95
drank Black Dragon Pearl by Teavana
136 tasting notes

I think I hit the target on this tea this time. I used 8 pearls for 16 oz the first time. This time, I went with 15. Apparently this is a lot more than most people use, but it gives me the strength and malty flavor that I love, and it’s still very smooth. I decreased my steeping time from 10 minutes to 5 minutes, immediately after boiling. I’m definitely going up to 95 for my score on this one. Overall, regardless of the tea, it seems that I always use a lot more tea leaves than recommended…is this common for anyone else?

boychik

I use a lot of leaf but I gongfu only. If I make western my ratio is 3 g /8oz. I always weight my tea, some leaves are long and fluffy, some tiny, eliminates guessing and works 98% successful brew

Mike

Awesome, thanks! I’ll get a scale and aim for that ratio. This particular tea is very light when the pearls unfurl!

boychik

When I gongfu I use 6 g /100ml for red(black tea) rinse and short steeps 5/10/15. I don’t time it’s approximate. You should give it a try. It’s fun. You can combine steeps in one big mug if you want or don’t have time. But I really like to the changes from steep to steep

Mike

Cool, I’ll have to try it! It is really fun to manipulate steeps to get the qualities you like most out of a tea. I spent more money on this tea at Teavana than I had planned on Monday, so I’m glad I was able to get a nice cup with a simple adjustment. :)

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boychik

I use a lot of leaf but I gongfu only. If I make western my ratio is 3 g /8oz. I always weight my tea, some leaves are long and fluffy, some tiny, eliminates guessing and works 98% successful brew

Mike

Awesome, thanks! I’ll get a scale and aim for that ratio. This particular tea is very light when the pearls unfurl!

boychik

When I gongfu I use 6 g /100ml for red(black tea) rinse and short steeps 5/10/15. I don’t time it’s approximate. You should give it a try. It’s fun. You can combine steeps in one big mug if you want or don’t have time. But I really like to the changes from steep to steep

Mike

Cool, I’ll have to try it! It is really fun to manipulate steeps to get the qualities you like most out of a tea. I spent more money on this tea at Teavana than I had planned on Monday, so I’m glad I was able to get a nice cup with a simple adjustment. :)

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I’m a tea novice, and I’m loving my introduction to the World of Tea. I started getting into tea about 4 years ago when I lived in Brooklyn, NY. At first, I stayed with green teas, and took black teas completely for granted. However, in the last couple years I have enthusiastically added them to my daily routine. I love strong Assam black teas in the morning, and Japanese green teas in the afternoon, especially matcha and gyokuro. I have recently become a big fan of Keemuns. I’m looking forward to learning about new teas on this site and talking to other tea lovers!

As far as ratings go, don’t trust me. I’m a high rater, and I’m easily impressed. If I rate a tea lower than 70 (which is going to happen rarely, it seems), I probably will not drink that tea again. I will splurge for some teas at times, but I love a bargain, so you will often see me celebrating under-appreciated everyday teas.

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Manchester, CT

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