We spend so much time geeking out on the latest yixing teaware, fine porcelain, and gongfu set ups that sometimes we can forget the elegant simplicity, and eye opening flavor exploration that is iced tea.
Brewing iced tea at home is more than just a refreshing antidote to summer heat or soda-replacement. The format of iced tea actually provides a new perspective on our favorite teas, giving us a way to taste new flavors and textures that otherwise only show themselves at low temperatures.
Drinking hot tea is as much an aroma experience as it is a flavor experience. Steam, which is carrying the aroma of your tea in the form of volatile aromatic compounds, rises off of each cup and engages your nose before the tea ever reaches your taste buds.
Heat increases the likelihood of these compounds becoming vaporous, which allows the aromas to reach your nose and influence your tasting.
When you drink cold tea, the aromatic compounds do not vaporize at such a high rate, meaning less fragrance. With less aroma influencing your taste experience, you are free to perceive other aspects of a tea without being influenced or informed by aroma.
Specifically, flavor and texture become the stars of the show.
Texture, or mouthfeel, is much easier to perceive when drinking cold beverages, not only because it is not being covered up by the perception of aroma, but also because it is physically difficult to take a large sip of a very hot beverage. With a cold beverage, you can swirl the liquid around and take a large mouth full to experience the actual texture without worrying about burning your palate.
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