Seeing someone speaking about something there passionate about has made my day better

Uncle Iroh send his regards.

Leaving Japanese tea to one side, my gateway Chinese tea was Golden Yunnan. I think for many British tea drinkers who take tea with milk and sugar, GY would be a perfect gateway tea, as it has the familiar maltiness and body of a black tea, but with tons of extra sweetness. Love it!

Osmanthus Oolong was my introduction to tea, and I introduced my family to it when I get back from Traveling to China my first time. It is without a doubt a perfect gateway tea. I havent met a person who didnt love it.

Me watching this video while having my tea from tea bag..... Gonna say bye to tea bag...and welcome loose tea

Damn. Tea time is intense. I love it. Lol

For years, the best I could do was Twning and Celestial Seasonings. Still...it was a step up from Lipton. The first time I had access to higher quality and more diverse teas was through Whole Foods. I didn't know what to look for, so I just read what was printed on the containers. I picked the Ti Kuan Yin because of the interesting legend, a green dragon pearl and a black dragon pearl. The Ti Kuan Yin was a revelation that brought me to tears. The first time I brewed the green dragon was in an opaque container so I didn't get to see it unfold. However when I removed the lid and looked in, I was shocked and amazed, that visually the leaves gave me the impression of a Chinese dragon coiled up in the pot! Marvelous flavor along with that experience. Then I decided to purchase a glass tea pot and tried the black dragon pearl, and marveled at the slow unfurling of the leaves as the liquid transformed to a deep mahogany with a delicious and rich and earthy flavor. Since then I try something different on occasion, but i always return to those first three special varieties. I'm enjoying your channel and am looking forward to trying these teas you've suggested, and trying your brewing process. Thanks for your efforts.

Hi I am a Taiwan tea taster , I love your video , hope I can make a friend with you, and we can have a cup of tea together in future.

1) Cherry Blossom Sencha. as with the osmanthus oolong, it's a scented tea that compliments the integrity of the tea 2) Plain ol' Japanese Sencha 3) White Peony, but it has to be made right. when you get just the right leaf/water ratio, temperature, brew time and tea quality, it's like honeysuckle blooming in the mouth. most people use too little leaf and too hot of water and end up with a sour/bitter and woody brew which kills the spring brightness of the tea (the woody quality can be enjoyable during infusions 3-5, but at first, you're throwing away a lot if you don't start with a sweeter infusion). 4) a quality High Mountain Oolong. sweet, buttery, full bodied, but not intimidating. if you get someone of the "but green tea is bitter!" persuasion, a solid high mountain oolong will set them straight 5) if this person is a bolder personality that likes dark, roasted brews like coffee, a similarly roasted oolong tends to do the trick. your Iron Monk would be a perfect choice for such a person. #4 was what did it for me. when I first tasted it, my mouth was like =O I blew most of my money from my after school job as a teenager on tea, and that was by far my first choice when it was available in the store (by some stroke of luck, my small university town in Kansas (United States) had a tea house headed by someone with formal training in Taiwan, and I had to shop around for awhile before I could find that quality again). that was my "impulsive" streak during high school (/6th form). other people got drunk, did dangerous stunts, resorted to drugs and had unprotected sex....I became a tea head and blew all my money XD in general, my list of things to AVOID with newbz 1) any blended or scented tea where the herbs or flowers over power the taste of the tea (ex: I enjoy Moroccan Mint tea, but you can scarcely taste the tea through the mint at all, so it defeats the purpose of an introduction unless your intent is "see! you don't have to taste the tea, you can hide it!" 2) pu erh. for those who aren't used to tea, it just tastes weird. appreciation of oolong tea is generally the mark of experience. exception: a particularly sweet gushu can work well 3) anything bitter

I used to only like strong & sweet black teas because they were the closest to coffee, but it was the Morrocan Mint mix that really got me to branch out and try "purer" and loose leaf teas at all. I liked watching the Gunpowder Green tea open up in the cup, and I might've put too much mint in the mix because it was like drinking spearmint gum lol. But it was so good, and it made an amazing iced tea, and I've been in love and experimenting with teas ever since!

