The most bitter, dark, and astringent green tea?

[samliketea]

The title says it all really, Im just wondering what teas people have expierienced to be strong, dark, bitter, and astringent?

Im looking for the tea that you can really feel in the back of your throat.

I bought Dragonwell from dragonwater.com recently, and while it is tasty and mellow, it brews light and delicate, while I was hoping for somthing with a bit more punch.

My palate simply seems to work this way; I like my coffee black, I prefer dark ales to the light crisp stuff, bitter chocolate, etc, and I am just looking for the green tea for me.

[auggy]

Hmm, you seem to like everything I don't so I don't think I can help much. All I can think of is an over brewed Japanese green!

[Pentox]

Hmm, you seem to like everything I don't so I don't think I can help much. All I can think of is an over brewed Japanese green!

Pretty much my thoughts exactly.

If you're looking for a bitter, dark, astringent green tea that is a bit of lunacy, I would try making a koicha using cooking grade matcha and boiling water. That should pretty much cover your tastes.

[trent]

If you want something dark & strong, you could try some shu pu erh

[LavenderPekoe]

Why does it have to be green? Bitter, dark, and astringent would be found easier in a black, probably.

[Pentox]

If you want something dark & strong, you could try some shu pu erh

pu doesn't really get bitter does it? You normally brew at boiling temps so unlike green you can't increase the temp to change the extraction params.

[Chip]

Sheng can be bitter especially when young.

Bitter dark green tea....this is easy. Low grade gunpowder green. For added darkness, brew it and let it sit an hour or so...bleh!

[Geekgirl]

Low grade gunposer green.

Hehe, "gunposer."

[Chip]

Low grade gunposer green.

Hehe, "gunposer."

Gunposer=Hollywood gunslinger

[Pentox]

Is it just me or shouldn't you be able to get these characteristics with just about any green tea if you brewed it in the "right" way. Boiling water, long infusion, lots of leaf?

[Chip]

Is it just me or shouldn't you be able to get these characteristics with just about any green tea if you brewed it in the "right" way. Boiling water, long infusion, lots of leaf?

True, but why put dignified leaf through that? Best do it to low grade cheap greens...if you want to do it all...not sure why?

[silverneedles]

kuding can get really bitter

[trent]

Pentox, I've never tried overbrewing pu, but from the horror stories I've read (newbies brewing shu for over 7 minutes) it sounds like it gets pretty bitter, strong, and pitch black.

[Proinsias]

Not exactly green tea, at least it's very green, my vote's definitely in the kuding camp. I find the standard kuding a little too much to handle and prefer the small leaf or wild varieties.

I do recall Guang over at Hou De Asian Art was offering something described as so bitter and tough to drink it was considered a challenge in the tea world, it was sold out by the time I placed an order with him - it came in little nuggets or balls and I have no idea what class of tea it was..

If you want any tea stronger then brew it longer, if you want more bitterness then use hotter water, if you want it darker I suspect the type of water used will impact results.

As others have said, if you gravitate towards dark ales as opposed to light ales then looking for green or white tea you enjoy may be a fruitless quest. Something darker may be a better gateway drug.