slow notes from a kettle that is never quite off
October
The first cup of an oolong is mostly perfume. By the second the leaves have opened properly and you find out what the tea actually tastes like. I have started judging every new bag by the second pour only.
September
Spent a week wondering why a good sencha tasted of cardboard at a friend's place. Their tap water is full of chalk. A cheap jug filter fixed it completely, which was both a relief and slightly embarrassing.
August
Bought a little unglazed pot at a market and decided it belongs to roasted teas only. Two months in, the inside has darkened and plain hot water poured through it already smells faintly of toast.