Going back about eight weeks here...

wrote:
... To my mind, a look at the manufacturing process of green tea may lead
to a better understanding on the subject under discussion.
... the flush leaf temperature never reaches the boiling point of
water- during the process of steaming or panning. And during the final
drying of the green tea, the leaf temperatures are less than boilng
point of water.
So an interesting query emerges- in hot brewing. is there any
relation between the optimum brewing water temperature and the
processing temperature achieved by the green tea during its
manufacturing process.

What an interesting insight. Although I've enjoyed single-barrel whisky
diluted with water from the Aberfeldy burn used in the wort, eaten fried
clams and Reuben sandwiches in the restaurant where each was invented,
tasted Cassis in Cassis and so forth, I generally don't believe in
sympathetic magic. Certainly not stuff about how the shape of a teapot
has somehow to mirror the shape of the dried leaf, and so forth.

Having said that, SMC's point makes perfect sense to me, and is helpful.
While dry and wet heat don't have quite the same effects, kill-green is
(I believe) mostly happening at a pretty high water content. So it
stands to reason that drowning the leaf in brewing water hotter than the
tea has experienced in processing is likely to cook, volatilize or
otherwise do violence to delicate and volatile flavor and aroma
components. Yet another reason to start brewing with water far off the
boil. It would be very interesting to do the experiment described above
- anyone have access to peak kill-green or final roasting temperatures
of some available teas?

-DM