I’m always brewing this too long: 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1.5 minutes. It’s all too long. Five minutes (as suggested) is ridiculous. My point here is, whatever I do this tastes oversteeped, full of astringency as if I’m sucking on a cold, used teabag. If brewing this for color, one would dunk it and be done. Perhaps this tea is designed to be steeped in a large mug (I use a 6 ounce teacup) with plenty of sweetener and cream. I’ll admit, it’s a different experience when handled like that, but you can make nearly any black tea work with enough milk and sugar.
I like strong teas, like Irish breakfast, but when tannins overpower I find it very difficult to pull out the complexity of flavor. And, with this tea, there is more complexity than one might expect from a bagged tea available in most grocery stores. There’s a slightly sour, almost citrus favor, some maltiness, and a pleasantly earthy base.
