Originally posted by: dighn
Originally posted by: Descartes
Also, tea and coffee aren't inherently bitter either. Tea is only bitter if prepared improperly, and some high-grade teas never get bitter (e.g. Monkey Picked Oolong). Coffee is only bitter if overroasted and prepared improperly as well.
I have never tasted a green tea that did not have at least a hint of bitterness, or at least a taste that can be interpreted as bitterness (taste often associated with base, don't know the word in english.. soapy?) And I have tried a lot of teas because my grandfather is very particular about tea.
Well, it's possible you're interpreting tannins and/or caffeine as bitter as both give a similar tactile sensation. Neither are available in any notable quantity unless the tea is prepared improperly. A lot of people try to prepare green tea the same as they would a black. Green tea is very sensitive to temperature, so if you're hitting it with boiling water for 3 minutes it will come out tannic and otherwise harsh every time. Something like 175F-185F for 1-2 minutes is usually ideal, but it depends on the tea.
Prepared properly, a green tea can be herbaceous, floral and almost sweet all at the same time. A good Pouchong or an Oolong can be even more so. A Taiwanese Monkey Picked or Tung Ting Oolong sometimes taste like rose water and wheat grass, for example.
Finally, some teas don't get tannic no matter how long or how many times you steep them. Monkey Picked Oolong is the best example of this. It's smooth no matter what you do to it.
I can't imagine coffee not being bitter either though but my experience with it is extremely limited.
Coffee will of course always have some hint of bitterness just as a wine will always have a hint of alcohol, because both components are a necessary part of the drink: caffeine and alcohol of course, respectively. A great coffee can sometimes be so intensely fruity, earthy, chocolately, etc. that you'd have to concentrate to find any bitterness; a great wine is the same way.
Sorry for waxing pedantic about tea/coffee in a beer thread. I can't help myself sometimes.