I stopped using Lipton tea about 15 years ago. I tried a number of
different brands, both in the same price range and above, and found
without exception that every one of them was superior to Lipton, which
in comparison seemed too astringent and lacking in body.

A couple of months ago, I had to attend a seminar so I had to resort to
buying a cup of tea instead of making my own, and the only choice was
Lipton. I was surprised when it tasted a lot better than I thought it
would. Of course, my expectations were not that high to begin with.

I just returned from grocery shopping and on a whim, bought two boxes
of Lipton tea bags because they were on sale - 2 boxes of 100 tea bags
for $5. I figured that, if nothing else, they could be used to make
iced tea. When I got home, I decided to make a cup, just out of
curiosity. I let it infuse for 5 minutes, and it made a nice, dark
brew - just how I like it. In the past, I seem to remember Lipton
making a very pale liquor. I am sipping on it right now, and I must
say it is surprisingly good with none of the astringency that I
remember from years ago. This is a much smoother, full-bodied tea than
what I grew up with.

Lipton's packaging has changed significantly in recent years, but I had
assumed that the tea itself had stayed the same. Now I am convinced
that they have changed their blend. Probably they were losing market
share and were forced to improve the quality. Either that or my taste
buds have gone to hell altogether -- LOL!!

I definitely would have no qualms about drinking Lipton in the future.
I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this change?

Rob wrote:
>Either that or my taste
> buds have gone to hell altogether -- LOL!!
>
> I definitely would have no qualms about drinking Lipton in the future.
> I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this change?

I'm going with the downward spiral of your poor tastebuds.

Honestly it can be a couple of factors. Time of day, quality of water,
and personal taste. They only have Lipton in my office (which I barely
ever touch) but when I do it is always to add some sugar to and get all
the caffeine and sugar as possible early in the day or to keep me going
for the last hour.

It is always slightly bitter and acidic and harsh, especially if brewed
for 5 minutes! However, I'm always one to say go with what tastes good
to *you* not some critic or whoever else. My best suggestion to you
would be to try a few other teas in this class and then decide: Taj
Mahal Brand Tea (found in Indian groceries), PG Tips, Typhoo (nice if
you like strong tea), or a good english breakfast tea.

I have not noticed any changes, or any changes for the better in Lipton
over the past 10 years or so... but that's just me.

- Dominic
Drinking: Taj Mahal Brand Assam w/honey

Dominic T. wrote:


> Honestly it can be a couple of factors. Time of day, quality of water,
> and personal taste. They only have Lipton in my office (which I barely
> ever touch) but when I do it is always to add some sugar to and get all
> the caffeine and sugar as possible early in the day or to keep me going
> for the last hour.
>
> It is always slightly bitter and acidic and harsh, especially if brewed
> for 5 minutes! However, I'm always one to say go with what tastes good
> to *you* not some critic or whoever else. My best suggestion to you
> would be to try a few other teas in this class and then decide: Taj
> Mahal Brand Tea (found in Indian groceries), PG Tips, Typhoo (nice if
> you like strong tea), or a good english breakfast tea.
>


I've ben drinking PG Tips and Taj Mahal for quite a while now. I am
not saying that Lipton is the best tea I've ever had, but what I had
today was perfectly acceptable in a bind. And believe me, before this
I would not touch any Lipton product with a 10-foot pole. Taj Mahal
still remains my favorite because the price is right and it is a
stronger brew than Lipton.

I do think the mainstream brands have been forced to improve their
blends due to the increased availablity of gourmet teas. I read that a
few years ago Tetley changed its formula. They replaced their
"original" blend with the "classic" blend, which is supposedly the same
blend they sell in the UK. I am beginning to think that Lipton may
have quietly done the same. I noticed that the phrase "Brisk" no
longer appears on their packaging. In fact, the package is a lot
closer to the Lipton Yellow Label packaging that the rest of the world
gets.

The Lipton provided in your office may be a foodservice version or it
may just be old. There's a takeout place in the lobby of my building
where coffee and tea are sold and I noticed that they are still selling
Tetley Original Blend, which was discontinued by Tetley about six years
ago.

Rob wrote:
> I've ben drinking PG Tips and Taj Mahal for quite a while now. I am
> not saying that Lipton is the best tea I've ever had, but what I had
> today was perfectly acceptable in a bind. And believe me, before this
> I would not touch any Lipton product with a 10-foot pole. Taj Mahal
> still remains my favorite because the price is right and it is a
> stronger brew than Lipton.

I wasn't sure if you had tried any of those or not, sorry I'm new
'round here. The Lipton we have in my office is bought weekly from the
grocery store next door. One box of decaf and one regular, so it is
fresh (as can be) and regular retail stock. I realy haven't noticed a
difference, not to say there hasn't been one, just that I haven't
detected it. I do think a lot of both coffee and tea companies have had
to get their stuff together and put out a little better product (or
market their old product as new and hip and "premium") to compete, but
Lipton is still pretty low on my personal list. I always hate to seem
like a tea snob, it is just that the same money can buy me so many more
wonderful teas from the asian market that it is hard for me to even
consider Lipton. Even a change to Salada or Red Rose is a step above
Lipton to me, so I really place it low. Any tea that I can't drink
without adding sugar is at the bottom.

- Dominic
Drinking: Chamomille Tea.