For me it was a big bitten red tea, black honey. I was just so astounded that a more oxidized tea could taste so smooth, complex, and sweet it was a complete departure from any tea I had ever had before. From then on I have been completely obsessed with tea, I work at a tea shop and drink it every morning as a part of my ritual.

When he tells us to subscribe it reminds me of a teacher telling me of. It works, have subscribed.

My favorite teas for bringing people in is Yunnan black tea, gold needle or such. Most people have experience with black tea but have never tasted a good black tea, and giving them one with that rich aroma and flavor really surprises them. My other favorite is Sencha..for very much the same reasons you picked dragonwell, its not bitter, its soft, buttery and vegetal. For scented Jasmine silver needle all the way!

I grew up drinking LongJing (龙井), specifically Xihu, or the West lake variant. It really is one of the best teas.

My first loose tea experience was with a beautiful genmaicha. Fresh, nutty and roasty. Hooked me instantly!

Love this guy! Really makes me want to become a tea drinker. 🥰

Did a tea-tasting with my friends (who never drink tea) recently and I used the Dragonwell tea for that. They said that they liked the tea for its vegetable notes and that it would be good pairing this tea with chinese food. Pretty good idea if you ask me! Great Video Don, as always!! :)

Another wonderful video! Your extensive knowledge and passion for tea never ceases to amaze and inspire me. I fancied myself a "tea head" before I found your channel, but my mind has been blown over and over again by your videos. I don't remember how I found your channel, but I am grateful I did. I find myself excited every time you post. In fact, this is the ONLY channel I have notifications turned on for. Thank you for your endless dedication to putting out quality content for us. My own knowledge and passion for tea has greatly expanded since I subscribed. Looking forward to your next video!

Well, I hope what I say now will not show my tea ignorance, but I have been a lifelong tea bag user. It is what has been available. Back in the late '50s my mother bought an orange pekoe tea made by a company called Salada. I don't know if it was Chinese tea, Indian tea or even American. All I know is the whole house had this amazing scent when she brewed that afternoon pot of tea, that had me putting down my books to rush to her side to get a cup. In time we could not find Salada orange pekoe in any of the stores we shopped at and we switched to Tetley Orange Pekoe, but, it did not have that same robust taste and aroma. I have been on a lifelong quest to recapture my early tea experience, so I have ventured into a bit of experimenting over the years, purchasing loose leaf black and green teas as well as herbal teas like Yerba Mate. Maybe it's a sign of the times, but I would give almost anything to get tea like that old Salada. I agree that teabag tea now is like the sweepings off the floor.

literally amazing. Thank you so much for taking to time to create this video and share these teas with us! Loved this!

Our first good tea was Yuzu Kukicha.70°c, 1min. The stems of the teaplant were dancing in the glass teapot. Left sunny citrus refreshing aftertaste. It definitely opened the teaworld and zen feelings!

long jing is one of the first loose leaf teas I ever tried and enjoyed. today, It is still on of my favorites. I look forward to the spring first pickings when the new long jing hits the market. As good as it is for the newbie, it also holds up for the experienced taster as well.

Brilliant intro Don with succinct levels of detail very engaging - keep them coming !!!!

The first good green tea I had that made me realize green tea is really good was a Gyokuro Kin, wonderful flavor. Your channel is KZfaq gold.

the first decent tea I had was a Sencha, and with it came a complimentary Dragon Pearl Jasmine as well. between the two I was hooked and the Anji Bai Cha you guys offered really cemented the fact that this will probably be a life long thing for me. If only there was decent tea in the Boston area. oh well it's worth that $12 shipping. ;D

A childhood friend’s parents used to make “tea” which, thinking back on it now, I think was probably Lipton iced tea powder LOL. Either way, it caught my tastes so much that I started slowly seeking out more tea as I got older. First loose-leaf tasting that really opened the doors was a delicious smokey wuyi (starting my love affair with oolongs), then a lovely Yun Wu which turned me on to greens. I had the pleasure of tasting a floral Shui Xian which had been pressed into a square cake - sweet and buttery - and I’ve been chasing that experience ever since!

