Oh, this is interesting. After reading one of the discussion threads on low astringency black teas, I’ve decided to start using non-boiling water and shorter steeping times to see if I like any of my black teas without milk and honey. I also wanted to see how many re-steeps I can get out of this tea.
Steep 1: 2 minutes, 5g leaf, 8 oz water. It’s actually surprisingly drinkable without anything added! Not my favourite as there’s still some astringency, but definitely drinkable. Quite a rich flavour, with a bit of sharpness. Now I’ve had half my mug, I’m going to go get some milk…
Steep 2: Interrupted by a trip to Ikea! Will update later. Ok! Now that I’m back from Ikea (I bought jam, Swedish Fish, and a gluten free frozen cake! The cheapest Ikea trip ever!), I decided to have another cup. Again, I steeped for 2 minutes with water that was off the boil for a few minutes. This steep is even better – smoother, less astringent, and really quite delicious. I don’t know what the flavours are, but I like it! I might want to do a first steep for just 1:30 instead of 2:00 the next time I try this. I only have about 1/4 of my cup left, and I haven’t even noticed that I’m drinking plain black tea. Success!
