One should definitely follow the instuctions regarding “waking up” the tea leaves; otherwise, you will want to dump the first pot as it will be decidedly non-delicious.
The first steeping following the initial “wake up” brew is tasty, but strong. I steeped in 10oz of filtered water for about 2 minutes, and it was still stronger than expecteed. I prefer a milder taste if I am tasting it straight, without milk or sugar. And I prefer to taste it straight.
The 3rd & 4th steepings were right up my alley because I generally prefer a milder tea that also retains max flavor – a tall order, I know. The first two steepings tasted like generic black tea – which I am not a fan of. I much prefer the subtleties of the later steepings.
The fantastic aspect is that just one broken-off bar can produce a solid 30 – 36 ounces of liquor. Even though my husband had 2 cups and I had 4, I have refrigerated 16 ounces to have in the morning. I hope that doesn’t decrease the probiotic benefits.
It is certainly a good tea, but my ideal taste would be to steep 4 times, in more water than recommended, and then combine all 4 resulting liquors into 1 pot. I will update this review once I try that.
Flavors: Dark Bittersweet, Dirt, Sweet, Warm Grass
Yes it’s a fab tea and it was my intro into Puerh