I LOVE Dragonwell! Sweetly grassy and more forgiving while brewing that other greens. Delish! And that scent! 🥰

A long time ago now I happened on a good quality Dragonwell, after tasting this tea, this amazing green tea, my tea life changed dramaticly, and I heartily agree that Dragonwell is a most amazing tea and perfect to introduce to new real tea drinkers!

I started off buying a green leaf loose tea to scent a dessertmousse that I was making when I was 17. It was a Japanese Sencha tea fraganted with Japanese green cherries... That sweet and sour combination with the robust sencha always makes me drift away....

For me it was Yerba Mate lol it wasn’t the taste for me, it was the effect. I made the switch from coffee, and was not disappointed with the energy boost. Much more clean feeling than most coffees I’ve had. It was so good, here I am exploring more tea options

Yay!! I have two out of three in my cupboard. I just need Eastern Beauty 😍 Looking forward to them.

My "Tea Moment" came with a 1996 CNNP "Green Mark Te Ji" Ripe Pu-erh. I had seriously not experienced anything like it. The intensity just stopped me in my tracks...and still does! That led to explorations of all manner of teas from this spring's Yunnan green to Golden Monkeys. Thank you for all of your videos and your passion for this wonderful leaf.

Wow... I'm sitting out on my balcony enjoying a cigar and some Scotch and you're killing me with the description of the leaves and smells!! It is 1am and I can't get tea right now!! 😫

I feel like im a bit weird, i have recently started drinking loose leaf tea for a couple of months and i love the way everyone has such a great experience. It seems as if i enjoy black teas and darker dancong oolongs more than anything else, i didn't enjoy the pu-erh i bought and i keep coming back to black teas for a lot of flavour. Maybe i am just brewing wrong, but my favourite is russian caravan with souchong, and even earl grey i enjoy the most.

I believe it was a Dancong which hooked me up. To be honest I 'd discovered your videos first and then I started drinking good quality tea gong fu style ;)

My fave teas are called King Jasmin, Fancy Osmanthus and Milky Oolong. They are all so soft and fragrant/flowery. Love that!

I think Alishan Cream is an awesome gateway tea too. That sweet, caramel-cream sweetness is really good for people who're used to milk and sugar in their tea.

Great video and I do agree with these 3 teas for newbies. I also like to share 'some' Wuyi Oolongs and very gentle (mostly Yiwu) Puerh's, and these go down well. Also... lan gui ren goes down amazingly with a lot of people who have never tried whole leaf tea before, the health claims of this also enhances the experience for some new tea seekers I find. Keep up the amazingly informative content, big thumbs up!

My gateway tea was Earl Grey, actually. I had loved tea for a while before I tried Earl Grey and I wanted to learn more. It didn't take long for me to try some fantastic pure tea.

For me it was your Amber Gaba Oolong. I came to get a good Japanese green tea since I like the strong grassy, brothy, umami flavor. Ordered the Amber Gaba to try something different and I was curious about the gaba part. Gaba doesn't do anything for me but the taste and smell of this tea is amazing. Can't get enough of it!

My breakthrough tea was three year old raw puerh. Now I'm a tea head! ☺️

Excellent question Don ! As mentionned below a Wuyi yancha is an excellent start for coffee drinkers. A (good) Pu'erh shu does also the job. For non or slightly oxidized teas I start with Dao Ren Mao Feng and a Cui Yu. For scented teas osmanthus is indeed perfect. Pairs well with shou mei.

Awesome video! The Tea that hooked me was Oolong..From Taiwan. Can't wait to try more different Teas and share them with friends!

Thanks for making the video!

I enjoyed watching this video and plan to try the teas.

This is great! Learning a lot

Nice video. I agree with starting out with a good green, and Osmanthus Oolong is a good choice. I might switch the Osmanthus Oolong for Ginseng Oolong though, only because I have met SO MANY people who started out drinking tea with Ginseng Oolong... no idea why, but I guess it just gets people hooked!

