So I'm inclined to think that tea delivers caffeine better in general.

Word. And it gets even stranger than that, because the mix of xanthenes isn't even the same—I think tea has much more theophylline in it, and maybe some other weird caffeine relatives, too. I have no problem believing that the different xanthenes and blends of xanthenes have totally different subjective effects, which is probably amplified even further by all the trace chemicals that don't even have names on 'em yet. And it probably all varies from body to body, too, because I'm sure I know people who get from coffee what I get from tea—it's not just that they have a higher tolerance, they're manifesting a totally different constellation of effects.

In conclusion: Life, tapestry, rich, etc.