Big fan of tea here! awesome

Black or herbal? I like black or green tea in the afternoon (tea time), and a cup of herbal after dinner.

For black/green tea (same plant), I find the loose teas tastiest. My favorite varieties are (in ascending caffeine order):
  • Pinhead Gunpowder -- a very bitter green tea.
  • Ceylon -- From Sri Lanka. Sweet without being flowery. Great dessert tea.
  • Assam -- From India, very rich and full of "tea" flavor.
  • Lapsang Souchong -- From China (the real stuff, anyhow). Very dark, sweet, smoke flavor.

There are lots of Japanese green teas that are roasted in various ways, none of which does much for me. Darjeeling is also a popular black tea, but it's a bit too light and flowery for my taste.

Earl Grey is black tea flavored with bergamot. Ew. But Jon-Luc loves it. The one flower that I do enjoy in my black or green tea is jasmine, but I still have to be in the mood for perfume.

At home I use a little wire basket that sits in the mug, and brew each cup individually. I've found this method far too much hassle on the trail though -- particularly when it's raining and my hands are cold and I just want a cup of tea now!

So I bring tea bags hiking. I've tried all kinds of gourmet tea bags over the years, but the one that keeps hitting the spot like no other is good ol' Lipton. If you can find Lipton "yellow label", even better, but red label is delicious too. Lipton is probably a blend, but tastes mostly like an Assam to me.

As for herbal teas, personal taste will primarily dictate which herbs suit your pallete. Celestial Seasons makes an incredibly strong cup of peppermint tea. The Yogi brand ginger tea is also a major winner in my book.

In a pinch, steeped young pine needles produce a pretty refreshing hot beverage.
_________________________
It's easy to be a holy man on top of a mountain.
-- Larry Darrell