Country of Origin: India
Leaf Appearance: twisted, mottled greens and browns
Ingredients: yellow tea
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 195 degrees
Preparation Method: glass teapot
Liquor: deep gold
What-Cha is definitely one of my go to sources for unusual teas and selections from hard to find growing regions. Yellow tea from Darjeeling is definitely not something that you see every day. The leaves looked much like what you’d expect from a typical 2nd flush. There was a subtly greener tint to them and a few scattered downy buds. The taste was quite unlike anything that I had experience from Darjeeling or yellow tea before. There were floral notes with just a hint of muscatel, ending in a sweet and lingering finish. There was some astringency, giving it an almost dry affect but it never crossed the line into unpleasantly bitter. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think it was white wine. My non-tea drinking boyfriend even took a liking to it! After steeping I couldn’t resist playing with the leaves. They were large and mostly whole with lots of beautiful bud sets. I was even able to spot bug bites and tiny bits of oxidation. My second cup was just as enjoyable as the first. If you enjoy Darjeeling and are looking for something a bit outside of the box, I’d definitely recommend giving this tea a try.
Darjeeling 2nd Flush Jungpana Yellow Tea sample provided by What-Cha.