I am not new to tea per se. I am new to good tea.
My rating scale. Most tea I rate falls in the 70 – 89 area
90 – 100 STEAMING. This is very special tea. I rate tea over 90 points sparingly.
80 – 90 GIVE ME SOME MORE. This is my go to tea. Stuff I like
70 – 80 MEH. Not bad. Not good. Take it or leave it. Akin to Grocery and Restaurant quality.
60 – 70 POUR IT DOWN THE DRAIN. Yuck don’t want to see it again.
Dobra Tea in Madison, Wisconsin is where I purchase most of my tea locally. Online I use Butiki Tea in Mercerville, NJ http://www.butikiteas.com/ . Staci is a very friendly proprietor and I have gotten some great tea from her.
While I like all tea, I prefer bigger teas. Blacks and Oolongs are my favorite. This may be a rookie mistake but sometimes when I drink tea at the recommended temperature, steeping time, and amounts I feel like I am drinking hot water. I tend to use more tea and steep it longer.
Having said that, based on drinking tea with a friend who like green tea, I may slowly be moving in toward the greens.
Madison, Wisconsin