☕ Tea Time 2019

As I’m down to my last tin of tea, other than my large tin of Iranian Ceylon, it is time to do another tea order. My previous order was in May 2017, and before that in July 2015, in November 2013, and in April 2012,  so it is just about a 2 year cycle. Again, the bulk of the order is from Upton Tea (who has great varietals), except for teas that they are out of. Here’s what I’m ordering this time (as before, teas shown with ✨ are new this year (the addition of ⑰ indicates new due to updates at Upton); ☕⑰ indicates teas first ordered in 2017; ☕⑮ teas first ordered in 2015; ☕⑬ indicates teas first ordered in 2013; and ☕⑫ teas first ordered in 2012; further ☕ indicates black teas, and 🍵 indicates green teas; and (2017 Price)):

1. TD50: No.1 Tippy Orthodox GFOP Darjeeling. ☕⑬. An exceptional golden tip Darjeeling blend. We first introduced this tea in 1990 and it continues to be our most popular Darjeeling. $10.25 ($9.75) / 125g.
2. TA20: Tippy Orthodox FBOP Assam. ☕⑰ A uniform, broken-leaf tea with bold character and strong, malty flavor. This tea is a great choice for breakfast and throughout the day. $7.00 ($6.50) / 100g.
3. TA27: Halmari CTC BOP. ☕⑰ A bold CTC style tea with rich flavor. The dark liquor will readily take milk. Especially suited as a bracing morning tea. $6.75 ($6.25) / 125g.
4. TN10: Nilgiri Broken Orange Pekoe.  ☕⑬. Located in southern India, Nilgiri produces teas similar to those of Ceylon, yet with a distinctive character. This British style Nilgiri produces a flavorful cup that is excellent with milk. ($4.00 ($6.40₂₀₁₃) / 100g (125g₂₀₁₃))
5. TP12: Premium China Keemun. ☕⑮ Often called the burgundy of China teas, this North China Congou is rich, flavorful and appropriate for any time of day. We offer this as our basic Keemun, although it is in the middle range of the standard series. $7.00 ($6.50) / 125g.
6. ZG20: First Grade Gunpowder Green. 🍵⑫ Superior grade of green tea in the style of gunpowder teas (tightly rolled tea leaves resembling gunpowder pellets). $5.75/125g.
7. ZG14: Young Hyson Imperial Organic. 🍵⑮ This organic tea has the bold flavor of a high-fired tea, yet it has a pleasing smoothness with delicate sweetness. The thin, well-twisted leaves produce a liquor with a pale green color. This is a very popular style of China green tea with a bolder leaf. $6.50 ($6.00) / 100g.
8. ZO20: Roasted Oolong. ✨☕. This tea begins as a classic, medium-oxidized Tie-Guan-Yin Oolong, processed in the traditional style. It is finished and cured with a slow firing in bamboo baskets over a charcoal fire. The result is a tea with smooth, rich and inviting character. $6.25 / 125g.
9. TB49: Darjeeling-Ceylon Iced Tea Blend. ☕⑫ Half whole-leaf Darjeeling and half OP Ceylon. A great hot tea as well! The brewing information provided is for making an iced tea concentrate. $7.50 ($7.00) / 125g.
10. TB15: Java Blend. ☕⑬ A rich breakfast blend especially suited for those who enjoy a powerful cup in the morning. This also is a great choice for iced tea. Java teas are never expensive, so you get the best produced for a few cents a cup. $6.25 ($5.75) / 125g.
11. TK12: Rukeri Estate Rwanda BOP Organic. ☕⑰  The cup has a full flavor and aroma, with a medium body. May be enjoyed plain, but it is strong enough to accommodate a touch of milk. Longer steepings yield a robust cup with notes of rose and peppery hints. At briefer steepings, the liquor is sweeter and more delicate. $7.00 ($6.50) / 125g.
12. TC32: Kandy OP. ✨☕⑬. A whole-leaf Ceylon tea of excellent flavor and good color. Highly recommended for the Ceylon enthusiast. This is a new bolder leaf version of this popular selection. $7.75 / 100g. ($5.70 in 2013)
13. TC52: Somerset Estate BOP Breakfast Blend. ✨☕ A perfect choice for breakfast tea, this broken-leaf selection wakes you up with its brisk, refreshing aroma. Notes of honey and a light floral hint blend harmoniously with a rich, toasty character. $5.00 / 100g.
14. TC05: Ceylon BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe). ☕⑮  A choice blend of regional Ceylons. $6.50 ($6.00) / 125g.
15. TB02: Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend. ☕⑮  A tribute to the famous London tea auctions, our Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend is a blend of two classic British teas: a brisk Ceylon and a thick, malty Assam. The result is a flavorful mixture which lends itself to the addition of milk. $7.00 ($6.50) / 125g.
16. TB05: Mincing Lane Breakfast Blend. ☕⑫ For this blend, we paired a hearty Assam with a smooth and flavorful Yunnan, for a cup that is highly enjoyable. The invigorating liquor has a full mouth feel, subtle spicy notes, and a lingering aftertaste. While milk is recommended, it is enjoyable plain. $9.25 ($8.75) / 125g.
17. TB14: Scottish Breakfast Blend. ☕⑮  Blended to appeal to those who favor an eye-opening experience in the morning, this tea yields a cup with a round, full flavor, malty notes, and brisk character. A perfect choice to start the day. $6.75 ($6.25) / 125g.
18. TB30: Kensington Breakfast Blend. ☕⑰  A bit lighter than our River Shannon Blend, this English Breakfast style tea is a rich blend of Assam, Ceylon, and Keemun. Best with milk. $7.50 ($7.00) / 125g
19. TB75: Baker Street Afternoon Blend. ☕⑮  A bit of Lapsang Souchong is blended with Keemun and Darjeeling, yielding a mildly smoky tea. Perfect for an afternoon uplift. Another special (whole-leaf) blend from our London source of fine teas. $8.75 ($8.25) / 125g.
20. TB86: Richmond Park Blend. ☕⑮  A mellow, whole-leaf blend of Keemun, Ceylon, and Darjeeling. An exceptional tea which is smooth enough for drinking plain, and sturdy enough to take milk or lemon. From our London blender. $8.75 ($8.25) /125g.
21. NT01 Naturally Flavored Earl Grey Creme Vanilla. ✨☕  This naturally flavored black tea selection provides a wonderful balance of a classic Earl Grey with creamy vanilla notes. The rich cup is smooth and satisfying. $9.00 / 100g. This is the replacement for the Monk’s Blend I used to order.
22. TE92 Naturally Flavored Almond Vanilla Delight. ✨☕ This naturally flavored black tea produces a dark copper liquor fragrant with notes of vanilla and a hint of marzipan. A lovely sweetness envelops the almond vanilla notes, finishing with a hint of spice. Add your choice of milk to create a delicious latte, hot or iced. $5.50 / 125g.
23. TF92 Naturally Flavored Tropical Black Tea. ✨☕  A melange of dried papaya, passion fruit and pineapple, blended with a rich black tea, creates a decadent tropical fruit experience. Fragrant and sweet, this tea is wonderful hot or iced. $7.25 / 125g. This is my fruit-blend selection for this order.
24. NF90 Naturally Flavored Vanilla Tea. ✨☕⑰ This naturally flavored, whole-leaf black tea is smooth and rich with creamy vanilla flavor. The aroma is fragrant with notes of sweet vanilla bean. Enjoy this decadent treat any time of day. $10.50 / 100g. This replaces the previously non-artificially flavored version.
25. NT85 Naturally Flavored Creme Caramel Tea. ✨☕⑰  Small caramel pieces are added to a black tea base, giving this naturally flavored selection a sweet creamy fragrance and rich caramel flavor. Enjoyable hot or iced, savor this delicious blend any time of day. This product contains dairy. $9.50 / 100g. This replaces the previously non-artificially flavored version.
26.  TD06: Darjeeling BOP Blend. ☕⑰ The best value in Darjeeling tea. Broken leaf Darjeeling is often overlooked, either because the price is so reasonable or because too much value is placed on a more stylish leaf. This flavorful BOP blend offers a great cup at a very attractive price. $12.75 ($8.25) / 125g.

