Tea Tasting: Three Rare Pan-fired Japanese Teas

[Richard Kilgore]

When I am starting out with a new tea, if an infusion is unpleasant, the first thing I do is try a 50% or more dilution of fresh hot water from the kettle--transferring to a larger cup if necessary--to figure out if the problem is the concentration (due to excess of leaf or too long of an infusion) or the temperature. That is often a helpful step before changing temperatures, and doesn't "waste" any of the goodness of the leaf.

Yes, I have done that on occasion, too. And our taste buds being so different, that makes even more sense for you. As we have said here before, Wholemeal Crank would run screaming from the room if she drank tea at my preferred leaf:water ratio, and I would wonder why she was drinking warm water if I tried hers.

People vary widely in their tea tastes, and what matters is to tweak the brewing so it pleases you.