A Journey of Three Cans of Tea

I am a tea lover.  Not just any old tea, though; I have my requirements.  First, it has to be long-leaf, not that chopped up in tiny bits and containing everything but the kitchen sink.  That means you cannot get it at Kroger.  I also prefer Earl Grey, and I have come to especially love two brands.  I buy them at Fresh Market in Memphis, usually 3 cans or so at a time.  I ran out, and have not been in a position to go back to Memphis yet.

Enter Rand, ever helpful: Just order it online.  Normally, I enjoy my little jaunts over to Memphis to shop and relax and pick up things I cannot get here.  But I was out of tea now, and can't get to Memphis at the moment....or several moments into the foreseeable future.  Sure enough, you can just order it online.

Smith Teamaker, located in Portland, Oregon for the past 30 years, is the maker of Lord Bergamot.  While I love the taste of this tea, slightly bold, I simply cannot open the can or the box and not take a whiff.  Every time.  Every single time.  I don't have a clue where they source the bergamot for their Earl Grey, but it has the absolute most heavenly aroma ever.  I would love to bathe in it.

On last Thursday, March 27, I placed an order for Lord Bergamot, to be shipped USPS, first class parcel post.  Monday, March 31--for those counting, that is 4 days to be processed, shipped, and arrive on my doorstep for the small fee of $3.94, I opened my package and took a big whiff and brewed tea right that moment.  Tuesday morning, and every morning and some afternoons since, I have enjoyed this tea.

My other fave is Harney & Sons Earl Grey Supreme.  It is not as bold, a bit milder, and with a more subtle aroma.  I ordered this one on the same Thursday, March 27.  I also ordered some to be shipped to my good tea-loving friend in Unalaska.  Unalaska is an island in the Bering Sea, off the coast of Alaska.  You can only ship things using USPS, and if you want to get it there in a reasonable amount of time, you have to ship it priority.  For the very reasonable fee of $7.50, it shipped priority mail to Unalaska, arriving in 5 days, one of which included Sunday.

My order, however, had to be shipped via UPS here in the lower 48.  It is not here yet, going on 6 days now, and according to tracking, is not scheduled for delivery until Friday, April 4, fully 8 days after the order was placed.  Wonder why?

Amazing how many stops these little tins of tea are going to have logged before they make it to my Taylor hillside.