I've encountered something similar, though in my experience it isn't as
noticeable when the tea is sweetened since the sugar drowns out some of the
unpleasantness. There have been a couple times in restuarants where I've
ordered ice tea and it has a sort of metallic, sour flavor. I've usually
just blamed it on poor quality or not cleaning out the machine regularly.
However, I did a bit of an experiment where I brewed up my own ice tea and
just left it out on the counter (actually I had no room in the fridge). It
didn't taste noticeably different after the first day or so, but after two
days it definitely had a foreign nip to it. I imagine sweetened tea might
offer more material for the bacteria to work with and thus go "off" a little
quicker. I used to like my tea sweetened but while it tastes good going
down, it tends to leave a sort of cloying aftertaste in my mouth. It may
just be me, wonder if anyone else has had this problem.

"Tea" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Tony Colston" > wrote in message
> m...
> > It is funny to listen to this thread really. Being in the south I
> > think all tea should be sweet... at least the the type of tea I drink
> > in the summer. Sweet and iced.
>
> Being from the North, tea comes in two types. But it's seasonal. In the
> summer, 'tea' at my house is sweet and iced, unless specified otherwise.
> Even if it's herbal.
> >
> > I wish that I could explain the taste that I am talking about. It
> > happens to all tea eventually I have just noticed it happening to
> > sweet tea quicker. Maybe that helps. To me it is a sour taste but once
> > again it is hard to put your finger on it.
>
> I think it's a mixture of tannins and that yeasty kind of flavor. You're
> right- all tea gets like that, and it happens faster when it's sweetened.
> To my taste buds it's not sour, though. It's bitter.
>
> For this reason I make iced tea in small batches, and sometimes sweeten it
> with sugar syrup by the glass.
> >
> > I will keep looking around for answers.
> >
> > Thanks for all of the replies.
> >
> > "Tea" > wrote in message
> >.. .
> > > "Tony Colston" > wrote in message
> > > om...
> > > > I have been googling around looking for the answer to this question
> > > > but I have been unsuccessful.
> > > >
> > > > How does sweet tea ruin? And why does it taste the way that it does?
> > > > For instance I have bought a gallon of sweet tea from McCalisters
> > > > which tasted fine the day I bought it. Then I stored the tea
overnight
> > > > in the frig. When I come back the next day and drink it, the tea has
a
> > > > strange taste. I have consulted with older southern tea drinkers who
> > > > refer to this taste as "ruurnt" or "ruined".
> > > >
> > > > My friend who drinks tea thinks the tea still tastes fine. I think
he
> > > > is wrong. Any ideas on where I should look to find this type of
> > > > information.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks ahead of time.
> > >
> > > Any number of things could have happened. Tea particles in the
container
> > > could have made the tea too tannic, i.e.. bitter. Some people are
less
> > > sensitive to this tannic taste than others. Or the tea could have
> gotten
> > > warm before you bought it, and it might have spoiled. I'm not sure
what
> > > taste is called 'ruined', as I'm not from the South. In Maryland
where
> my
> > > mother is from they call sweet tea 'iced tea'.
>
>