On Thu, 6 Mar 2008 20:06:32 -0800 (PST), Alan
wrote:

On Mar 5, 11:29*pm, Ozzy please.answer@NG wrote:
Wasn't the whole idea behind Scottish Breakfast tea choosing a blend of
Assam which would be ordinarily be too strong for most palates, but just
right for the hard water of the Scotland? *

Ozzy

Scottish Breakfast tea is made to counteract the dulling effect of
Scotland's soft water. At least, that's what it says on the Taylor's
of Harrogate web site.

To answer the OP: water with some mineral content is best (in general)
for tea.

Oh, and oxygen content. Water that lacks oxygen (from being boiled too
long, for example) tends to make a flat-tasting tea. Oxygen is to tea
as salt is to food, in that salt can enhance the flavor of food. And
it can do this without making it taste salty; notice how often salt is
included in sweet dishes.

Alan

In that case, my water distiller, a counter-top stainless steel model,
no doubt robs water of oxygen. The manufacturer supplies charcoal
filters that are supposed to help the taste, but I'm not sure if it
corrects for oxygen loss. Seems like letting distilled water stand
for a while will re-oxygenate it some. Maybe you could get fanatical
about the oxygen and put your distilled water in a food processor for
half an hour? bookburn