Li Li xiang oolong (tieguanyin) and cloud mist green were the teas that pulled me in.

Beautiful video!

Osmanthus jelly with oolong is a great pairing for dessert!

Thank you! This is fantastically helpful. Any thoughts if there are any that children might enjoy more?

Keep it up! Looking forward for more videos from you, don't stop!

My first tea that I really loved was a gyokuro (I think yabukita, but not sure). It was like a revelation that there is so much more than that, what you can find in common grocery stores. Since then I have drunk many many gyokuro's, senchas and banchas and was always suprised how different all of these taste. But now, since I discovered your channel, I am tasting me through the chinese, taiwanese world of teas. It is like a second tea revelation! I'm always surpsied how much diversity you can find in the tea world. Thank you for your great videos!

I've only bought some matcha and some Da Hong Pao, both from a local Ten Ren store, and now I'm into Chai lattes because of its eggnoggish flavor.

Thank you, I need to know, learn, get on with good teas, awesome

Feels like I'm only one who would say that strong body of an earthy, dark, ripe Pu Erh got me hooked on tea world :)

sheng cha ! yes... I started my tea journey in Yunnan so sheng cha it is. I'm learning about wulongs right now, but it's kinda difficult to do this in here. I love how you describe tea tastes and aromas! Seems like a lot of experience :)

That Long Jing made me realize that I have never tasted green tea before

why do i love listening to people talking about notes and flavours in their tea while drinking tea myself 😅it’s not even the same tea im drinkin

Pai Mu Tan white, Ti Kuan Yin oolong, Gunpowder Temple of Heaven Green, Kenya Kosabei Black. These are my actual favourites. :)

5 grams for 18 seconds going up every 3 seconds for Imperial Green is amazing but that’s just my taste love this tea!!!

I love fresh Long Jing It is mindblowing!

Great video. Thank you

The first time someone said click the like button and subscribe and I actually did it

Buying the second one!

I need a cup tea now !!!!!

Gyokuro got me into loose leaf...oh the umami!!!

This was a great video, just decided to try Tae Kwon Yin (sp?) because of it. I got the dark or fully roasted mix

Hi Don, Do you think you could do a video on Korean teas in general? A beginners guide of the classic ones perhaps? I always find it easy to get info on Chinese and Japanese, but never Korean teas! Would love to know more about them.

The tea that got me into trying out was actually a Dong Ding. By the way, I still didn't found any Dong Ding that could rival that one that got me into tea (although I didn't try the Mei Leaf one yet). I was amazed how much I could get out of it but what stroke me is the creaminess. I never thought tea could taste "creamy".

Hi, I love your videos so much, please don't stop making them. I have learned so much in the last couple days and I've subscribed. I've been on a long, lovely journey towards becoming a true tea head. I'm off coffee for a year after many, many years and my pallet is developing for tea. We have a nice little shop where I live, Tea Trader in Calgary, AB, and I've been going there for about 8 years. They have a great variety of natural teas from all over the world, and they are knowledgeable and I've been trying many types and experimenting with tea system, I've probably purchased 5 or 6 different tea systems, still can't get it right, and I know its a process which I enjoy. I want to ask you about a tea system and tea type for work. It would be so great to incorporate at work a great tea, even a little ceremony, but you know, its complicated at work to make it authentically. What would you recommend for teapot, tea mug, the water that comes from the coffee machine, I am not sure what temp that is, vs boiling in a kettle? I am definitely off the tea bags that work provides but a little stuck on how to enjoy tea at work to bring a little luxe to my life. Oh, btw I've tried my first Pureh brick and i was blown away...I love the taste of mushroom, dirt, grass, and simply the earth, but I don't think my palette is developed enough at this time to describe why I love it so much, but I will keep working on it. :) I understand the commitment and dedication to this art, and am so thrilled to add this element of search, collect and pleasure to my life. One of the best indulgences out there. I've enjoyed listening to you, learning and admiring how you just make small pourings, rather than a larger pot and opening up your palette to explore the subtle difference between each pour. That is something I would like to try, although I would have to save that for weekends. Thanks again, and I will see you in the next vid. Cheryl

