Country of Origin: India
Leaf Appearance: small, dark
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic teacup and mesh infuser
Liquor: deep reddish brown
I received this tea as part of the The Devotea’s Tea of the Month Club. I was really excited because not only is this tea a Darjeeling from one of my favorite estates but it was also sourced through Lochan Tea Limited. Their reputation for very good quality Indian teas is well known in the tea community. The taste was bold and somewhat malty with strong muscatel notes, every bit a classic second flush. There was astringency but enough so as to add a refreshing briskness. It was full bodied enough to take additives if you were so inclined but milk and sugar are by no means required. Although this tea is from the 2012 harvest, it still packs plenty of punch and flavor. Darjeeling is probably the only type of tea that I get actual cravings for and I will be savoring this one to the last drop. Whenever I drink any tea from this estate, I can’t help but think of Robert Godden reading about the story of how it came to be called Margaret’s Hope from his collection of short stories, The Infusiast.
Darjeeling Margaret’s Hope sample provided by The Devotea.