370z vs 335i Coupe

m4a1mustang

My husband and I both love Twinings Earl Grey Tea. In the grocery store you can only buy little boxes, and often times they are out of it. I've searched other sites, and stores looking for the best price. This, hands down, is it.

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- Steve

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Red__Zed

I only drink coffee in the morning and usually only one cup. I'm a pharmacist and used to drink coffee all day long for a little pick-me-up when my energy flagged, but the coffee sometimes bothered my stomach since I drank so much. My doctor suggested I switch to tea.
I started drinking L****n tea, you know the one in the yellow and red box, what did I know about tea? I was working at the time with a young Chinese man (a friend of my son's) and he was a Star Trek fan, as am I. When I went out for a container of tea one day I asked if he wanted anything and he asked for Earl Grey. I asked why and he told me that Capt. Pickard on Gen II always ordered "Earl Grey hot" from the replicator. I laughed as I had seen that too and just never connected with the brand and had one also.
Well, I liked it so much that it became my favorite tea. I still have English Breakfast and some Chinese teas sometimes, but I must have Earl Grey with my dinner. Sometimes people wonder at my "tea sophistication" and I don't tell them where my preference actually comes from.If they only knew.

m4a1mustang

Twinings was founded in London, England in 1706, and has a long and respected tradition of producing only the finest of teas. Earl Grey tea was named after Charles Grey, Second Earl Grey (1764-1845), and is a mixture of black tea and oil of bergamot (a small acidic orange). It is said that Earl Grey learned the recipe of this delicious tea from a Chinese Mandarin and brought it home to England, where it has been a favorite ever since.

OK, let's get down to brass tacks - this is a great tea, produced by a great company, and is my all-time favorite. The tea produced has a wonderful aroma, and an excellent taste. But, a couple of words of warning - don't over-steep the tea, or it will quickly become bitter and unpalatable. Also, while sugar goes well with this tea, I have found that milk dilutes the bergamot too much, and lemon completely hides the bergamot which is the reason for drinking it!

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- Steve

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Red__Zed

I grew up in a family of tea drinkers; and although I now tend to have a lot of coffee while I'm at work, I still drink almost exclusively tea when I'm at home. I generally prefer loose leaf teas - that way I know I'll get "the real thing," whereas tea bags tend to contain merely the leftovers of a harvest; little crumbs too poor in aromatic and other content to otherwise pass quality control standards.

The exception are Bigelow teas: and first and foremost among those their flagship, Ruth Bigelow's original "Constant Comment" with its recipe of black tea, orange grind and holiday spices (primarily cinnamon). Created by Mrs. Bigelow on the basis of an old colonial recipe over half a century ago, the blend soon became so popular among her friends that their "constant comments" of approval prompted Ruth and husband David Bigelow to found their own tea company. Since then, "Constant Comment" has long become a true classic ... and if you love tea, it is indeed the perfect refreshment; whether or not it's Christmas time. (E.g., it also makes for great iced tea in summer; particularly if you add a bit of lemon.)

If you're making more than a single cup of tea, and unless you like your tea *very* weak, you may want to rethink the company's measuring directions - based on the the "one bag per cup" ratio, you'll likely need two or more bags for an entire pot (depending on size), even when steeping an extra minute or two. That said, though ... wanna come over for a cuppa?

Red__Zed

I was hesitant to order this tea because there were only a few reviews at the time. One reviewer said the tea was "tasteless" and another cited poor packaging affecting the freshness.

I'm glad I took the chance because I disagree on both counts. The taste is excellent which is, of course, the most important factor. I love strong, aromatic, flavorful tea and this does not disappoint. I had to add just a teeny bit more (a more rounded teaspoon for one cup) than with the tea I normally drink, Twinings Irish Breakfast, but that is insignificant since this Davidson's tea is half the price. I love that it is organic since I drink a lot of tea.

I also thought the packaging was adequate. It is similar to the packaging used for the organic Ruta Maya coffee that I buy and I have never had a problem with freshness. Of course it is best to make sure you press out all of the air before resealing the top...I usually tap it on the counter to settle the contents then bend the top over on itself while leaning over on it, then seal it. As it reduces in size putting a rubber band around it helps just in case you didn't get the seal completely closed. I keep a small quantity of the tea in an old Twinings tin so that I don't have to open the original package so often.

I am very happy to have found this tea. I still love the Twinings but it is just too expensive with three people in my family always drinking tea.

m4a1mustang

Twinings invented Earl Grey blend tea. It is a very light and refreshing blend. The bergamont flavor (derived from a type of Mediterr. orange, not an herb as the last reviewer stated) is not very overpowering at all. It is not as caffeine heavy as some of Twinings other blends (English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast). If you like this blend, you will also enjoy Lady Grey (which adds a little lemony flavor to the blend). They also sell this tea as a loose leaf. Cant beat Amazon's price either.

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- Steve

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Red__Zed

Now, as to the tea itself. This is EXTREMELY fine jasmine tea. Rishi's offering uses "dragon pearls" of excellent quality--Chinese green tea leaves that are hand-rolled into little...well, pearls. The pearls are then scented, over the course of several days, with fresh jasmine blossoms--20 lbs. of fresh jasmine blossoms are used to scent each pound of tea. This is excellent, absolutely delicious tea that, excepting the word "jasmine," has virtually nothing to do with cheaper grades of tea that are scented chemically with perfumes. It scents the whole room as it brews.
Bearing in mind that there are no bargains to be found for top-grade tea--it's never cheap--Amazon has the best price I've yet found for Rishi Jasmine Pearls, especially if your order qualifies for free shipping. It can and should be infused three times, which might take some of the sting out of purchasing, the health benefits of green tea providing the final push.
Rishi Dragon Pearls are now a part of my parents' daily routine. In addition, I made a gift of a can to a friend's mom--that can went all the way to Russia and was, predictably, received with delight and appreciation. A cousin in California, on my recommendation, went a bit hog-wild and bought four cans from Amazon--she's now a fan, too. I doubt there are any better green jasmine pearls to be found. (Seven Cups, an online purveyor of top-grade Chinese tea, has white jasmine pearls that are equally fine but very different--I like both).
Incidentally, try to brew this tea in glass as the unfurling of the pearls is extremely beautiful to watch.

