What type of wood was this?

[soccersmitty55]

Last summer, while hiking on the Appalachian trail in Shenandoah national park, Virginia, I carved a spoon out of a piece of wood I found. The wood was a young, dead standing tree with brown, scaly bark. There were no leaves, and I could not identify what type of wood it was, but I used it because it was hard. I carved a beautiful spoon, but when I had finished and decided to use it to eat, I found it tasted absolutely bitter! What types of wood are known to be very hard and have a bitter tastes? Does anybody have a guess as to what this could be? I know it was not walnut.

[cabinetman]

I haven't found a wood that was particularly good tasting. Got a picture of it?

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