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4374 tasting notes

I’m having a really hard time with this tea today, and I’m not sure why. I decided I wanted to drink it straight, so I brewed it for only 3 minutes and for some reason it came out pretty bitter. So thinking maybe I should try it at a lower temperature, I brewed it at about 190 degrees or so. The bitterness was gone but so were all of the flavors – it tasted like plain black tea. So then I tried the 205 degrees again, thinking maybe that one sachet had been a fluke, and it came out bitter again and it seemed like it had little flavor. I pored over the tin, and it says somewhere on the side that you should use one sachet for two cups of tea. This doesn’t make much sense to me and I’ve never had a problem with this tea before, though I usually take it with some sugar. I had to add condensed milk to these brews to even be able to drink them…

Does anyone have any experience with this tea in the pyramid sachets? I don’t understand what is going wrong with this or how it’s coming out bitter with a shorter steep time. Any advice would be amazing… :(

Preparation

205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

11 years ago

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TheTeaFairy 11 years ago

1.5 teaspoon 12oz mug

Cameron B. 11 years ago

Thanks dear, I’ll cut open a sachet tomorrow and measure it out…

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TheTeaFairy 11 years ago

That’s strange…sorry that it’s giving you such a hard time!
I only have the loose leaf version. I brew it at 195, for 5 minutes and it’s not bitter.
Hope you find a way to make it better…

Cameron B. 11 years ago

How much tea do you use?

TheTeaFairy 11 years ago

1.5 teaspoon 12oz mug

Cameron B. 11 years ago

Thanks dear, I’ll cut open a sachet tomorrow and measure it out…

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- July sipdowns: 4
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 107

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing