The dry tea is mostly dark, black tea with a few fuzzy, golden tea leaves mixed in. There are moderate-sized pieces of citrus peel and also neon orange and yellow stamens, like saffron. I can smell the bergamot most of all. I steeped for 1 minutes and the resulting brew is very light. I’m not sure if it’s the type of tea or the shorter steep, but I ended up steeping longer than the package suggested even, so perhaps it’s meant to be that way. I can taste the orange but only slightly. I will try steeping this one again. Hopefully the flavors will hold up.
Second Steep
8 ounces water + 200 degrees + 3 minutes
The steeped leaves have opened up considerably at this point and I can really smell the bergamot. This cup is a little darker than the first but still on the light side. I think next time I may start with a longer steep on this one.
Third Steep
8 ounces water + 200 degrees + 8 minutes
This cup is already as dark as the others at 4 minutes but I’m going to see if it will be darker after a longer steep.
I left it for 8 minutes this time and the color has remained the same. The aroma is starting to fade on the steeped leaves and also the liquid. It tastes bitter but also watered and bland. This cup is tolerable but not great. I think next time I’ll stop at two steeps.
Flavors: Bergamot, Bitter, Orange
