Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks. I don't drink decaffeinated coffee not because I don't get any effects but because of its tase, which I reckon is horrible. Caffeine is bitter (well slightly so) and I reckon removing it makes it unpalatable for me, it's likely why caffeine-free tastes bad. (I'd add I drink both coffee and tea without milk or sugar, that'd make the taste of the caffeine more noticeable I'd reckon). Incidentally, I was unaware…
I would recommend trying it, its not as bad as you say it is
As I said I really enjoy really excellent tea and coffee but I find getting what I like very difficult at a price I can afford. With tea, I used to drink good quality Darjeeling but it's almost impossible to get nowadays (it's over $1,000/kilo). Adding anything to that except perhaps a slice of lemon would be a crime. The cheap stuff that's now sold under the name is little more than tea dust, a good cheap Orange pekoe is a much better deal. I also love good green tea but again the only way I can guarantee to get what I want at a reasonable price is in the tea markets in Japan and I'm not there very often.
Similarly, truly good coffee is also very difficult to get, and it's fiddly to prepare. Even with good beans and an espresso machine I'll more often than not make a suboptimal brew.
I've this theory that many people who add milk and sugar to tea and coffee do so to mask their bad quality although they're not necessarily aware of the fact as it's so rare to get truly good product.
Incidentally, I was introduced to tea somewhere about 4/5 years of age when my mother gave me a weak brew with milk and sugar. I recall that about the time I started school telling my mother to stop putting milk in the tea, the following week I told to stop adding sugar. I've taken that way ever since.