Oooh this is a tea I’ve been waiting for. One of the cheaper offerings from white2tea, yet it sounds like one of the most interesting ones too.

Flash steeps? Bitter? God knows I hate those flavors, and that makes me all the more curious. Knowing my bias for bitter teas, however, please take this review with a grain of salt.

15s wash. Before anything, already regarding the smell I feel like we’re going for that everlasting vegetal bitterness that I oh so dislike. From the get-go it’s already not a good point for this tea but I’m looking to be surprised.

Preparation

  • Temperature: 205°F / 96°C
  • Time: 5s, 15s, 20s, 30s
  • Tea Amount: 7 g
  • Water Volume: 3 oz / 100 mL

Overview

The 2024 Gas Minis is a tea that challenges expectations with its unique bitterness and depth. Despite my bias against bitter teas, I found this one intriguingly complex.

Steepings

1st Steep (200°F / 93°C, 5s)

5s is quite short, but this tea although compressed is already starting to reveal itself. Now this is really interesting. The taste is deep, that vegetal smell isn’t showing anything too spicy for now. This is a good steep.

2nd Steep (203°F / 95°C, 15s)

Again, not much, no bitterness, just some really nice character and depth, some things in the front and none of the vegetalness I’ve expected. Well-balanced tea and the soup is light, this is very interesting.

3rd Steep (203°F / 95°C, 20s)

Oh, okay now it’s starting. The bitterness is in the front, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced something like this. This is definitely a “feature not a bug” situation. The bitterness builds up and then hits suddenly and in the very front as well. While the after-taste isn’t long-lasting, the back of the taste is definitely deep, and the soup is so light too, huh? Incredible. But I know the next steep is where things are gonna hit.

4th Steep (203°F / 95°C, 30s)

That’s bitter, now everything is bitter. It’s so bitter on every level, I’m fascinated by how good this is. I have bitterness but I’m pleasantly surprised.

Overall Impression

The 2024 Gas Minis is a fascinating tea with a unique bitterness and depth. While I find it very interesting, it’s not something I could drink more than once.

Rating:

  • Flavor Complexity: 30/30
  • Brewing Forgiveness: 15/20
  • Quality Across Infusions: 20/20
  • Overall Enjoyment: 12/30 – While I really enjoy this tea, in the sense that I find it very interesting, I don’t think I could drink this more than once.

77/100

- yaro