Country of Origin: India
Leaf Appearance: dark and curly
Water Temperature: 195 degrees
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Preparation Method: glass infuser
Liquor: amber
Herbs & Kettles is an Atlanta-based company working to collaborate with small sustainable farmers, directly sourcing single-origin, single-batch teas. Many of their offerings are ones that I have not seen elsewhere. This Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea is a perfect example of that. It was made by the Yanki Darjeeling Orthodox Small Tea Growers Welfare Society using the second flush harvest of the P312, AV2, and T78 cultivars. At first glance, you might think this is black tea but it is classed as an oolong due to the processing.
Leaf
The dry leaves of Herbs & Kettles Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea were dark in color with some golden tips. They had a curled, somewhat twisted shape. I noticed a sweet raisiny aroma reminiscent of very dark chocolate. I prepared this tea in a glass infuser using Herbs & Kettles’ recommended parameters of 195℉ water and an infusion time of 2 minutes. I love that their website gave both western and gongfu-style directions. I wish more companies would do that!
Liquor
Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea brewed up a nice amber liquor. I couldn’t resist snapping the picture above when the sun caught my cha hai just right. The taste was mellow and sweet yet complex at the same time. Those sweet fruity aromas from the dry leaf seemed to fill the area where I was brewing. There were notes of honey, dark chocolate, and almonds with a mineral, muscatel grape finish. Interestingly there was a subtle spice aroma on my empty cup that I did not pick up elsewhere. There was no astringency or bitterness at all.
I would definitely recommend giving this unique tea a try, especially if you already enjoy Darjeeling teas. If you haven’t already, check out the discussion I had with Poorvi from Herbs & Kettles about Indian tea regions. She has traveled to meet many of the producers that she sources her curated selection of teas from.
Have you tried Herbs & Kettles Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below!
Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea sample was provided for review by Herbs & Kettles.
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