Bad Anji Bai Cha?

[nathanlovestrees]

Hello all!

Recently I purchased some 2020 Anji Bai Cha. I've never had this before so I was excited to try it. However, something about the way the leaves looked seemed off to me, both dry and brewed. The taste was at first subtle and quite pleasant, but then it grew weirder after subsequent infusions (I was using a gaiwan). Upon inspection, the leaves were quite brown in spots, with some blackness on the ends. I thought that maybe I had done something wrong and that perhaps they oxidized while I was brewing. I tried again, this time grandpa style to keep the leaves submerged. Same results.

My question is this: did I get a bad batch of tea? Did something happen during processing? Or is this normal for this tea? As I said, I've never had this kind before and am not sure what is normal.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kAoJ2xkPnUG7ocH2A

[teaformeplease]

These don't quite look like a true Anji Bai Cha to me. The leaves are usually very pale with the stem showing as a darker green. I'll attach a picture to show what I mean.

[Teasenz]

These don't quite look like a true Anji Bai Cha to me. The leaves are usually very pale with the stem showing as a darker green. I'll attach a picture to show what I mean.

Totally agree, definitely not Anjibai. Even for green tea in general, color of the wet leaves look off as well. It looks a bit oxidized for green tea.