The steepiest teas

You're very welcome.

Yes, I do, and Liu An heicha is a very different leaf from Pu'er.

If the leaves are deep brown, isn't it aged then?

I find a good Phoenix oolong will.

Agreed. But I don't think you are saying generalizations are completely useless.

/Lew

This makes sense to me.

I find this less persuasive. I think most of us who are accustomed to lots of steeps are willing - even eager - to accept different qualities from successive steeps. And I've never tried a black/red tea worth more than six steeps, and that only for some Darjeelings, which are arguably more like oolongs anyway.

/Lew

On second thought, I'm less persuaded by this argument. For one thing, oolongs too are partially broken during manufacture. For another, Phoenixes, which yield lots of steeps, are typically close to black, while greener oolongs are less steepy.

(I'm assuming that when you say "broken" you aren't referring to chopping the leaves, which is typically done in India but not China; rather, I think, you mean the partial crushing to release the juice so it can mix with the oxidase enzymes on the surface of the leaves.)

/Lew

Hi, let me add #4 for a middle-of-the-road Darjeeling.

1. The average thickness of a Darjeeling leave is way thinner compared to say an Assam leave, not to mention those you can find in the Southwest of China or on the hills of Taiwan.

Karsten [Ossi blend / cream / rock sugar]