Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Happy Earth Tea
Tea Description:
A fragrant tea with floral-fruity notes and a classic Darjeeling first flush briskness from one of the most popular Organic tea gardens of Darjeeling.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Another HAPPY SPRING first flush Darjeeling from Happy Earth Tea. The aroma of the brewed tea is beautiful – a fruity scent mingling with notes of flower and hints of wood. It is a wonderful celebration of spring.
And it tastes so lovely! It is sweet with notes of fruit and flower, and it has a light, crisp body. The fruit notes are somewhere between sweet peach and apple, with the crispness of a green apple but the sweeter flavor of a red. It is very smooth and there is only a mild astringency that is slightly dry, sort of like the finish of a dry wine. The aftertaste is cool and clean.
The description on the Happy Earth Tea website suggests a hint of vanilla too, and after a few sips, I started to pick up on the soft vanilla undertones. It is sweet and silky … not so much ‘creamy’ as it is silky.
There are hints of vegetation to this cup too, as well as woodsy tones and earthy flavors. I would describe the complexity as a balance between masculine and feminine notes: Imagine crisp, light airy notes that deliver whispers of flower that rustle the leaves as you’re walking through a fruit orchard while the trees are blossoming.
A remarkable Darjeeling from Happy Earth Tea. I love that this is Organic, it’s also Fair Trade Certified and Rainforest Alliance Certified! I love that these things are important to Happy Earth Tea.
Risheehat Organic Darjeeling First Flush 2013 SFTGFOP1 from Happy Earth Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Happy Earth Tea
Tea Description:
This is a tea sweet with floral-fruity notes and a classic first flush briskness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Usually, I prefer a second flush Darjeeling over a first flush, but, I’m really liking this Risheehat Organic Darjeeling First Flush 2013 SFTGFOP1 from Happy Earth Tea. It has an appealing balance of fruit and flower notes and a crisp, clean taste.
The leaves are a bit darker than the photo above suggests, and they brew a light golden brown liquid. The aroma of the tea is sweet and flowery.
The flavor is light and has a crispness to it that is very “Darjeeling-esque” … you know what I mean? That light, somewhat astringent, crisp flavor that Darjeeling teas are known for? Yeah, that. I like how clean my mouth feels after I take a sip.
The flavor is sweet and there are notes of fruit that are somewhat reminiscent of grapes. This does have a faint muscatel to it, although it isn’t as muscatel-ish as you’d find in a typical second flush. There are also subtle woodsy notes. It’s a very pleasantly complex cuppa. The finish reminds me of a fine wine.
It is unfortunate (but not surprising!) that this tea is sold out for 2013. I highly recommend keeping your eye on the Happy Earth Tea website when spring comes for the 2014 harvest, because this tea is well worth the effort! It’s a good one!