@barefootstache Hmm, have you tried Darjeeling tea? It's one of my favorite to have without adulterants outside of oolong. Otherwise, I find most black teas require milk/sugar/etc, as they're quite bitter.

And thanks for the link, I'll take a look! 😄

@johnabs don’t know how fair it would be for me to try out Darjeeling or Oolong tea from local grocery store. Just from what I have tasted between the realm of black teas, I feel like it would be a waste of money for the lacking of flavor profile, though it could also be that I specifically was looking for strong black teas. That said the strongest black tea from the local vendor doesn’t come anywhere close to the bitterness of the teas from the tea house.

@barefootstache Ah, if you prefer bitter teas then Darjeeling and Oolong are probably not for you. I for one, listen to evolution screaming at me that “bitter->poison”, so I tend to avoid those types of beverages 😂 My wife on the other hand will chew dark roasted coffee beans just for the bitterness, which I cannot comprehend.

Back on topic, IMO oolong and darjeeling are both excellent teas to drink unadulterated, particularly if you long steep them. However, if you enjoy teas with strong (but less bitter/astringent) flavor, Iron Goddess of Mercy oolong tea is very punchy, and so strong that I can’t drink too much at a time. However, it is a top-shelf item with a similarly top-shelf price, unfortunately, so I don’t get to drink it as often as I would like.