I ran out of my mystery Keemun so I am now making our iced tea with this. I make two gallons at a time and put it in a Pottery Barn glass dispenser in the fridge. It makes a really good iced tea, as the sugar really requires a little more heft in the leaf so you don’t lose the tea flavor and just taste syrup. I am using about five tablespoons of leaf and thee cups of sugar for two gallons. My mother made her iced tea with three cups of sugar PER GALLON, so…I’ve come a long way, baby. Actually, I drink a lot of my iced tea sans additions but this batch is for family and friends and unsweetened just won’t fly.
I keep the tea from getting cloudy by adding about 1/4 tsp. of baking soda per gallon or two. You don’t taste it, and your tea stays clear even after days of being cold in the fridge.
I decided to try to drink it as a hot tea, sans additions. The first sip or two with breakfast was okay, but then I noticed that burn in my stomach I get when I drink Assams and Darjeelings. If I added milk, there would be no problem, but I would rather get a tea that requires no additions for me to enjoy it than to add milk, so this is staying an iced tea blend for me. Those who love their brekkie teas with milk and sugar would probably enjoy it, as would I if I simply put those additions on the table and used them!