Berkeley Bowl

Very subtle white tea with a clean gentle flavor and low astringency.

I like flavorful tea, and will usually brew a large quantity of tea leaves in a relatively small container to maximize flavor.

I dislike overly bitter or astringent tea and am careful not to use water that is too hot or steeping for too long. This is especially true with loose leaf White Tea, which seems more susceptible to poor brewing.

I also like to get 3 or 4 steepings out of the same leaves, and after the 5th steeping, I’m perfectly happy with the fact that I’m drinking lightly colored hot water.

This tea, after the 1st and 2nd steeping, reminds me of a perfect 4th or 5th steep from a high quality Green or Oolong tea.

I like it, but it’s very subtle. Could be a nice daily drinking tea. Tastes a little like dry grass. It even reminds me a little of a Korean buckwheat tea. I’ll experiment more with steeping times and temperatures to see if I can optimize for flavor extraction.

Photos shared from after the 2nd steeping.

I’ll also need to only use filtered water and very clean glassware, as this tea lets any flavor in the water or mug come right through.

Fairly good black tea blend, with a mild ginger aftertaste. Sadly I can’t really taste the peach, though.

Black tea with a fruity flavor. I don’t specifically taste mango, though. Would recommend this one if you happen to be in the Berkeley area.

(No number because I put a lot of honey into this cup – but assume it’s 85+)

I only drink chamomile tea when I’m sick but this one of the best blends I’ve tasted. As far as I can tell it’s basically chamomile flower heads and bits of dried orange peel. (Sadly it’s not listed on the Berkeley Bowl webpage, but the “Chamomile and Fruit” is probably worth a try if you’re in the neighborhood.)