What's the best decaf black tea????

I am always on the hunt for good decaf teas. Orange Pekoe or english breakfast-like blends. My latest find is Barry's Tea from Ireland. I like to use it for iced tea as well as hot. Barry's is bolder in taste than most decafs. I tried Peet's Tea English Breakfast decaf but found it rather weak.
I enjoy sipping from nice china cups but I like BIG cups of tea with my books. I have some of Shutterflys biggest mugs with favorite family pictures on them. They made for a very happy combination with books and tea.
I'd love some suggestions on other good decafs.

Though I can't vouch for most of their teas (not having tried them), Culinary Teas' Decaf Courtlodge blend is very good, and is the sort you're looking for. It's far better than a few other decaf teas I tried from them - or most other places. Do you ever 'decaffeinate' your own?

I'm amazed I've never thought, or heard, of decaffeinating my own! How is that done?? What kind of stores carry Culinary Tea?

You can order it through Amazon, or at http://www.culinaryteas.com

If you infuse your tea for 25 - 30 seconds, then discard the water and continue infusing with fresh, it should (I have read) reduce the caffeine content by as much as 80 per cent. It's simple, works well with teas that are forgiving about length of brewing, and tastes better than anything I've had decaffeinated commercially. The caffeine is released quite quickly, and flavor loss is minimal.

Also... the best flavored decaffeinated black tea I've ever had is Revolution Tea's Decaf Royal Plum. The plum flavor is very fresh and natural, and the tea quite light-bodied but nice: a good afternoon tea. It's full leaf tea in sachets, available on their website and in many good groceries.

I've never heard of self decaffinating either, but sounds like a great tip. Thanks!

Twinings makes a wonderful English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast in decaf.

There was recently a post on Teamail by someone with a scientific bent reporting on a study on how the caffeine is released from tea leaves. The researchers found that the caffeine is released pretty steadily over the first few minutes. But some other chemicals that have a calming influence (I forget which - maybe antioxidants?) don't start get released from the leaves immediately.

So when you use the self-decaffeinating method, you're not getting less caffeine - you're just getting a higher concentration of the calming chemicals. Still, I have used the technique and it works :)

I forgot to add that Upton Teas - http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/catalog.asp?begin=0&categoryID=47 - offers a wide range of quality decaf teas.

kbronte: Try the decaf English Breakfast from Simpson & Vail. Their decaf orange pekoe is also excellent.

How to decaffeinate any "regular" tea: pour in the boiling water, let steep for 20 seconds, then dump it and refill the cup/pot with fresh boiling water. This procedure will get rid of most of the caffeine, and the flavor is better than that of commercially decaffeinated teas.

Agreed, it tastes superior. Though we've discussed it on more than one thread, and the amount of caffeine loss - while helpful - is disputed.

#8:
Do you have a reference for the study? My sister, a doctor, told me once that well over 90% of the caffeine is released in the first 60 seconds of brewing. It's interesting to hear that the amount of caffeine loss is in dispute. I'd be interested in reading the article. Thank you.

#8 - Nor have I ever heard that the amount of caffeine removed by the double steep method was in dispute. Several reputable tea vendors have told me that most (90% or more) of the caffeine goes in that first "burst" of the leaves. I'd like to see the research, too. Maybe I've been drinking more caffeine that I knew!

I don't remember which member disputed it, based on some research, but it's among the tea threads, a few months back. I can say, from my own experience, that the trouble I have with caffeine is vastly milder if I decaffeinate it in this way. It does seem effective to me. Certainly adequately. :) But... let me look and post again in a moment.

It's here: http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=5581

Lakeofcoheeries is the one to ask.