Giddapahar Musk: 2009 2nd Flush Black Tea from Darjeeling
Black tea, Tea reviews
Those of you who have been following this blog for some time will know that I have a soft spot for teas from Darjeeling. A while ago, I received a wonderful bundle of teas from Benoy, the benevolent man behind Thunderbolt Tea, a Darjeeling-based tea vendor. I’ve been following Benoy on Twitter, and one thing that is very clear to me is how much work goes into picking the best teas each season.
Today’s tea, a lovely 2009 2nd Flush from Giddapahar Estate — the tea is nicknamed Giddapahar Musk — is a testament to Benoy’s great taste. I find it a wonderfully refined tea, with a rich sweet aroma. Second flush Darjeeling teas are renowned for their distinctive muscatel flavour, a flavour which is very dominant here. With that muscatel comes astringency, though it’s quite tame in comparison with some of the other Darjeeling teas I have tasted.
I first tried this tea about a month ago, and I have enjoyed it regularly since. I’ve made it for friends, simply because it’s a very likable tea. As I sat drinking it this morning, struggling to put words to what I was experiencing, I realized I couldn’t. I would describe this tea as smooth, savoury, sweet, rich and deep, but that still doesn’t do justice to it. Nor does it probably give you much of an idea of what to expect!
All I will say is this: If you enjoy that characteristic Darjeeling tea, this will hit your sweet spot. And if you’ve never tried a Darjeeling, start here.
Giddapahar Musk is available from Thunderbolt Tea.
Georgia wrote on September 29th, 2009 at 6:10 am
I think this tea must smell v. good. Great photo.
Eric wrote on September 29th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Thanks Georgia! It does smell good. A very rich Darjeeling smell and quite musky, as the name would suggest.
Jason Witt wrote on October 7th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I recently discovered the true muscatel flavor for myself. I wasn’t sure if I’d found it though I was pretty convinced. Some people online confirmed for me that certain estate teas like these will always have that flavor due to how they’ll always be high-quality. My tea was from the Makaibari Estate. I’d recommend that people go for a “real” Darjeeling from an estate and experience the sourish grape flavor for themselves. –Teaternity