Log on to a tea blog

9th March 2009

Reading someone else's diary could be a recipe for disaster but the massive growth of the blog means it's now an acceptable guilty pleasure. There's a blog out there on every subject imaginable, with plenty dedicated to tea.

Type 'tea blogs' into Google and 32,000,000 entries crop up! Luckily you don't have to wade through them all to find a gem.

Alexandra Fullerton has picked out some the best and talks to the writers behind the words. Here's a clue: They're all obsessed with tea.

Multipleinfusions.com - Multiple Infusions

Visually, Multiple Infusions is the sleekest, sharpest blog on the block. Writer Lewis Grubb posts reviews of different blends, including clear pictures of the leaves and incredibly detailed tasting notes. A hardcore fan, Lewis thinks of tea as "drinkable art" and started the blog to "bring (his) favourite tea blogs together" but it now exists "soley to document (his) experiences with tea and hopefully help others in the process."

An extract:
"There were momentary spikes of sweetness that sometimes seemed to cling against the inside of my cheek"

What do you love about tea?
A single leaf can have so many different tastes (from chocolate to lilac to cantaloupe) and people have been working to perfect those tastes for thousands of years.

If you could only drink one type of tea for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oolong for sure.

Where's your favourite place to take tea?
I seem to enjoy taking tea in the kitchen, where everything is right at hand. 

Lainiesips.com - Lainie Sips

An all-encompassing tea blog, Lainie Sips is full of news, reviews, recipes and anything tea-related written in a light-hearted style. The author is based near Chicago, Illinois and, since starting to write in September 2008, Lainie's blog documents her quest for "self-education" in the world of tea.

An extract:
"The ritual of preparing and serving tea, much like the wine opening / tasting ritual, can promote a sense of calm and restore one’s balance in a hectic world."

What do you love about tea?
The nuanced flavors of tea are astounding and there are so many varieties to choose from! I love the ritual of tea, as well. So comforting.

When you're not drinking tea, or blogging about it, what else do you do?
I am a priest in the United States Independent Catholic Church (www.usocc.org) and also harbor a deep passion for wine, cheese and books.

Are there any other tea blogs you visit?
Gong-Fu Girl - the woman's knowledge and passion are amazing.

The Half Dipper

The anonymous Hobbes writes an eloquent blog on his adventures in tea teasting (we'd expect nothing less from an Oxford academic). Readers comment on each post so there is plenty of interaction and this is one of the author's aims. Hobbes writes about tea "to foster a sense of community, sharing ideas with like-minded friends" as well as "recording (his) own observations on teas". If you're wondering what on earth a 'half-dipper' is click here.

An extract:
"This southern Indian variety is quite a complex beast, containing a range of dark scents that remind me of sultanas and smooth spices."

Where's your favourite place to take tea?
The location in which I take tea must be humble. For me, tea should be served in peace, with good company, or otherwise not at all.

Why do you love tea?
Tea is much more than a mere drink. It is an essential part of the fabric of daily life and highly beneficial both in terms of physiological gains, but (just as importantly), the way in which we treat our lives.

If you could only drink one type of tea for the rest of your life, what would it be?
There is no single tea that a man should enjoy for the rest of his life but, if I can only choose one it must be 1950s "Red-Label" pu'er.

Authoritea

Proving that tea is truly a universal pleasure, Authoritea's author is 24 year old Jessica. "I used to run a metal webzine but I was buying a lot of tea so I figured a blog about tea would help expand my knowledge". There are new reviews every day (including the occasional tisane) and although Jessica reviews some teas that are advertised on her site she promises unbiased write-ups - all written in a fresh, conversational tone.

An extract:
"This is probably one of the grapiest, wineiest teas (ignore the fact that I make up words) I've ever had. And it's not fake. It's not artificial. It's classy and pure."

What do you love about tea?
I love that you can never really make blanket statements like "I don't like tea" because the possibilities are truly endless with this drink. There are so many kinds of tea and so many new things to discover that I don't think I've ever get bored with it. The history and culture are as rich as the blends themselves.

If you could only drink one type of tea for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Hands down, Oolong. It's the great mediator amongst all the other kinds of tea. Some taste like green; some like black; some like nothing you'd ever imagine. No matter what mood I am in, I can always find an oolong I'd like.

Where's your favourite place to take tea?
On my days off in the winter I make a cup of lapsang souchong and enjoy it slowly in my living room before I start the day. Something about the smoky pine flavor is especially incredible when I can actually relax and enjoy it and I look forward to it all week! 

Bearsblog

LA resident Jason Fasi is a serious fan of pu'er tea and this blog records his tasting sessions. Having founded the Puerh Tea LiveJournal Community - where Pu'er fans can chat online - Jason started to blog in February 2008. After travelling in Asia on a quest to learn as much as he could about tea and tea-ware he began blogging "to obtain information from other pu'er drinkers." Cleanly designed with photos of his tasting sessions Bearsblog is an example of dedicated tea drinking.

An extract:
"Lascivious scents of roses, lavender, and grain arose from the wet leaves in the pot. In the empty fair cup, it left the aromatic trace of butter and malt."

When you're not drinking tea, or blogging about it, what else do you do?
My passion for tea lead me to another budding obsession - ceramics and pottery - and I spend a significant amount of time at a pottery studio making teawares.

If you could only drink one type of tea for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would choose a good young green pu'er now and enjoy experiencing how it changes for the rest of my days. Pu'er gets better over time so in this respect I'd be drinking a different tea every day.

What do you love about tea?
Tea offers me a truly holistic passion: aside from pure epicurean pleasure, the path to tea touches on history, mythology, chemistry, biology, spirituality, literature, medicine and even art.

Teafinelybrewed.com - Tea Finely Brewed

Travel writer Eric Daams is the newest blogger of the bunch and his blog, Tea Finely Brewed, chronicles everything from quirky foreign tea adverts, FAQs on different blends and in-depth write-ups on the history of tea. Tea Finely Brewed only started in December as a way for Eric to "delve deeper into the world of tea". There isn't masses of archived content - yet - but the clean layout and great mix of news and trivia make it one to watch.

An extract:
"I love sniffing tea. It tunes you into the subtle nuances between the types of tea."

What do you love about tea?
It's the role tea takes in my life: a time of relaxation and stillness. I love the variety of flavours and aroma you can find in a simple cup of tea. And finally, I love sitting down with friends and chatting over a cup of tea.

If you could only drink one type of tea or the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would have to say Earl Grey but only if it was blended brilliantly.

Where's your favourite place to take tea?
At home in the comfort of my lounge room with my wife, as the rain pours down outside.