I'm usually a C2 sort of guy, but through bad luck and (my own) poor performance, I've begun my Sunday morning with a B1. Whilst a bad start to the day, I'm determined not to let it ruin what could be a good Sunday.
I thought my Irish mate was having me on saying Irish tea was better than British tea all those years ago. Then I picked up a box of Barry's while looking for something to do in Limerick. Now I don't let it run out.
My grandmother is from the northwest of Germany. People over there got a very unique tea culture and their own famous blends. Last time I visited her, I gave her a box of Barrys. After the first teapot was empty, she asked me to bring lots more Barrys when I visit her again.
E5 for me. I soak and squeeze the crap out of the teebag.
A tip for everyone to get stronger tee. Put the teebag in a quarter cup of boiled water, then boil it in the microwave for 30 seconds, then add the rest of the water. It releases all the favour in the bag.
That sounds like too much tannin, but if you like that then why not. I prefer to use different tea for a stronger or milder tea flavour. I'm not trying to knock what works for you, if I had a microwave I would at least be willing to try it so I could comment with more knowledge.
You might enjoy using a loose leaf tea if you haven't tried before?
@Oneeightnine@grue
As a student I took three sugars. Then I moved into a house with 4 others none of whom took sugar. For everyone's convenience I went cold turkey and never looked back. Now I'd spit out tea with a quarter of a spoonful of sugar.
American here who grew up on southern sweet tea. As an adult I cut the sugar from all tea and never looked back. Although I will occasionally put a little nip of B&B in there.
I say "shitload of sugar" to be funny, but in reality I make my sweet iced tea with a combination of sugar and stevia, and I try to keep the ratio as low as possible. (Can't go all stevia 'cause then you get a weird aftertaste.)
If I'm in a cafe or something, or feeling posh, I have it with milk, and generally go for C2 onwards. I generally leave the teabag in for as long as possible, including not removing it at all - but if I'm having any milk at all, I'll have quite a bit of it.
If I'm at home/work or otherwise in control of the kettle, I drink it black and leave the teabag in throughout the whole drink.
Controversially, at home on an evening, though I leave the teabag in, I often top up the water a few times, therefore drinking progressively weaker tea as it gets later. The last cup of tea before bed is basically just hot water that remembers meeting a leafy flavour once.
Green tea needs a bit of cold water in first, to make sure the hot isn't too hot. Proper green tea blends taste like cat's piss when you over-heat them.
Like in Japanese tea ceremonies, they have to grind the green tea leaves slowly, so as not to overheat them.
B3 to C2 is my preference. C3 or darker and I'm asking if the cows are on strike. B2 and lighter I'll ask if you just showed the teabag to the cup instead of putting it in.
Is the implication here "how much milk do you add?" Confused about the colors if that's not the answer. The option with no milk for me (but I also like white and green teas, which are nowhere near that dark color)
D4 realised a while back I don't really like the taste of milk, so went darker and darker until now I just drink black tea. Honestly I'm more of a coffee chap (snob)
D row all the way. There should only be a dollop/splash of milk, just enough to cancel out the bitterness. However, if the blend is good enough I'll just have it black (eg Twinings Earl Grey works black, other Earl Greys don't).
A=>D is decreasing milk amount, and 1=>4 is increasing strength, so D1 would essentially be water, A1 would essentially be milk and the B3/B4/C3/C4 would be the square of "not pulling a face when you take the first sip" (although I lie somewhere between B4 & C3 so I may be biased)
I like C2 as well! But it depends on the tea for me. Some teas are really nice with milk and a bit of sugar but there are defintely teas where subtlety is lost with the milk. So either c2 or d4 depending on the tea
Non-American. You didn't have to out yourself because this comment would be hard to make more American. They aren't the same and both have extreme value around the world.