[dog ma speaks of dabbing in a bit of mineral water to rejuvenate and
inspire his cup]

snip

> Today, for example, I brewed a sample of Old Dong Ting from
> NYC's wonderful Tea Gallery. (Disclosu commercial connection; I spend
> money there at every opportunity.) This exquisite tea went "flat" after
> just three steeps in tap water. Adding a few ml of mineral water to the
> poured cup added/restored multiple layers of sweetness, fruit,
> complexity. And seemed to smooth over hints of roughness, somehow
> bringing the smoke/roast into better balance with more intrinsic leaf
> notes. (Kind of like the difference between 10- and 15-year-old
> Laphroaig, for those of that persuasion.) I took out five more very
> tasty steeps before going out to grease the Kioti.

Extraordinary. I LOVE that Old Dong Ting, it's so rich and roasty and
balanced and friendly. I'm going to try your mineral water experiment first
thing.

> Now, here's the punch line: the bio-effect of a little added mineral
> water seemed to persist. I alternated "spiked" and tap-water brews,
> rinsing the cup between, and found them almost indistinguishable.
> Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising: calcium is a dominant mediator of
> cellular and neural activity, and charging the taste buds and proximal
> tissue with divalent ions might have a persistent effect. Any biologists
> here able to comment?

Putting the technical chemistry aside because it ain't my thing, are you
saying that you added a bit of mineral water *once* and its effect persisted
through steeps, even after rinsing? That the bit of mineral water affected
the tea leaves *and* your tastebuds? Anyway, I'll be experimenting soon.

> Anyway, the provisional conclusion: a very small addition of minerals
> can apparently have a profound, persistent and positive effect on
> perceived quality in brewed tea, without much effort. Your mouthfeel may
> vary.

"Perceived," eh? Well that's good enough.

Michael