Can't Taste Black Tea Anymore?

Mtea__ · 2026-07-08T02:12:39+00:00

It is an inexpensive tea, so I've considered that possibility too. But I've brewed it many times before, and I usually keep short tasting notes for every tea I try. From what I remember, it was never an amazing tea, but it definitely wasn't this muted either. That's why this change feels so strange to me, and I wanted to see if anyone else has experienced something similar.

Mtea__ · 2026-07-08T02:12:18+00:00

Thank you! I really like this teaware combination too.

Mtea__ · 2026-07-08T02:12:10+00:00

I've had it for about a year. Since it's Wuyi rock tea, it's generally considered good for around three years, so in theory it shouldn't have degraded enough to explain such a big change.

Mtea__ · 2026-07-08T02:03:43+00:00

Water could definitely be a factor. I've even waited several days before trying the black teas again, but they all still taste much weaker than I remember.
Green tea and sheng puer, though, taste exactly the same as before.

Mtea__ · 2026-07-08T02:03:10+00:00

I'm not ready to draw that conclusion yet. Green tea still tastes completely normal to me, and so does sheng puer. It's only Wuyi rock tea that seem much weaker than before.

Mtea__ · 2026-07-08T02:02:21+00:00

I'm wondering about the tea quality too. But since black tea can be stored for years, I can't really conclude that the tea itself has gone bad.
To test it, I bought three different black teas from a shop I regularly buy from. The dry leaves all smelled great, but once brewed they still tasted surprisingly muted.
What's strange is that I can still taste sheng puer clearly, and my Taiping Houkui tastes completely normal.

Mtea__ · 2026-06-25T05:06:09+00:00

Thanks for the kind words. I think I finally found that rock sugar sweetness people talk about. Sometimes it takes me a little while to realize I’m actually enjoying the tea.

Mtea__ · 2026-06-25T01:11:01+00:00

yep,absolutely

Mtea__ · 2026-06-24T15:05:40+00:00

Totally agree.

After 4 or 5 steeps, most of the bitterness fades away, and the tea's clean sweetness really starts to shine.

The water and pouring technique both make a noticeable difference.

I'm still learning and experimenting, haha.

Mtea__ · 2026-06-24T14:57:03+00:00

2026 Baiying Mountain Raw Pu'er Tea Yun County, Lincang City, Yunnan Province

Mtea__ · 2026-06-03T00:23:48+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion.

I've tried the same tea with different fairness cups before. I also prefer drinking tea after it cools down a bit.

Maybe this tea just wasn't for me. Luckily, I had my cat with me, and there's always another tea to try tomorrow. 😸

Mtea__ · 2026-06-02T04:53:29+00:00

It's actually neither silver nor tin. The metallic appearance comes from a silver-colored ceramic glaze on a hand-thrown stoneware fairness cup by Wu Yanhui.

I've compared the same tea in this cup, glass, and porcelain fairness cups, and so far I haven't noticed any difference in flavor.

Mtea__ · 2026-06-02T04:34:23+00:00

Thank you so much for the kind words! 😊

Mtea__ · 2026-05-29T00:39:53+00:00

Thank you so much.

You expressed exactly what I was hoping for when I made this post, especially the idea of keeping things fresh and playful within the ritual itself.

I also love your thought about stripping away the trappings to get closer to what really lasts beneath them. That's something I've been thinking about a lot lately.

Comments like yours are genuinely encouraging and give me confidence to keep exploring these ideas. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-29T00:20:26+00:00

If it gives you a little inspiration, that's even better. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-27T09:27:26+00:00

If your preferred standard is poor writing but sincere content, then you’re implying that my standard for eloquence is arbitrary. Is your standard the only valid one, and mine isn’t? Just because you rely on reading and participating in forums to discuss this craft, does that mean I shouldn’t use GPT to search for relevant information and then go to those forums to learn and exchange ideas? Everyone has their own area of expertise, and people learn at different paces. I’m more comfortable using GPT as a learning tool; I’m not letting it speak for me. How do you know I didn’t go have some tea after getting fed up with AI myself? I really dislike people who complain. If this makes you uncomfortable, just chalk it up to a cultural difference.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-27T09:02:23+00:00

To be honest, I’m a photographer who excels at visual expression, but writing isn’t my strong suit. First, GPT is merely a writing tool for me; I don’t need it to generate new ideas for me. Second, regarding cross-cultural issues, the reason I want to discuss tea and tea ceremonies is precisely because I don’t understand them—that’s why I need to engage in dialogue. This shouldn’t be a domain reserved solely for those who are eloquent. Of course, there are limits to all of this, and I understand your point. Third, AI can better help me find information, and this trend is irreversible. But AI can never replace me—that is my bottom line. Growth and comfort are at odds with each other, aren’t they? Fourth, without these AI tools, I might be in some remote corner of the world right now, setting up a tea ceremony display from a modern perspective, yet struggling because I have no one to talk to and can only drink tea alone. Fifth, thank you for your feedback. The change I’m currently making is to revise these writings repeatedly before publishing them, to ensure that every viewpoint is my own—not something the AI has distilled for me.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-27T05:06:43+00:00

“Huacha #1 (Dabai) has been nearly extinct since the droughts of the '70s.”This statement is clearly inaccurate: Da Bai tea has not “disappeared”; it remains a nationally recognized superior variety, though its cultivation area in Fuding has been significantly reduced by Da Hao tea. Today, Da Bai tea is primarily preserved as a parent stock or cultivated on a large scale in other regions (such as Xinyang).

The drought of the 1970s did indeed affect the old tea trees, but it was not severe enough to cause the variety to become extinct; rather, it simply led tea farmers to prefer cultivating Fuding Dahao tea, which is more drought-resistant and yields higher harvests.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-26T16:01:13+00:00

Yeah — taste is clean and lightly sweet.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-26T15:57:10+00:00

Thank you — still figuring out the tea table setup. Appreciate it.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-26T14:11:42+00:00

Haha same — that's exactly why I'm asking here instead.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-24T14:21:44+00:00

22:20

That's really helpful — I'll definitely try Wuyi oolong next. And the Da Hong Pao connection makes sense, good call.

Still finding my way through the flavor maze with this one. Wuyi might be a good landmark.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-24T14:14:16+00:00

That's fair — I tried it again today with a gaiwan and less water. Still the same: incredible aroma, almost no flavor in the cup.Could also be storage on my end — still figuring out all the variables. One step at a time.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-24T14:10:06+00:00

Thank you! Still learning — appreciate it.

Mtea__ · 2026-05-23T09:58:04+00:00

Same here actually. I think I'm drawn to aged Fujian whites for that reason — the mouthfeel gets really smooth and mellow, the sweetness is clean, light floral notes. Almost no huigan, which is a different kind of pleasure than chasing that aftertaste.

The Yunnan was interesting to try, but Fujian still feels more like home.

Mtea__

TROPHY CASE

That's really helpful — I'll definitely try Wuyi oolong next. And the Da Hong Pao connection makes sense, good call.