Country of Origin: India
Leaf Appearance: dark, somewhat curled with buds and white tips scattered throughout
Ingredients: oolong tea
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 200 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain teacup and mesh infuser
Liquor: orangish amber
The Republic of Tea is often associated with their iconic round tea bags but did you know that they also have some really great loose leaf tea? Indian oolong is something that I just can’t resist so I had to give this one a try. It hails from the Sungma Turzum Estate in Darjeeling.
Leaf
The dry leaves were beautiful to look at and the liquor was a really bright orange shade of amber. Its overall appearance was quite unlike any oolong that I’ve tried before, even those from other Darjeeling estates.
Liquor
The taste was mellow and well rounded with notes of rose and citrus. There was also a really nice underlying spiciness. I wouldn’t exactly call it cinnamon but it was close to it. It had a somewhat dry finish but it was not bitter or unpleasant.
Although not terribly complex, this was a really enjoyable cup of tea. The leaves expanded quite a bit so I’ll be infusing this tea in a teapot or gaiwan in the future. You’ve got to give those leaves room to stretch their legs.
You can find out more about this tea here.