The first sips of this cup were almost unbearable! It was super strong and had a bitter edge to it, even with cream which usually mellows it out. The next few sips were better, but almost overwhelming with the floral flavor. A few sips after that and I could pick out some raspberry in the floral mix. As I go to take another sip, I catch almond notes in the scent. Maybe that is the intense floral I’m picking up? It gets better as it cools, but it’s definitely not an enjoyable cup from beginning to end. I was looking at the steeped leaves and they looked more green than black so I may try steeping at a lower temp if I decide to try this tea again, but I’m getting to the point in my tea appreciation that I don’t have patience for teas that don’t yield a great cup.
205 °F / 96 °C
3 min, 0 sec
It’s definitely better at lower temps.
I’m glad to hear there is still hope. I have over half a tin left!