Thunderbolt Tea
All posts tagged "Thunderbolt Tea"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.