Dominic T. wrote:

> Lipton is still pretty low on my personal list. I always hate to seem
> like a tea snob, it is just that the same money can buy me so many more
> wonderful teas from the asian market that it is hard for me to even
> consider Lipton. Even a change to Salada or Red Rose is a step above
> Lipton to me, so I really place it low. Any tea that I can't drink
> without adding sugar is at the bottom.


I agree with you. Lipton is by no means my favorite; all I am saying
is that it will do in a pinch. In the past, I might have said I'd
rather have nothing at all. I drank Red Rose for many years but got
lately I have gotten tired of it. It just seemed tasteless to me after
I'd been drinking Taj Mahal for a while. Maybe after some time away
from it, it will taste better to me, like the Lipton does.

I had another cup of Lipton this afternoon. It was not horrible, but I
didn't enjoy it as much as I did that first cup earlier in the day.
Maybe that first cup just exceeded my low expectations. I will
probably use the rest of the Lipton for iced tea. Iced tea seems to
taste pretty much the same no matter what brand I use, so I tend to use
whatever is cheap and save my money for more expensive teas that I like
to drink hot.

On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 09:20:26 -0800, Rob wrote:

> I stopped using Lipton tea about 15 years ago. I tried a number of
> different brands, both in the same price range and above, and found
> without exception that every one of them was superior to Lipton, which
> in comparison seemed too astringent and lacking in body.
>
> A couple of months ago, I had to attend a seminar so I had to resort to
> buying a cup of tea instead of making my own, and the only choice was
> Lipton. I was surprised when it tasted a lot better than I thought it
> would. Of course, my expectations were not that high to begin with.
>
> I just returned from grocery shopping and on a whim, bought two boxes
> of Lipton tea bags because they were on sale - 2 boxes of 100 tea bags
> for $5. I figured that, if nothing else, they could be used to make
> iced tea. When I got home, I decided to make a cup, just out of
> curiosity. I let it infuse for 5 minutes, and it made a nice, dark
> brew - just how I like it. In the past, I seem to remember Lipton
> making a very pale liquor. I am sipping on it right now, and I must
> say it is surprisingly good with none of the astringency that I
> remember from years ago. This is a much smoother, full-bodied tea than
> what I grew up with.
>
> Lipton's packaging has changed significantly in recent years, but I had
> assumed that the tea itself had stayed the same. Now I am convinced
> that they have changed their blend. Probably they were losing market
> share and were forced to improve the quality. Either that or my taste
> buds have gone to hell altogether -- LOL!!
>
> I definitely would have no qualms about drinking Lipton in the future.
> I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this change?


I have been drinking Lipton's green tea and like it. I quit drinking
Lipton's black many years ago because it made my teeth extra sensitive.
Today I fished a 4 oz can of Twining's Jasmine from the back of a top
shelf. It has been there for many years. Instead of throwing it out, I
made a pot for lunch. It was still fragrant and tasted good. How long
will tea keep as a general rule? MLB

mlbriggs wrote:

>
> > How long
> will tea keep as a general rule? MLB

It depends on the type of tea and how it is being stored. Fannings and
dust, which are used in tea bags, deteriorate more quickly than whole
leaves. The usual advice is to use it within one year of manufacture.

That being said, however, at other peoples' houses I have had tea made
from very old teabags - Red Rose and Tetley. I could tell they were
old because the packaging had been redesigned several years earlier,
and these were still the old design. I cringed when I saw that, but I
was surprised that the tea tasted just fine.

I had another cup of Lipton this afternoon. I did not enjoy it as much
as the first one from this morning. It is not as good as PG Tips or
Taj Mahal, but it still seems a lot better than I remembered it being
years ago.

"Has anyone tried Lipton tea lately?"

When hell freezes over maybe.

wrote:
> "Has anyone tried Lipton tea lately?"
>
> When hell freezes over maybe.


Wow, what a helpful response!

Pat wrote:
> wrote:
> > "Has anyone tried Lipton tea lately?"
> >
> > When hell freezes over maybe.
>
>
> Wow, what a helpful response!

If we're talking about the Lipton tea sold bagged in US supermarkets,
said response is right on the money.


stePH

Rob wrote:
> That being said, however, at other peoples' houses I have had tea made
> from very old teabags - Red Rose and Tetley. I could tell they were
> old because the packaging had been redesigned several years earlier,
> and these were still the old design. I cringed when I saw that, but I
> was surprised that the tea tasted just fine.

Well, to think about it, good tea is picked in Spring, and is still
pretty
darned good in Winter. Back when tea was a major economic driver
of the British Empire, it could take months for the stuff to get from
garden to shop, sit there for a few months, end up in a caddy, , and
quite some time to reach the bottom of the caddy.

It doesn't go off, and if kept cool and dry and dark and away from
circulating
air, it shouldn't deteriorate too quickly. And if it started out at a
lower
quality, you can hardly expect to see it get much worse than you'd
expect
new low-quality tea to be.

Makes me wonder what Pu-erh would taste like if the mold didn't set
in...

--Blair

Blair P. Houghton wrote:
>
And if it started out at a
> lower
> quality, you can hardly expect to see it get much worse than you'd
> expect
> new low-quality tea to be.
>

Well, I don't know about that. If I had to have low quality tea, I
would at least prefer it to be fresh, wouldn't you? And I wouldn't
want something that was really stale, no matter how high quality it was
purported to be when it was first made.