I remember a few years back a friend gave me tea and it was so relaxing. Today i drank lipton bag tea and uhg. Its fine but its like walking in clouds to walking barefoot on glass

mmmm dragonwell is one of my favorites STILL

To convert a friend, my first choice would be Midnight Sun. The sweet, indulgent taste is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

For me Russian caravan, and butter truffle tea, had me, i love black teas, and rooibos in the night

this was so ment for me

The tea that brought me got me excited is white tea. Your white tea Drunkness video got me hooked ! I also went to China and tried white tea sometime last year. I love it !

Don, Thank you for your willingness to produce these videos and spread your knowledge of teas, it is impressive. One thing I have never heard your mention, so far. I have found that when I prepare a tea to drink it is much better when it cools down a little. I am able to actually distinguish taste and mouth feel better. Say I brew a Pu'er at 205°F. Port into cup, if I attempt to taste shortly after the pour I really can't get a good profile of what I have. After about five minutes from pouring the tea is nice and warm but not hot. Then I start smelling and tasting the content of the tea and get the mouth feel. From there it seems to continue until, if I don't drink it right away, it gets luke warm and then the taste fades. If you have ever addressed this in one of your videos, please direct me to it. If you have not, please do. How long after pouring should one wait to taste and when do you feel the flavors, smells and mouth feel fades?

Cold Steep Lemongrass.& Masala Chai are my cup tea

Pu erh actually got me really into it. I think something about the whole aging and ritual around it made me intrigued.

I want to know about Darjeeling tea, my favorite. I’ve always liked tea but it’s the Darjeeling that made me really interested in trying different teas.

I stg he’s a tea version of customgrow 420 intro and all I swear it’s great

i love tea 😍😍😍 🍵

My first was Tie Guan Yin and it slept good but no taste. Today I just started experimenting with Chrysanthemum and Amber GABA dang and wow! It’s a blast in the mouth

I just tasted Longjing Imperial Dragon (the first one). It's delicious!

Dragon well (Pre-Qing Ming) is the best! :) I have drank it since the mid 2000s every day. Is that a rabbit fur cup?

Thanks to this video i've discovered the name of the Osmanthus!!! There's one in the garden of a neighbour of my grandparents (just one! but it's a big tree) and when it blooms the entire street is filled with its aroma (i'm talking about an area with a radius of at least 100 meters!)...to me it's my childhood smell. i will definetly try the scented tea. Just i can't get why is it illegal to bring one in the UK ...

Went ahead and picked up some Imperial Green - Pre Qing Ming

I enjoy your videos. I wish I could find someplace like Meileaf in the US. I'm sure they exist somewhere, but haven't found one as interesting as this. Recently joined a tea group at work. They have a lot they brought back from Taiwan. It's been interesting to try different types of tea. Even have been introduced to pu erh. I may be looking at your gong fu guru set before long.

I would give a white Jasmine so that they can appreciate subtlety, an anji bai cha to open up the world of green and grassy teas. Also a superior keemun to rethink black teas

Hi Don, I was just curious about your views on Teavana. I'm not sure how big it is in the U.K. but here in the States it is very popular.

My favorite is tieguanyin

What kind do you recommend for someone who wants to replace sweet iced tea with a cold green tea alternative?

I love semi sweet ice cold tea which I usually had just made with black Tetley tea... Recently I bought some better black tea and white tea and when I mixed them together they were absolutely AMAZING and now my usual tea!! What tea would you recommend for us iced tea drinkers?? Anyone have any suggestions??

Is there a reason insect biting is allowed for the oolong oriental Beauty but not green teas?

Nice instructional on GT's for the newbie but My question is: Wouldn't have been easier to list what you DIDN'T detect in the aroma and taste?

Ok idk about health benefits but I love yeh tea

Hi! Thanks a lot from Spain. I would have put a black tea instead of a second Oolong, a Yunnan "Hong Cha" Imperial harvest.

I love osmanthus oolong 😍

I think green tea is also used cus it just sounds healthier at a glance