The last drops of tea from a teapot

Majority of books tell to pour all tea until the last drops of it from a teapot into a cup. There are two reasons for it. One is that the last drops have the richest flavor of the tea; they are sometimes called the golden drops, so that you don’t want to waste them. The other reason is that the reaming water in the teapot will make the leaves continue infusing, and will make the tea taste bad in the second brewing. That’s why most books recommend pouring all the tea in the teapot.

The other day I found an article which tells you that you can adjust the taste of your tea by pouring or not pouring the last drops from the teapot. With the last drops, the tea will be rich and profound. Without the last drops, the tea will get lighter and milder in taste. I thought it makes sense. I am naturally using this method. Whenever I pour tea into cups and I find that the tea looks well-brewed and strong, I naturally throw away the last drops. (Or I sometimes pour the last drops and add hot water to weaken it.) Anyway, I wonder how the last drops taste. Do they have condescended umami? Strong bitterness? Well-branced flavor? Have you tasted just the last drops of tea? I thought I would try them. I will report the result on the next post.