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?

Besides boasting a magnificent size, the leaves are an attractive mixture of rustic brown and downy white. Dry, they have a wonderfully fruity aroma, reminding me of mango.

The tea infuses into a golden liquor. On the first infusion, I find the tea quite savoury, with a drying mouthfeel (something I note with many Darjeelings) and a mild hint of something sweeter (again, mango comes to mind). It is the second infusion that really impresses me: it’s balanced more delicately between sweet and savoury, as if to gather the best of both worlds. A lovely little hint of dark chocolate emerges. Pleasant drinking, to put it mildly.

As mentioned, this tea isn’t available anymore. Still, if you’re in the mood for some high quality Darjeeling tea, head on over to Thunderbolt Tea and tempt yourself with their excellent collection of Darjeelings. You can also check out the collection of Darjeeling teas listed in the Tea Marketplace.

ps. Lest anyone accuse me of heinous crimes, let me clarify that this tea was a free sample sent to me by Thunderbolt Tea.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | Margaret’s Hope Hand Rolled Special Grade 2009, Darjeeling 2nd Flush from Thunderbolt Tea | 3 comments |
Post categories: Tea reviews, White tea
Post tags: Darjeeling, Darjeeling 2nd flush, Darjeeling white tea, Margaret's Hope Estate, Thunderbolt Tea

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.

The leaves are an attractive bunch, matching the aroma. White tips are interspersed with bronzed leaves. Later, after inspecting the wet leaves, I find a few stems, but for the most part it’s a consistent batch. I am surprised though at the amount of broken leaves, something I wouldn’t expect in a tea classified as SFTGFOP1. There are a handful of full bodied leaves, but there are more broken leaves.

The liquor is a coppery orange. In characteristic Darjeeling fashion, the tea has a sharp, biting quality, like the skin of a grape. This is the point at which I find myself a little disappointed with this tea. It has the basic characteristics I’ve come to expect from a good Darjeeling, but I don’t find it exceptional. Contrast that with the Giddapahar Musk from Thunderbolt Tea I reviewed earlier this year, which was remarkable for its smoothness, depth and musky flavour. The Sungma Clonal Wonders is smooth, but I’m struggling to find as much depth in it as I did in Giddapahar Musk.

Sunga Clonal Wonders ’09 was available from Thunderbolt Tea, but has now been sold out.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Sungma Clonal Wonders 2009, 2nd Flush Black Tea from Darjeeling | No comment |
Post categories: Black tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Darjeeling, Sungma Estate, Thunderbolt Tea

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.

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Giddapahar Musk: 2009 2nd Flush Black Tea from Darjeeling | 3 comments |
Post categories: Black tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Darjeeling, Giddapahar Estate, Thunderbolt Tea