Update: I just bought a new can and noticed that the brewing instructions are radically different. The suggested brewing times remain the same (3 - 4 minutes), but the amount of leaf has TRIPLED to one tablespoon and the suggested brewing temperature has decreased by 10º to 180º. Frankly, given that I get excellent results with the suggestions that are still posted on the Rishi Web site (steeping for a good minute less, though), I decided that the only concession I'll make is to drop the temperature to 185º, leaving everything else the same (the correct brewing temperature can be had very easily: pour boiling water into a large Pyrex measuring cup, then pour over the leaves). A higher concentration of scented leaf would likely gag me (as in the case of the brewing instructions for Rishi's Osthmanthus Silver Needle), plus the original instructions are MUCH more cost-effective. Tea preferences, however, are very much a matter of taste, so play with the suggested parameters, if you're so inclined, to determine yours. Keep in mind, though, that jasmine tea can become bitter if mishandled (this just passed on to me by Austin at Seven Cups), so play safe!

m4a1mustang

The jasmine flavor is rich and sweet, all by itself. The amount of work that goes into creating each of these lovely pearls is astounding (hence the price!). Once you have tried this tea, all other jasmine green teas will pale in comparison. The flavor is so concentrated, you only need to use a scant teaspoon of pearls for each cup of tea that you brew, so these two cannisters will last for some time. I hope you try this tea, as I know you will not be disappointed.

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- Steve

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Red__Zed

If you are on a tight budget, as I am, then I think this Earl Grey is fine. For the same price, I prefer Bigelow. For Pete's sake, stay away from Lipton's black tea. (I can't speak as to their green tea.) I used to drink Lipton tea as we get the bags free at work. Once I tried Twinings and then Bigelow, there was no going back. The Lipton teas are bitter tasting in comparison.

If you are able to splurge once in a while, try Mountain Rose Herbs brand of Earl Grey. The difference will blow you away. The bergamot really stands out in this tea, I mean REALLY. I haven't seen it offered online here at Amazon. I had to order it directly from Mountain Rose and it was $11 for one pound plus shipping. The tea is organic, kosher and fair trade certified! Their website is here:[...]

So, if you like Twinings, try Bigelow, which is the same price, but a tad better. If you are able to splurge, try Mountain Rose...but be warned, it will spoil you for other teas forever.

m4a1mustang

This is amazing it feels like the real deal. When my hubby isnt arround it is my best friend. I highly suggest this if you want a realistic feel and it does feel real. omg need more

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- Steve

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Red__Zed

m4a1mustang

What? My husband brews an excellent Earl Grey.

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- Steve

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Red__Zed

I used to be a coffee drinker. I was raised on the stuff. Being up first in the morning meant I filled the electric pot and got it going. My mother did not emerge until the pot finished, some 20 minutes later. I started drinking it myself when I got my first job at the ski lift. We got hot drinks for free, and I was soon hooked. Some years later, I realized I wasn't really drinking coffee. I was lacing it with so much sugar and creme that it wasn't really coffee at all. I got headaches if I didn't get my fix, every couple hours, every day.

So, as a health benefit, I switched to tea. I began with Lipton, but soon experimented with all sorts of flavors. When I hit on the Earl Grey, that was it for me. It's a mild form of the English Breakfast Tea, laced with a bit of Bergamot which may be the reason it is palatable any time, day or night. I prefer Twinings, although I have used competitor's out of curiosity, or availability, I always go back to Twinings Earl Grey. I am definitely hooked again, but with no ill side effects. I generally drink 2 big mugs in the morning, yearn for more in late afternoon, and top of my evening the same way it began.

Try it. You'll like it.

m4a1mustang

I first tasted this tea way back in the late 70's, when I worked at a specialty restaurant. Now I use it in my secret recipe iced tea, it adds a flavor that no one can identify, but one that they can't seem to get enough of! It's also good hot, with cream and sugar. The taste is like lemon and nutmeg. I've tried other brands, but Twinings is the richest in flavor.

__________________
- Steve

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Red__Zed

I enjoy a good cup of tea and my absolute favorite is Earl Grey. Twinings Early Grey is among the best on the market, alongside Rishi loose leaf. A traditional English tea, Earl Grey is a black tea whose principle flavor is from the rind of bergamot oranges. Although there are various accounts of its origin, it is most likely was an Indian recipe (China is also a commonly attributed with creating the recipe) which made its way to England in the early 1800s. Named after Lord Grey, the tea is a flavorful black tea that is best served nearly boiling hot with or without lemon. It is NOT served with cream.

Twinings is one of the oldest conveyors of Earl Grey and still use the same recipe as they have for well over a hundred years (soon to be two-hundred). Their tea is also endorsed by the 6th Earl Grey and his signature appears on their packaging. Not that this means the tea is superior because of any endorsement; in this case the tea speaks for itself.

While I do prefer loose leaf teas, these tea bags provide nearly the same flavor profile as the loose variety and will not disappoint the Earl Grey enthusiast. If you've never tried Twinings, you owe it to yourself to do so. Enjoy!