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I was craving Ceylon tea, because I didn’t bring any with me. So, I bought a half-pound at this store, because they seemed to know tea, and, regardless, Ceylon is Ceylon. I can drink the mediocre stuff if I’m really craving it.
This tea turned out to be terrible. The leaves bits are tiny, practically what you’d stuff into a teabag. Every time I brewed this, it came out unpleasantly bitter. That has nothing to do with steep time – I tasted it as it steeped, and it was bitter from the start, and the rest of the flavor gradually seeped in. Water temperature also seemed to play a minor role in the astringency.
So, I figured, because I have most of it left, I might as well try icing it. So, I put a spoonful or two in a strainer, in a cup of water, and left that in the fridge for like 4 hours. It’s great – compared to the hot brew.
As a cold brew, it’s not bad. Not superb. Not something I’d crave. Weak body, and still even a little bitter, but maybe i brewed it too long.
At the very least, it’s drinkable, which is more than can be said about the hot-brew version of this.
What’s the lesson here? Don’t get Sri Lankan tea from a good Chinese shop. Leave it to the more generalized tea stores. Hmmm…. Maybe someday I’ll discover a Sri Lankan tea shop… how cool would that be???!!!