Any tea aficionados here?

[Xithras]

I've always been more of a tea drinker than anything else, and my house and office are full of various varieties of imported Oolongs, Greens, and Whites. A few minutes ago, while cleaning behind my desk, I found an entire tin of Dragon Well green that had apparently been knocked behind there before I even had a chance to open it. I usually buy from Adagio, so the tea leaves are inside one of their airtight and sealed tins, and have been undisturbed since I bought it. By my best guess...that was about 3 and a half years ago.

Whaddya think? Will it be any good? Or should I just toss it? It still smells like tea, and it doesn't have anything fuzzy growing on it, but it DOES look a bit browner than usual, with some orangish highlights. I've never seen before.

Would YOU drink it?

[david13]

1. I suppose much of my tea collection is that old at any time anyway.

I usually drink coffee, but in the evening, or for medicinal purposes, or for ritual purposes, or to wash down some good pastry or biscuit, I will go with the tea.
dc

[auntAgonist]

2. I'm not sure but could the orangish highlights be mold?

I really don't know if I'd chance it.

aA

[Chan790]

3. It's kinda fine.

Key on the "kinda".

Loose tea (both finings and full leaf) are around 97-99% anhydrous depending on the tea, it neither rots, spoils nor does its' oils go rancid from oxidation as long as it stays dry and airtight. Like any dried agricultural product (spices, herbs, tea, coffee, jasmine rice, lentils, beans, etc.) however, it will lose potency and become mellower as it ages. (This is frequently done intentionally to some teas (bancha, for example)...but never for 3+ years.)

The most direct answer to your question is: "It's fine to drink, it just might be blander than Nestea 'instant tea' however."

-Chan790, culinary-certified tea-master.

[REP]

5. What Chan790 said, without the certification

I'd suggest using twice as much tea to brew (same steep time).

Or using it as an excuse to get fresh tea!

[Xithras]

10. This was 100% correct.

I used the proper number of leaves and a 3.5 minute steep, and I ended up with vaguely tea-like water on my first cup. I increased the number of leaves by about 50% for the second cup (all my strainer would hold) and pushed my steep time to 5 minutes, and it was a pretty good cup of tea, albeit a bit mellow.

So where does someone go to procure one of those culinary-certified tea-masterhoods?

[Chan790]

12. The coffeehouse I worked for set it up...

it was a series of trainings, readings and cuppings, followed by comparisons and learning pairings and the whole shebang.

Professionals can schedule a training for their full staff which is how I went through it. Alternately, they offer a course to the public every once in a while, it takes around 13 weeks. The next one is in San Diego. It's not cheap, like $2700...if it's something you're passionate about or looking to make a career change, it's fun.

http://www.teamasters.org

Edit: I'm impressed by your green tea discipline post.

[Xithras]

13. Thanks! How is it that I've never heard of those people?

I don't really have any interest in a career change, but it sounds like fun. I never even knew that "tea sommelier's" existed!

[AsahinaKimi]

4. Absoultely love tea.

My favorites in order:

Pu Erh
Japanese Green Tea (Matcha)
Oolong
Chinese Black Tea.

I can spend hours wandering around inside of an Asian Tea Store. I also love boboli (bubble)
teas!

[Skittles]

6. I only like it in England

in America I prefer coffee

[applegrove]

7. Somewhere I read that you are only supposed to steep green tea in water

that is taken off the burner just before it would boil. You also only steep it for 1 1/2 minutes..not nearly as long as you would steep regular tea.

[Xithras]

9. Oh no, there's far more discipline to it than that.

1. Use only the cleanest, most taste-free water you can find. I have a Brita filter that is used for nothing but tea water filtering.
   
2. Water gets heated to 180 degrees. This is the best temp for most greens. Hotter than that, and you'll scald or cook the leaves, which makes the taste bitter. Any cooler, and you will get a weak steep.
   
3. Pour water into cup for 30 seconds. Dump it out. This preheats the cup to keep the water temperature from dropping too fast.
   
4. Place leaves in the cup and slowly pour your water over them. I have a handmade ceramic strainer that keeps the leaves from permanently mixing with the tea, but there are a number of tools available for this.
   
5. Steep time varies by tea type, leaf size, and tea potency (first or second flush leaves), leaf freshness (old leaves, second steep with a particular set), and desired strength, but most are 3-4 minutes. I make a point to look up the proper steep time for each of my teas, and they are written on the container.
   

Yeah, it's a pain, but I've never had someone fail to tell me "That was one of the best cups of green tea I've ever had" after handing them a cup. There's an art to good tea.

[Xithras]

8. Update: I drank some. The random colors and giant purple bunny were AWESOME!!!

Thanks for the replies. I tried some, and as predicted, it was OK but very mellow. I had to double my steep time just to get a decent cup, but I'll probably drink the rest. It's actually not bad at all, just a bit bland.

I was so hoping for colors...

[Codeine]

11. I've consumed tea that old more than once.

It's fine. Maybe a bit weak.

[madinmaryland]

14. I like freshly brewed iced tea. Un-sweetened, but with a twist of lemon!