"Warren C. Liebold" wrote in message
hlink.net...

[snip]
I think many of the issues we discuss here are more closely related to
subjective tastes than anything else. For example, I personally find that
the flavor of a good darjeeling improves somewhat if the poured tea sits
in
the cup or mug for 10-15 minutes before drinking. That may due to the
fact
that some substances develop as the tea cools. It could also be that my
taste buds are better with slightly cooler rather than hotter liquids.
Some
of you may think this observation is nuts.

Warren, I'm with you on this. Darjeeling is my hands-down favorite tea, and
I find that the flavor is enhanced if it cools a bit. I'd assumed, as you
suggested, that my ability to taste (or smell, actually) some of the more
subtle nuances was suppressed if the temperature was too high. On the other
hand, cold Darjeeling is not as flavorful as warm to mildly hot.

As a side note, have you ever noticed that if you make a pot of Darjeeling
(especially first flush, which tend to produce a very pale liquor), drink
some, come back an hour or two later to pour another cup that the second cup
is darker than the first? Sometimes I notice that the flavor is slightly
different, too. Can brewed tea "oxidize", just like the leaves?

Regards,
Dean