Country of Origin: Nepal
Leaf Appearance: long, dark and somewhat twisted
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 205 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic teacup and mesh infuser
Liquor: deep reddish brown
LoveTea is a UK based company that offers a monthly tea subscription service. I don’t often get to sample Nepalese teas so I was really excited to give this one a try. I was impressed before I even steeped the tea because the included information card gave a lot of interesting background on Jun Chiyabari as well as tasting notes and recommendations for preparing the tea. It explained that this boutique tea garden is setting out to differentiate from Darjeeling and create new methods of tea production. Judging by this tea, they certainly seem to have done just that. The taste was rich and earthy with notes of chocolate. There was also a fruity sweetness that was almost reminiscent of wine. A mild astringency made for a brisk and refreshing finish. This tea could stand up to milk and sugar if you really have to but I definitely prefer it all on its own.
You can find out more about this tea here.