Darjeeling
All posts tagged "Darjeeling"Margaret’s Hope Hand Rolled Special Grade 2009, Darjeeling 2nd Flush from Thunderbolt Tea
Most of the time, I try to review teas that you can buy, should you feel so inclined. Today’s tea, unfortunately, is already sold out. But I’m going to taunt you with my review anyway.
Margaret’s Hope is a tea estate in Darjeeling, India. This is their hand-rolled, special grade 2nd flush tea, a spectacular white tea boasting huge, lush leaves. And I mean seriously huge. Some of the leaves stretch for about two inches. No broken leaves here.
Can you tell I’m impressed?
Sungma Clonal Wonders 2009, 2nd Flush Black Tea from Darjeeling
Chocolate.
That was the first thing that came to mind when I opened this packet of Sungma Clonal Wonders ’09, a 2nd flush Darjeeling tea sent to my by Benoy of Thunderbolt Tea. I was amazed at how clear and distinct the aroma was.
That was a few weeks ago. Since then, I have been drinking this black tea on a regular basis. To me, it seems like a middle-of-the-road sort of Darjeeling tea ? it exhibits some characteristic Darjeeling traits, with a few noteworthy aspects, but in some ways I come away feeling a little disappointed that it doesn’t live up to the promise offered by its aroma.
Giddapahar Musk: 2009 2nd Flush Black Tea from Darjeeling
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.
Darjeeling First Flush 2009 from Mighty Leaf Tea
I have just now enjoyed my first taste of 2009′s first flush Darjeelings, courtesy of Mighty Leaf Tea. This year, Mighty Leaf have chosen Mim Estate for their single-estate Darjeeling offering. It’s a great choice: Mim Estate’s first flush serves admirably as a well-rounded black tea and a great example of that quintessential Darjeeling flavour.
Castleton FTGFOP1 Special China: Darjeeling Autumnal Flush 2006
Wrapping up my week of Darjeelings, I come to the fourth sample in my cupboard: Castleton Estate’s 2006 Autumnal Flush FTGFOP1 SPL China. This is the tea I would serve to a Darjeeling novice seeking their first taste of the region’s notorious teas. It’s robust, rich in colour and, most importantly, has that classic note of muscatel. A quintessential Darjeeling.
Springside Darjeeling Autumnal Flush
After playing around with first flush teas from Puttabong and Arya Estates, I shift focus to autumnal flush Darjeelings. First among those: Springside Estate’s autumnal flush. Year unknown.
Springside Estate is at the southern end of the Darjeeling region and has a relatively small annual output. Before seeing it in my local tea shop, Tea Leaves, I’d never heard of it.
Arya Ruby: Darjeeling 1st Flush 2008
Next up in this week-long Darjeeling festival: Arya Estate’s Ruby 2008 1st flush. This is among the most visually appealing teas I have ever had the privilege of enjoying.
In its dry state, the Ruby is a blend of earthy browns and cream-coloured buds. Once steeped, the leaves unfurl into large, mostly unbroken leaves – testifying to the pain-staking effort and finesse of the tea workers at Arya Estate.
Puttabong Clonal Exclusive: Darjeeling 1st Flush 2007
One of the most valuable pieces of advice I’ve picked up about brewing Darjeelings is this: let them steep about 3 minutes, then check them every 30 seconds until they’re ready. Darjeelings have a nasty habit of turning very bitter, very quickly.
But you can also go too far in the opposite direction, as I discovered with this sample of Puttabong Clonal Exclusive 2007 1st flush, graciously sent my way by Jo from Ya-ya Teahouse. Tea needs enough steeping time to develop complexity and body.
7 Common Questions About Black Tea
To the uninitiated, black tea is synonymous with tea. But while it’s the most common tea found outside of Asia, in reality black tea is second to green tea in terms of global popularity.
In this introduction to black tea, I discuss the basic definition of black tea, where it’s grown, some of the most famous varieties and much more.