72

My main question: if I brewed at a lower temp (185 F vs. 195) and for less time (1:45 vs. 2-3 min.), how did this tea get bitter?

Okay, I admit to having used a lot of this tea. 3 tsp seemed like a good amount to start when filling my Ingenuitea almost full. Maybe it was too much. (I have a gorgeous tall Yokohama mug I got at Pearl River Market in NYC before it became a glorified gift shop. And tonight, I wanted THAT much tea. So sue me…) Maybe if I had followed the directions more exactly, I would have had something tasteless, watery, lacking in jasmine flavor, or lacking in tea flavor, as other reviewers mentioned about this tea. Or maybe it would only have been bitterer? That’s what too much time or too hot of water does to green tea, right?

In any case, I stand by my decisions on time and temp. I’m willing to concede however that I may have used too much tea. The result: a thick, sweet, bitter, mineral-y, flowery brown/green brew that is just TOO MUCH FLAVOR for me. Flavor overkill!

That having been said, I’m still sipping it. It might be growing on me…or maybe I just like jasmine so much, I don’t care much how I drink it. Huh, maybe it’s time to invest in the $20 jar of dried jasmine blossoms at the Asian market near me…! (There’d be less caffeine, anyway!)

After pondering, I’m not going to say anything else about this tea until I’ve tried it with less tea. It just wouldn’t be fair. However…I’m going to keep my descriptors and ratings until I have a reason to amend them.

Flavors: Bitter, Jasmine, Sweet, Warm Grass, Vegetal

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 1 min, 45 sec 3 tsp 14 OZ / 414 ML

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

People who liked this

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m a librarian, SCA member, and tea lover from Madison, WI. I’ve been drinking tea all my life, but have recently become more of a fanatic about it. Single, straight, and looking. Would love to take a date to one of the great tea places here in Madison!

Location

Madison, WI

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer