I purchased 50 g of a tea labelled "Makaibari Estate FTGFOP1" at a
local tea shop on their recommendation. I have made two 4-cup pots so
far. One seemed weak and the other astringent.

For black teas, my procedure is to pour 3 cups of tap water from the
cold faucet into a 4-cup pyrex and bring that to a brief rolling boil
in the microwave (about 6-7 minutes). While that is heating up, I
measure the tea into the infuser using a tare scale. I then fill the
pot with hot water from the instant hot tap and let it sit whole the
water is coming to a boil. When the water boils, I empty the pot,
insert the infuser with the tea leaves, and pour the hot water into
the pot. I then put the lid on and set the timer.

I then pour most of the tea into a 500 ml thermos and the rest into a
cup. This will last me a couple of hours in the afternoon.

Using this procedure, I made my first pot using 6 g of tea brewed for
3:30. The package recommended 3+ minutes. That pot seemed slightly
weak.

For the second pot, I used 10 g of tea. Everything else was the same
except that I did not use the infuser. I put the leaves directly into
the pot and then strained the tea when I poured it out of the pot into
the cup and thermos. This pot was slightly astringent and unpleasant.
It also seemed to have a bit of a smokey aroma that was also
unpleasant and it had an aftertaste that was mildly bitter.

What causes the astringency? Is it due to the type of tea, the amount
of tea, the brewing method, or all of these?

I am fairly new to tea, so my palate is probably poorly developed. Was
this a poor choice for a newbie and possibly one that I might like
later on?

Can anyone recommend other teas that might be good to help develop my
palate?

I have never smoked and find the smell of smoke unpleasant. I do not
drink coffee. I find the smell wonderful but the taste revolting. I
drink very little alcohol, mostly a glass of chianti with dinner 3-4
times a month. I was raised in a largely Scandanavian area of the
midwest and grew up eating lots of bland foods. I only provide this
info in case it helps suggest teas that might be less of a stretch for
me as I am "growing up".

Thanks


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(11/09/04)