Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
TeaHQ has written about this pair
Bitterness and astringency have different causes and different fixes, and most brewing advice runs them together as one problem. This separates them.
- Most likely cause
- Sencha: Water too hot. Japanese green tea above about 80 °C extracts bitterness before sweetness.Assam: Steeped too long. Assam gives up its tannin fast and does not stop.
- The fix
- Sencha: Drop to 70 °C. Nothing else changes as much.Assam: Cut the time to three minutes and remove the leaf.
- If it is drying rather than bitter
- Sencha: That is astringency — reduce agitation and leaf quantity, not temperature.Assam: Same, and milk is the traditional answer for a reason.
- Leaf quantity
- Sencha: Under-leafing and over-steeping to compensate is the commonest cause of both.Assam: Same mistake, same fix: more leaf, less time.
- Water
- Sencha: Very hard water flattens tea; very soft water makes it sharp.Assam: Less sensitive than green tea, but the same applies.
In summary: Almost every bitter cup comes from one of three things: water too hot, steeped too long, or not enough leaf with the time extended to compensate. Change one at a time.
Point by point
| Dimension | Sencha | Assam |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Green tea · unoxidised | Black tea · fully oxidised |
| Production | In order: Steaming (Japanese fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying. bud and two leaves and spring harvest. | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. bud and two leaves and second flush harvest. |
| Origin | Japan | India — Assam |
| Flavour | grassy, vegetal, umami and citrus. medium, drying and astringent in the mouth. Aroma: cut grass, steamed greens, sea air, citrus zest. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. | chocolate and fruity. full bodied, drying and rich in the mouth. Aroma: malt, raisin, cocoa, baked bread. Straightforward in character. Bold in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 70–80 °C, first steep 60s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 3–4 g/100 ml at 65–75 °C, first steep 20s of 4 authored. Kyusu brewing (Japanese style): 3–5 g/100 ml at 65–75 °C, first steep 60s of 3 authored. Flash-chilled iced tea: 2–3 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 90s. | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 240s. Mug infuser brewing: 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–101 °C, first steep 180s. |
| Cultural context | Used in Senchadō (the way of steeped tea) and Japanese tea farming practice. | Used in Chai culture in India and Taiwanese bubble tea culture. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and is traditionally drunk plain. | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and takes milk. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.