This stuff is vile...

[jsbowden]

What's the fascination with Earl Grey tea?

I've always thought anything can be made palatable with enough sugar, but you know what, I'm pretty sure that this stuff is never going to be good. It may eventually may be sweet enough that even a child would spit it out, but it'll still be vile undrinkable shit.

Unfortunately, all the Lemon Zinger is gone and the rest of the herbal stuff we have here in the office is even worse.

Man, I don't know whose idea it was to write Picard as a huge Earl Grey fan, but that writer has NO FUCKING TASTE.

Comments

[skwidly.livejournal.com]

You crazy, mang. Earl Grey is the shiznit. I mean...you need to add a splash of lemon juice, but after that you don't even need sugar. Alternatively, a little milk is OK, but lemon is definitely better.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

I'll give you that it's shit.

[robeli.livejournal.com]

You drink hot tea?

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

We have Lipton tea bags here, which I'll use pretty regularly, but I'm avoiding caffeine for now, and the herbal stuff is the only caffeine free we've got.

So, sort of.

[kjn]

Well, Lipton tea bags - there's your trouble right there.

Also, tea (as in made from tea leaves) also contain theanine and caffeine, so if you're avoiding caffeine, avoid real tea as well.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

I happen to like Lipton. Preferably supersaturated during brewing, cooled, and then served over ice, but hot will do too.

[robeli.livejournal.com]

Why are you avoiding caffeine?

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

Because I'm trying to stay decently hydrated, and caffeine defeats that.

[publius1.livejournal.com]

Caffeine is an EXTREMELY mild diuretic, to the point where unless you are just drinking it in quartsfull, you aren't going to help yourself overmuch. (Then again, if I had a persistent ailment, I'd do just about anything, no matter how minor, to try to fix shit too.)

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Lipton... nasty. Why not just make tea with pencil shavings?

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

Because, unlike Lipton, that would suck.

[krfsm.livejournal.com]

It's the way forward, although I'm not fond of Earl Grey. Lapsang, a nice Oolong, Pu-erh... So many more and better teas to choose from.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

I'll drink it during the winter months when it's cold in the office, but during the summers? It's all about the iced tea.

[angelcorrine.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm Oolong.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Lapsang? "Man, if only i could drink tea that tasted like a forest fire. Mmmmm!"

[krfsm.livejournal.com]

Hey, I like peaty single malts too, and it's not as if I'm forcing you to have any. All the more for me.

[missysedai.livejournal.com]

No, you'll have to fight me for some Lapsang! Love the stuff!

Also, I've used it for making tea smoked duck, and it's fantastic.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

I guess it's an acquired taste. I drink it if it's what there is, but I find it too strong too.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

I don't find it any stronger than 'normal' tea, I just can't fathom actually enjoying the flavor.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't mean stronger as a tea. Just a very strong flavor. Maybe "overwhelming" might have been a better word...

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

It suffers more than other teas if you steep it too long because of the bergamot. And some Earl Greys have too much bergamot anyway.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

This is from a Keurig machine, so steeping isn't so much an issue.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Man, a Keurig machine, why didn't you say so? Those automated coffee things are the devil. We have a Keurig at the office and i avoid it at all costs.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

I don't drink coffee, so I don't normally drink anything that comes out of that machine, but all the non Lipton teas here are K-cups.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_constantine/]

Earl Grey is British, and everyone knows that Brits have shitty-tasting food.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

The Brits have some damn yummy food so :P

[publius1.livejournal.com]

Actually, Brits have shitty-looking food; as long as you close your eyes and like grease, it isn't half bad. At least...a lot of it is. You will never make blood pudding or blood sausage or haggis palatable to me.

[missysedai.livejournal.com]

I love Earl Grey, but then, I like Bergamot. Really, the only way to properly handle Earl Grey is water that's just shy of boiling, and a relatively brief steeping time.

(It's one of the few teas that I do not steep in the "proper" fashion - loose, in the pot, then strained. I use little silk tea bags for the Earl.)

[stinaleigh.livejournal.com]

I occasionally like Earl Grey, but I have to be in the mood. My question though, is if you are looking for herbal, why are you drinking Earl Grey, which is a black tea?

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

Because I had the last of the Lemon Zinger tea, and the rest of the herbals aren't anything I'll willingly drink.

[blueingenue.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Bigelow's Lemon Lift? It's black tea with lemon herbal, but it comes in regular and decaf. I like it, but I also like Earl Grey.

[texas-tiger.livejournal.com]

I recommend Lady Grey, myself. It's much lighter but just as aromatic.

[zuvembi.livejournal.com]

Earl Grey? Bleaughh! They put Oil of Bergamot in that stuff!

For those who don't know, the Bergamot is a small French car. Owners
sell their oil drippings to Twinings, who recycle it to unsuspecting
(and tasteless) tea drinkers.

I love tea and hate Earl Grey (except in truffles from Theo's Chocolate - where it's tolerable). Give me some Assam, Russian caravan, just about anything fucking else really. Cheap and cheerful tea from the Chinese grocery works well too.