So, You're Here for the Tea Opinions
Welcome. You subscribed to a newsletter about tea, which either means you're already deep in it, or you're one bad tea bag away from becoming deep in it. Either way, you're in the right place.
Let's get the introductions out of the way.
Who is writing this
I'm [Name]. I drink an unreasonable amount of tea, I have opinions about all of it, and at some point I decided the responsible thing to do was share those opinions with strangers on the internet instead of just my group chat, who, frankly, stopped responding to my tea updates months ago.
This isn't a lifestyle brand built around aesthetic mugs and soft lighting. This is tea, actually explained, with the marketing fluff stripped out and the mildly judgmental commentary left in.
What this newsletter actually is
Each issue, you'll get some combination of:
- A brewing fix. Something small you're probably doing wrong without realizing it (steep time, water temp, reusing a tea bag you should've retired days ago).
- A tea breakdown. What a specific tea or category actually is, where it comes from, and why it tastes the way it does.
- An honest review. Not the five-star, "life-changing" kind. The kind that tells you if something's actually worth your money.
- Whatever's happening in Communitea. Challenges, live sessions, questions people asked that deserve a wider answer.
No filler, no "10 tea hacks influencers swear by" nonsense. If it's in this newsletter, it's because it's actually useful or because I found it funny enough to justify writing about it.
Why I'm doing this
Because most tea content online falls into two categories: overly precious ceremony-focused content that makes you feel like you're doing it wrong just by using a mug instead of a gaiwan, or oversimplified marketing copy that just wants you to buy something. There's very little in between that just explains tea like a normal, slightly obsessive person would.
So that's the gap this fills. Real information, delivered without pretension, and without pretending tea is more complicated than it needs to be.
One thing to actually try this week
Since we're easing in, here's a low-effort, high-impact fix: check your water temperature.
If you've been pouring boiling water over every tea you own regardless of type, that's very likely why your green or white tea has tasted "off," bitter, or just not great. Boiling water is only correct for black tea and most herbal blends. Everything else needs to cool down first.
No new equipment required. Just let the kettle sit for a minute or two before pouring over anything delicate. Try it this week and notice the difference. It's a small thing, but it's usually the first thing worth fixing.
What's next
Next issue, we're getting into why "premium" and "artisanal" on tea packaging mean almost nothing, and what to actually look for instead. If you've ever felt vaguely scammed by a $20 tin of tea that tasted like every other tea you own, that one's for you.
Until then, drink something good. Or at least drink something correctly.
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