I recently tried the 2024 Moon Bear Minis from white2tea.

Preparation

  • Temperature: 205°F / 96°C
  • Time: 15s, 25s, 30s, 40s, 45s, 60s
  • Tea Amount: 7 g
  • Water Volume: 3 oz / 100 mL

Overview

The 2024 Moon Bear Minis started with light sweetness and citrusy notes but quickly turned overwhelmingly bitter, making it less enjoyable overall.

Steepings

1st Steep (205°F / 96°C, 15s)

Light but sweet, with some lemony undertones? Other than that, nothing too interesting about this first steep, very light color.

2nd Steep (205°F / 96°C, 25s)

Nice and still, the citrusy taste is still pretty present. I admit this isn’t what I envisioned this to taste like.

3rd Steep (205°F / 96°C, 30s)

Some mild bitterness is starting, but for now it’s not prevalent. The citrus notes now fuse with that bitterness, giving a well-dimensioned taste, although most is at the front.

4th Steep (205°F / 96°C, 40s)

Not much difference to note.

5th Steep (205°F / 96°C, 45s)

Now the bitterness is overwhelming, the citrus taste is gone.

6th Steep (205°F / 96°C, 60s)

Completely bitter, gross.

Overall Impression

The 2024 Moon Bear Minis began with an interesting citrusy sweetness but quickly devolved into overwhelming bitterness, making it a disappointing experience.

Rating:

  • Flavor Complexity: 5/30
  • Brewing Forgiveness: 15/20
  • Quality Across Infusions: 5/20
  • Overall Enjoyment: 20/30

45/100

- yaro