To be honest, not sure if I have been sent a spoilt bag. I checked the bag, all is well as it comes in a thick foil and when I opened it, it smells ok. The leaves are all cut up – but I believe that it is the norm, so nothing to complain about. I made my own diy double pot to make it as close as authentic as possible. Followed instructions on all the videos. Nope. Nothing works. 3 tablespoons of tea/ 2 tbsps.. 2 TEASpoons/1 tsp in 600 ml of water. All grassy and undeveloped taste. Astringent. I can deal with astringent taste and thought adding sugar could cure it. Nope. Then it tasted bland yet sugary but the grassy hay flavor was still there. even tried with milk which is a big no-no but even the milk couldn’t mask the hay/grassy flavour. Although the milk and sugar dealt with the astringency.
Flavors: Bitter Melon, Grass, Hay
I drank turkish tea while in Istanbul – it wasn’t like that. Might be a bad batch. Ordered Feliz to see of it is any better. ALtinbas is supposed to be Caykur’s top tea.