Country of Origin: India
Leaf Appearance: varied greens and browns
Water Temperature: 195 degrees
Steep Time: 3 minutes
Preparation Method: glass infuser
Liquor: pale gold liquor
One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most along my tea journey is watching the evolution of Darjeeling teas. It’s now common to see white tea, oolongs, and other varieties whereas years ago the standard 1st and 2nd flush black teas were ubiquitous. This tea from Rohini (by way of Golpdhara Tea Estate) is listed as an oolong. It is a post-1st flush production made with the AV2 cultivar. Categorizing it can get a bit fuzzy, but I can tell you that you are in for a treat. I tasted the 2013 harvest which has since sold out, but the good news is that you can get the 2024 release!
Leaf
Rohini Hand Rolled Spring Beauty had a very unique appearance. If I was tasting blind I might have guessed it was a Chinese white tea. The leaves were fairly green with an abundance of trichome-covered buds scattered throughout. I prepared this tea in a glass infuser. My water was 195℉ with an infusion time of 3 minutes. The leaves were a true pleasure to watch as they danced in the water. I could see reddish edges on some of them while others remained fairly green.
Liquor
Rohini Hand Rolled Spring Beauty brewed up a pale gold liquor. I was able to see tons of trichomes floating in my cup. The taste was mellow, fruity, and sweet. It brought to mind wildflower honey with a peachy finish. There was hardly any astringency. Overall the effect was juicy and refreshing. My second infusion was just as tasty. While it may be classed as an oolong, the taste of this tea is definitely closer to a white tea.
I would definitely recommend Rohini Hand Rolled Spring Beauty to anyone who enjoys 1st flush Darjeeling and other similarly mild teas. It is from a different region with different processing methods so I wouldn’t recommend comparing it with oolongs from China or Taiwan.
Rohini Hand Rolled Spring Beauty – First Flush 2023 sample provided for review by Gopaldhara Tea Estate.
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