I was gifted a box of Barry's Irish Breakfast. It is a lot like Barry's Gold Blend, only less so.

A properly steeped pot of Barry's appears to be a bottomless black pit of despair. I have adored it for years.

Barry's Irish Breakfast is a delightful, far lighter version of the same tea. It even seems to come in the same cheap paper sack. Someone once told me they could taste the bag. I was unkind in response.

Using two bags of the Irish Breakfast does not seem to deliver a stronger brew. Go figure!

Barry's Tea Irish Breakfast Teabags (80) - Pack of 2 via Amazon Read the rest

A 2016 study shows the UK drinks so much coffee it has invaded their water systems. Read the rest

I bought PG Tips for a taste off with my favorite black tea Barry's Gold Blend. I decided to finish the box, rather than just throw it out, and ended up depressed.

When I first started drinking Barry's folks told me it was "a builder's blend" and that I would "taste the bag." Folks insisted I try PG Tips. A woman I'd been seeing who claimed deep knowledge of tea was an aficionado of the triangular PF Tips bag. I ignored them as I didn't care, and liked Barry's. After enough pressure, I tried PG Tips and wrote a review. I didn't like it much. The box got put away.

A few weeks ago I put my box of Barry's in my camper and headed north up the West Coast of the United States of America. When I got home I realized the box must have been left someplace along the way. I was about to re-order when I realized the PG Tips was just sitting there. I'd finish it before reordering and reclaim that tiny bit of cabinet space.

PG Tips tastes like cardboard. Rather than the 3-5 cups of Barry's I'll drink in a day, I was having one or less. Unfinished mugs of tea were gently evaporating around my kitchen and office. I was getting less done than I wanted to and felt pretty tired all day. Then I realized what was up!

Quickly I ordered a few boxes of Barry's Gold Blend. This morning I made my first cup in a few weeks. Read the rest

My home is lightly blanketed with Amazon Echo Dot listening stations. I tried to use Alexa, the digital assistant to re-order my favorite black tea. Now I am ready for the zombie apocalypse. Read the rest

When Nietzche suggested staring into the abyss, he meant an over-steeped cup of Barry's Gold Blend. Read the rest