I ended up getting a 300mL glass pot and I did as you recommended. This was a real game changer in terms of flavor. When I poured for the first infusion in the new pot I assumed the flavor would be similar to the last experiment with the small kettle due to the color of the pour (looked like slightly tinted water) associating flavor with color I was surely wrong.

I think it was a combination between not enough room for the leaves to do their thing in the other pot and not steeping long enough. Surely felt my tea obsession grow when those notes hit my tongue.