wrong too.


stePH

stePH wrote:
> As I posted in another thread that nobody responded to*, Republic of
> Tea's offering is more ginger than peach. Best I've had is from the
> Perennial Tea Room in Seattle near Pike Place Market. I've since found
> a loose-leaf version of the Zhena's Gypsy Tea, though it's called
> "Ginger Peach" rather than "Passionate Peach" as the bagged version is,
> the descriptions on the tins are identical. And the offering from the
> Tao of Tea is just awful.

The stuff from Presto George is great, it is hand blended and all
natural so no artificial flavors and the peach is balanced well IMO. I
like ginger, so I guess I may be more tolerant of the ones with
stronger ginger flavors (I make tea from straight ginger root when I'm
sick) However, my fiance is the one who bought this tea and she does
not like ginger much.. so I'm pretty safe in saying that you'd like it.
The Mango tea from Fortune's is great too, and very similar to ginger
peach in flavor but no ginger so it is a very nice fruity taste.

I wasn't around in Oct. so I can't be held responsible for the previous
post going unnoticed I will surely agree that the Republic of tea is
not that great, passable-decent is about all I'd say for it. But to
make amends and since I can respect a good quest for perfection, I'd be
happy to ship you a small amount of the Presto George Ginger Peach to
try it on my behalf if you'd like.

- Dominic
Drinking: Hi-C Lavaburst Orange Drink from McDonalds

stePH wrote:
> Barky Bark wrote:
> > I thought I saw people calling you steve.
>
> You might have. They were wrong too.
>
>
> stePH

What is the name then? Is it a play on the word "Steep", is it short
for stephanie, I kinda assumed it had to do with "Steve" as well.

- me

Dominic T. wrote:
> I wasn't around in Oct. so I can't be held responsible for the previous
> post going unnoticed I will surely agree that the Republic of tea is
> not that great, passable-decent is about all I'd say for it. But to
> make amends and since I can respect a good quest for perfection, I'd be
> happy to ship you a small amount of the Presto George Ginger Peach to
> try it on my behalf if you'd like.

Sure thing! And I can send you some of the Perennial Tea Room's stuff
in return. I'll contact you off-group shortly.


stePH

Dominic T. wrote:
> What is the name then? Is it a play on the word "Steep", is it short
> for stephanie, I kinda assumed it had to do with "Steve" as well.

The name is "Stephen", pronounced as it's spelled (hint: not "Steven".)
The capital PH in my sig is meant to emphasize this.


stePH

stePH wrote:
> Dominic T. wrote:
> > What is the name then? Is it a play on the word "Steep", is it short
> > for stephanie, I kinda assumed it had to do with "Steve" as well.
>
> The name is "Stephen", pronounced as it's spelled (hint: not "Steven".)
> The capital PH in my sig is meant to emphasize this.
>
>
> stePH

Gotcha. So pronounced like "st-eff." Mine's Dominic.. pronounced,
pretty much like Dominic

On 27 Jan 2006 06:32:33 -0800, Dominic T. wrote:

> Derek wrote:
>> On 26 Jan 2006 18:06:40 -0800, Dominic T. wrote:
>>
>>> Wegmans is a chain of
>>> supermarkets that has the largest selection of high end loose teas for
>>> sale of almost anywhere and you get your own and pay by weight.
>>
>> Your Wegmans must stock more teas than ours does.
>
> Hmm... I thought they all had the same stuff, but I guess not. The
> Wegmans I go to is in State College, PA. They litterally have a 6' deep
> x 20' wide alcove with all three walls made up of shelving like a
> library from floor to cieling, and filled with 2lb. tins of loose tea
> organized by type. It's called "The Tea Spot." ... (snip)

Yes, we have a similar alcove called "The Tea Spot," but with the
exception of a 12 foot section at the back, it's not tins. Most of it
is bagged tea. There are only 30 or so tins of loose tea. They did
have some Adagio teas last weekend when we were there, but only a few.

I really do miss the tea shop in Minneapolis. I'll add it to the list
of reasons why moving to the DC area was a bad idea.

--
Derek

"I'm against a homogenized society, because I want the cream to rise.
-- Robert Frost

I thought the 'PH' stood for the whole acidity/alkalinity chemical symbol
thing.