Space Cowboy wrote:
> My recent GuangDong black tea wont infuse properly till after several
> infusions ie the leaves float in the cup and you have to use your lips
> as a sieve till they become water logged and settle on the bottom of
> the cup. Even a loose Yunnan black tea infuses from the bottom also
> like compressed shu. As a work around to produce the same leafy taste
> I infuse the GuangDong in another pot at much higher concentration and
> decant. I cant reproduce the taste of infused leaves drank from a
> cup. As a curiosity I tried several other teas this way and cant
> reproduce the taste of leaves in a cup. You would think the leaves
> produce a steady concentration but still why the taste isnt the same
> as a decant from a pot with various adjusted variables. The leafy
> taste cant be reproduced from a decanted pot.

What do you smell in the pot, after you poured out the tea?

My theory is that the floating leaves, just under your nose, give off
that leafy aroma that you desire.