Dilmah

B167 for 25 bags (50g)
Dilmah is not an easy cup of tea. The first sip is bitter, and there’s a smell not unlike yeast. But while the strong flavor was not to everyone’s taste, it had a full, lasting quality despite its lighter, copper color.
Verdict: Full of personality and part of the proceeds go to Dilmah’s conservation and charity activities. 

Heladiv

B98 for 25 bags (50g)
Heladiv has a captivating, fresh aroma and a balanced flavor. Just the opposite of Dilmah, its color is dark while the flavor is light. We’d recommend having it neat, as it might be a bit too wimpy for those who like to add milk.
Verdict: Light, fresh and aromatic.   

Tea Trends

B44.75 for 25 bags (37g)
Ugh. Tea Trends tastes just as weird as it sounds. More than half of our panel declared it had the aroma and taste of seaweed.
Verdict: Avoid.  

Twinings

B150 for 25 bags (50g) 
This is not a single origin tea, but just a good ol’ British-style blend. Even in the blind test, Twinings seems to be a kind of standard. “Yep, that’s a cup of tea,” was a common remark. A bit bitter and dark, Twinings just seems to beg for a pairing, either a cloud of milk or even a scone with clotted cream.
Verdict: Your classic English cup of tea.

Whittard

B475 for 50 bags (125g)
Another British blend, Whittard isn’t quite as aromatic as Twinings. But if you want some more oomph and a slightly lemony flavor, it’s worth a try. It’s has the prettiest color of the roundup but it is also the most expensive.
Verdict: Strong but a bit dull.

TEA 101: Ceylon Black Tea

Ceylon is simply the old colonial name for Sri Lanka, which produces green, white (a very expensive, high-end variety) and black teas. Black tea keeps the best, thanks to the oxidization process that sets it apart from green, white and oolong (Chinese) varieties, and it is what you get in most tea bags. Usually, it’s also the one with the strongest flavor.

What have you been doing since your fourth album IV in 2008?
We never stopped playing music, we just didn’t play together or in public much. I started my own music school, where I’m a guitar teacher, and as a Christian I’m now a pastor of a church. Bass player Na works for a beverage company and drummer Kei is also a music teacher and plays with a few bands around town.

How did the band’s reformation come about? We hear you are going to team up with Love Is Records.
A few months ago we played a little pub gig with all the original members, which really caught the attention of our fans. Then Cosmic Café asked if we wanted to perform a proper live concert for the first time in four years. We haven’t had serious talks with Kun Boy [the owner of Love Is Records] but we have plans to join forces for an album.

Has the band’s style changed at all?
Well, I’d say nothing major. But we’re all grown up now and have been through a lot of stuff, which is reflected in the way we now play our songs with a little more maturity. It’s always been our intention to write songs that would never go out of style anyway. We don’t want to be seen as a flash in the pan.

What do you think of today’s indie music scene?
Today everybody is indie, even bands on big labels, which never would have happened before. I think nowadays this term is used only to refer to bands who write their own songs. The catch is that indie has lost some of its identity and is more just a mainstream trend now. On the plus side, thanks to online social networking, musicians have more ways to share their ideas, so aren’t as reliant on record companies as they once were.

How do you define indie music?
It must come from inside you and it must be real. I think of music like any other form of art: to inspire people it must come from real-life experiences and really address your audience front on.

What has been your best moment as an artist?
When we just started the band, we did a lot of great shows at various universities and colleges. It was the age of innocence and I really miss feeling that way.

What’s next?
Earlier this month we released our new single “Tor hai krai mai rak,” and our fans love it. We’ll probably continue down this track: launch a couple more new songs and play some concerts, then see what happens. You’ll just have to stay tuned. Proudpisut Sang-ou-thai