I have an Oolong sampler from Adagio.
Today, I tried the one labelled "ooooh darjeeling".
As is typical of Adagio, the brewing information is inconsistent and incomplete. The only brewing guidelines that came with it say "212° 5 min". No information on how much leaf to use.
The Adagio website recommends 1 tsp/cup, but it doesn't say what a cup is. I assumed 6 oz. It also says to use more for loose-leaf teas. This one is about average, so I started with 2.25g / cup (6 oz).
I brewed 6.8g in 18 oz of boiling water for 5 minutes. It was so bitter, I threw it away.
Brew #2 was same strength and temp, but for only 3 minutes. Still way too bitter. I diluted this by 50% making almost 6 cups. Much better. I've been sipping it all afternoon. It's still slightly too strong for me and maybe a little bitter, but very drinkable.
I have enough left for 2 more tests. I think I will first try slightly weaker (1g/cup) and then try it at a cooler temperature (~180°).
Is this considered a 'dark' oolong?
Adagio's general recommendations for dark oolongs is 212° for 7 minutes. I think this tea would have eaten a hole in the ingenuiTea before the 7-min timer went off. ;-)
If you had this tea, what brewing parameters would you try?
I was surprised that I had to lower both the strength and the time by more than 50% and I'll probably like it better at a lower temp, as well.