As far as widely available supermarket bagged teas go, Stash is nonpareil in my book and the only kind I’d ever reach for/still keep in the house for guests or in my purse. Before I got into loose tea, it was the only brand I could find that reliably had any welcome flavor to it (before I was sort of in the Natalie Dee “tea: it tastes just like hot water that used to have some leaves in it” camp)…others either were weak (all the Lipton/Tetley/Red Rose stuff) or if they did have a flavor it was gross and artificial or way too astringent to me (most of Celestial’s), or seemed stale and musty (Twinings).

They’re especially good if you like warmly spiced and sweet but not cloying decaf dessert teas, the kind that take well to milk and sugar, where the simplicity of a tea bag is welcome late at night before bed. Vanilla Nut Creme 4eva! Others I still have a nostalgic soft spot in my heart for: Double Bergamot Earl Grey, Licorice Spice, Holiday Chai, and White Christmas.

As far as widely available supermarket bagged teas go, Stash is nonpareil in my book and the only kind I’d ever reach for/still keep in the house for guests or in my purse. Before I got into loose tea, it was the only brand I could find that reliably had any welcome flavor to it (before I was sort of in the Natalie Dee “tea: it tastes just like hot water that used to have some leaves in it” camp)…others either were weak (all the Lipton/Tetley/Red Rose stuff) or if they did have a flavor it was gross and artificial or way too astringent to me (most of Celestial’s), or seemed stale and musty (Twinings).

They’re especially good if you like warmly spiced and sweet but not cloying decaf dessert teas, the kind that take well to milk and sugar, where the simplicity of a tea bag is welcome late at night before bed. Vanilla Nut Creme 4eva! Others I still have a nostalgic soft spot in my heart for: Double Bergamot Earl Grey, Licorice Spice, Holiday Chai, and White Christmas.

Perhaps I’m a bit biased because this is so near to where I live, but it’s absolutely excellent having a tea shop – with such an expansive selection – within eyeshot. The place is lined with teas. Prices vary according to rarity, but it’s not impossible to find something to fit your palate. And, of course, they always have three teas at the ready for people to sample.