Additionally, I ordered the following for my wife:

1. ZG30: Special Grade Temple of Heaven Gunpowder Green. ✨🍵.  This high-grade Gunpowder tea is rich and full-bodied with a pronounced sweetness. A hint of tobacco complements the herbaceous flavor and lingers into the finish. $6.00/125g.
2. ZJ41: Chung-Hao Special Grade Jasmine. ✨☕. Chung-Hao Jasmine belongs to the same series of China Jasmine tea as Yin-Hao, but is less expensive. Delicate silver tips adorn the well-made leaves, producing a light, refreshing cup redolent with the heady fragrance of jasmine blossoms. A rich sweetness blooms and lingers into the finish. [May be out of stock – if so, substitute TP70 China Jasmine, $6.50/125g]
3. NT90: Naturally Flavored Christmas Tea.  ✨☕⑰. This naturally flavored black tea is decorated with orange peels, almonds, cloves, cardamom, vanilla and rose petals. A sweet cinnamon aroma with a light floral hint introduces a flavorful cup with notes of citrus and spice. The finish is smooth and lingering. The perfect treat for those festive occasions. This product contains tree nuts (almonds). $9.50 / 125g. This replaces the previously non-artificially flavored version.
4. NT94D Naturally Flavored Melange de Chamonix.  ✨☕⑰. Fine black tea is blended with cocoa, cardamom and cinnamon to produce a balanced and warming cup. This naturally flavored selection offers a decadent treat for any chocolate or tea lover. This replaces the previously non-artificially flavored version. $20.00 / 250g.
5. TG11D Green Tea Blueberry. ✨🍵. Dried blueberries and natural flavoring complement the smooth China green tea base, yielding a pale gold liquor with refreshing blueberry notes and a crisp, clean finish. This well-balanced blend tastes delicious hot or iced! $9.50 / 200g.
6. TX30D Decaffinated Masala Chai. ✨☕ A wonderful blend of warming spices – ginger, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper – complements the rich flavor of this CO2 decaffeinated black tea selection. Great hot or iced. $24.75 / 250g.
7. BH45D Organic Spearmint. ✨☕  A select lot of our organic, coarse cut spearmint (formerly BH43). Great for blending with green tea or steeping alone as a refreshing, caffeine-free beverage. $9.75 / 100g.

