Yatra Tea Company Goomtee Estate Darjeeling – 1st Flush 2017
Country of Origin: India Leaf Appearance: mostly dark with scattered greens, buds throughout Steep time: 3 minutes Water Temperature: 195 degrees Preparation Method: stainless steel infuser basket Liquor: amber My mind has been on Darjeeling a lot over the last few months. After a tumultuous summer where the tea industry came to a grinding halt, things are slowly beginning to move forward again. Thankfully we do still have some 1st flush to carry us through until 2018. Vikram Mathur of Somerville, Massachusetts based Yatra Tea company must have read my mind when he reached out to see if I was up for reviewing some of their teas. One thing that really intrigued me about…
SFTGFOP? What the Letters On Your Tea Packaging Mean
What do the letters on tea packaging mean? This post is a quick guide to the abbreviations used to name Darjeeling and tea from other regions.
Udyan Tea Rohini Jethi Kupi Black Tea
Country of Origin: India Leaf Appearance: dark green and brown with silver tipps Ingredients: black tea Steep time: 3 minutes Water Temperature: 175 degrees Preparation Method: ceramic teacup and stainless steel infuser Liquor: amber I am very much a second flush (or Autumn, or Monsoon…) Darjeeling person. It’s not that I dislike first flush but the ones that I’ve tried tend to be a bit too green for me. This one from +Udyan Tea was a bit more oxidized so it was right up my alley. The leaves were quite beautiful, both before and after brewing. Floral and malty notes danced around a robust vegetal background. There was a pleasant crispness without being overly astringent.…
What-Cha Darjeeling 2nd Flush Jungpana Yellow Tea
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…
Udyan Tea Gopaldhara Spring Special Black Tea 2015
Country of Origin: India Leaf Appearance: small, somewhat broken Ingredients: black tea Steep time: 3 minutes Water Temperature: 195 degrees Preparation Method: Teavana Perfect Tea Maker Liquor: gold I’m generally a 2nd flush kind of gal but sometimes the odd mood does strike for a 1st flush. This one was crisp with floral notes over a mellow vegetal background. There was some natural sweetness but it was a bit too astringent for my liking. Some tea drinkers prefer their tea this way so please don’t take my perspective as a harsh judgement. The wonderful thing about tea is that there is something out there for everyone. My sample did have a lot more broken…
Golden Tips Tea Thurbo Moonlight 2nd Flush Darjeeling 2014
Country of Origin: India Leaf Appearance: large, varied greens and browns Ingredients: black tea Steep time: 5 minutes Water Temperature: 212 degrees Preparation Method: Teavana Perfect Tea Maker Liquor: amber The first thing that I noticed when brewing this tea was how pretty the leaves looked as they danced in the water. They were large and mostly whole, especially for a Darjeeling, with lots of visible buds. The amber liquor was equally beautiful. Although it was full bodied this tea was surprisingly smooth. There were sweet fruity and floral notes along with a peachy undertone. My second infusion was just as enjoyable as the first. There was no bitterness to speak of in…
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