Why whole leaf tea tastes completely different from dusty tea bags
I always just assumed tea was supposed to taste kind of flat. Watery, slightly bitter like flavored hot water that was trying its best. Didn't matter what brand I bought from the grocery store it all landed in the same underwhelming place and I just accepted that as what tea was.
Then I tried whole leaf oolong and it was a different it has actual flavor, natural sweetness, a smell that hit before I even took a sip and this smooth aftertaste. Now going back to regular tea bags feels almost offensive. They taste stale and overly bitter in a way I never noticed before probably because I had nothing to compare them to. I don't know if it's the freshness, the way it brews or just the quality overall but the gap feels massive. Even just the smell alone is on a completely different level. Wish someone had pointed me in this direction a long time ago.