Sandakphu Hand Rolled Black Tea/Nepali Tea Traders. . . .

Sandakphu Hand Rolled Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders was in my stash for special occasions and recently I hit the bottom of the bag so I figured it was time to say FAREWELL and give it a proper review before it’s just a tea memory.

I looked for this tea on their website and it is no longer in stock. Back in 2014 LiberTEAs did a review of it here at The SororiTea Sisters. I remember her describing in great length of the apricot notes that shined in this. I completely agree with her that the apricot flavors truly made this a naturally flavorful and delightful cuppa.

Nepali Tea Traders said this tea was an Orthodox black tea, only two leaves and a bud are hand plucked for processing. This full-leaf, loose tea is then oxidized carefully until a fine balance of flavors is achieved. This exquisite tea has a smooth floral bouquet with a lingering apricot finish. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed this tea so much…I have always been a sucker for apricots!

I always associated them with my childhood because as a toddler one of my favorite foods was dried apricots…yes…I know…I was an ‘odd’ kid.

I did feel that the black tea was comparable to a darjeeling. It seemed to have some flavor similarities. I sure hope that Nepali Tea Traders brings this one back because it’s a REAL WINNER!!!!


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Nepali Tea Traders

Description

Click below for all of Nepali Tea Traders Black Tea Offerings!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Kalo Chia Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders. . . . . .

Kalo Chia Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders is no longer available for purchase on their site but I thought it was still worth a mention as it was pretty fantastic while it lasted.

It’s rich, sweet, and woodsy. But it’s more than that. It had a unique flavor of its own and really drew me in and made me crave more. It’s bold and strong but had smoothness to it, too! It wasn’t astringent or bitter at all.

There were sweet yet dry plum notes and almost caramel or date like flavor pairings throughout the sip, too!

There were intriguing layers of flavor that kept me guessing but were not completely foreign either.

This was a really great black tea that I wish I had more of in my stash! Completely YUM!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy:  Nepali Tea Traders
Description

Click below for the black tea blends that are in stock.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Dragon Claw Oolong Tea from Nepali Tea Traders

Where-oh-where to begin? Well…let’s start with the tea name and company, shall we? Dragon Claw Oolong Tea from Nepali Tea Traders. This tea took me on a wild ride recently!

The dry leaves of Dragon Claw Oolong Tea from Nepali Tea Traders are grayish dark green in color. The leaves are rolled and shaped differently throughout the sample bag. They are somewhat reminiscent of a loosely rolled gunpowder green tea while keeping in mind this is an Oolong we are talking about here.

The aroma of Dragon Claw Oolong Tea from Nepali Tea Traders is incredibly fresh, a bit on the roasted-green side, and nutty. The surprises don’t stop there! The flavor of this tea – once infused – is that closer to a malty yet roasted black tea. YES! It’s trickery is fascinating and certainly welcomed! It’s roasty, toasty, malty, sometimes floral yet sometimes vegetal, all at the same time. This ‘brews’ darker than most Oolongs I have had in recent memory. Underneath and closer to the end of the sip I can pick up on a dried apricot flavor as well. Dragon Claw Oolong Tea from Nepali Tea Traders continues to shock and amaze me! I must put this one on my list of favorite unflavored oolongs for this year (which I will be posting about sometime in the next couple of months so stay tuned).


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Nepali Tea Traders 

logoDescription

The creation of this tea is best described in a Nepalese tribal expression “Mio Kulang,” which means dragon or eagle claws. When the tea leaves open, they look like claws that slowly unfurl. Cultivated during the summer flush, the tea is plucked at the beginning of the harvest when the leaves are dark green. Processing begins with mechanical rolling and shaping, which gently bruises the leaves and darkens the color and indicates that its oxidation (60%) is complete. Its deep color reveals a surprisingly golden cup, with a rich-tasting amber cup and notes of toasted nuts, malt and apricots

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Himalayan Golden Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders

NepaliTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black Tea

Where to Buy: Nepali Tea Traders

Tea Description:

After a short summer season in Nepal, the Himalayan monsoon approaches the foothills with a magnanimous rush. The golden red soil of Sandakphu drinks in this moisture, producing a rare artisan tea that reflects all of nature’s goodness. After plucking, the leaves are 25 percent withered, then rolled in mechanical rollers. The tea is then placed in a shaping machine and further dried, producing uniformly curled leaves. The liquor is a distinctive rich golden color, with a cup that is mild yet flavorful, with a lovely balance of stone fruit and honey.  We were honored when the tea was selected the best Black tea by the North American Tea Championship in their 2015 Contest.

Learn more about this tea here.

da631ba0fdbc3728ba63bc2414a236b6Taster’s Review:

I start each day with at least one black tea and at least 3 times in the last 2 weeks I started it with Himalayan Golden Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders.  The good thing is that I really love Himalayan Golden Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders but the bad thing is that I don’t have any left in my stash!

Himalayan Golden Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders has the two-toned brown/black leaves that have a medium-strong black tea that feature hints of cocoa powder when sniffed.  This was certainly the highlight of my pre-infusion tea experience.

As you infuse Himalayan Golden Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders the aroma stands up to the water strong!  In addition to notes of cocoa powder I could pick up on the cakey and bakey type of black tea that I have been longing for!

Everything comes full circle as you sip this tea.  The taste of this Himalayan Golden Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders is pretty fabulous!  It’s strong, deep, rich, cocoa-like, cakey/bakey, and has even a slightly bitter plum end sip to it.  The after taste leans more towards a dried apricot.  Which ever stone fruit you pick up on I feel there are many tea lovers out there that will love this tea!

 

Everest First Flush Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders

NepaliTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black Tea

Where to Buy: Nepali Tea Traders

Tea Description:

Our Everest First Flush tea is hand-picked in April from the tender buds of the tea plants that emerge after several months of dormancy as the days turned crisp, sunny, and bright.  This unique, artisan tea is a vibrant expression of the fresh Himalayan spring. Its beautiful, long leaves reflect the subtleties of the season. Upon delivery of the freshly picked leaves to the Sandakphu factory, it is processed initially by hand by gently rolling the leaves, then allowed to wither overnight. The following day, the leaves are mechanically rolled to achieve natural oxidation while preserving the fresh, spring green color. The liquor is pale and pure. The tea’s gentle, aromatic profile features floral and lilac notes. The first sip reveals a smooth, sweet tea, with refreshing spring astringency. This tea finishes with crisp vegetal notes and hints of roasted corn. Like Nepal’s famed peak, this is the pinnacle of our first flush teas.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

If you gravitate towards Darjeeling Teas I think you might like this Everest First Flush Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders.  At least that is the first thought I had as I sipped on this offering from Nepali Tea Traders.  It’s like a hepped-up version of a Darjeeling Black Tea.

Maybe it’s because it’s a First Flush.  Maybe it’s because of the crisp floral notes.  Perhaps it’s because of the astringency.  Or maybe Everest First Flush Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders reminds me of a Darjeeling because of the look and feel.

The dried loose leaves look similar to Darjeeling – as does the aroma – which is springy and fresh.  The aftertaste was also reminiscent of a popped rice much like you would find in a genmaicha.  Everest First Flush Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders is very unique indeed!

One thing I found after drinking this – twice – I was very hungry afterwards!  I don’t really know what that means – if anything – but I could REALLY go for a 5 coarse meal right now!  Regardless…Everest First Flush Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders…is a tea to appreciate and remember!