For reference, here are some links to even older tea orders: 2012 (Franklin Tea (which, alas, closed in 2015), Stash Tea, Upton Tea), 2011 (Franklin Tea, Stash Tea), 2010 (Special Teas (which was owned by, and later merged into, Teavana, and of course Teavana was later purchased by Starbucks), Stash Tea, Franklin Tea), 2009 (Stash Tea), 2008 (Franklin Tea, Stash Tea, Surfas, Lupicia, Teavana), 2007 (Stash Tea), 2006 #2 (Stash Tea), 2006 #1 (Stash Tea, Adagio Tea), and 2004 (Stash Tea).

 

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as ☕ Tea Time 2019 by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

👓 Rose Colored Retrospect Glasses

There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t see a post from a friend on Facebook touting how much better things were in the past. These posts come from friends on all sides of the political spectrum; what they have in common is that they are old farts like me. The implication was that we had it better back in the days when our parents disciplined us if we were wrong, when we were free to wander where we wanted, when there were limited selections on TV, where you where held accountable for your actions, where you were coddled and given “participation awards”, where you weren’t tethered to your electronic masters, where … I’m sure you have the idea.

Guess what? This particular “old fart” thinks you are wrong. This particular “old fart” thinks you are looking at the past through rose colored retrospect glasses. As Tom Paxton oft says, it’s OK to look back, as long as you don’t stare. These folks are staring.

Often these “it was better back then” posts have an implicit message of “it was better back when we had our privilege intact”. These posts are primarily being made by those who were white “back in the day” (well, to be true, they are still white now), and they neglect the fact that if you weren’t part of the “privileged” group than life was pretty bad. There was segregation in the South, minorities were targets of abuse, and those with different sexual orientations were ostracized and bullied. Most folks just didn’t see it and weren’t aware of it, and so they were “good times”. This “old fart”: I’d rather live in a time where we are all accepted and valued, irrespective of skin color or sexual orientation. Although not perfect, things are much better these days.

What about discipline? Often these posts wistfully recall the days where you’re parents would smack you if you were bad, where school administrators used paddles to keep kids in line, where society, in general, accepted violence against kids. But this “old fart” disagrees: violence against children is never acceptable, whether the intent is to hurt or to discipline. Such violence creates mental scars that impact children into adulthood.

Some reminisce about what was on TV or in the market. TV was perceived to be better simply because there were less choices, and so everyone agreed on things more. But when you look back, you’ll see that the families presented were monochromatic. You’ll see that what you were laughing at was often stereotypic humor, making fun of people or groups. You’ll find sexism. You’ll find products that were unregulated and unsafe. You’ll find media manipulating relationships to sell sell sell. Today’s media landscape is much much better.

When we constantly say the past was better, we’re selectively remembering what the past was. We’re forgetting the intolerance of the world then, the hatred of groups, and how that impacted what we did and what we watched. We’re forgetting what we didn’t have.

For some, there is also the implicit attitude of: I went through this hardship — you should have to live through it to. It builds character and makes you a better person. Guess what? Our kids turn out to be pretty good people without the hardships, the beatings, the sexism, the tauntings, and the trauma. Our great grandparents lived without running water. Does that mean we have to live that way to build character? I had relatives that lived through pogrums. Does that mean I have to in order to have a better character? I have relatives that had all sorts of medical problems that couldn’t be cured. Does that mean I shouldn’t see the doctor, or take advantage of modern medicine? We work hard to make this a better world for our children. So why should then say it was better in the past before all the good stuff we created?

Our attitude should be, and must be, that we lived through this hardship, and we’re going to do our best to make sure that no one else has to go through that shit. We need to elect leaders that feel that way, but that’s the subject of another post.

Seriously, folks, modulo the current leadership in the White House, we live in pretty damn good times. Things aren’t perfect, but we shouldn’t expect them to be. Our job is to keep making things better, not live in the past. Our job must also be to make sure we don’t move backwards.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 👓 Rose Colored Retrospect Glasses by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.