Organic Sungma First Flush Darjeeling Tea from Happy Earth Tea

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black (Darjeeling)

Where to Buy:  Happy Earth Tea

Tea Description:

This is a classic First Flush (spring harvest) Darjeeling with layers of subtle flavors. It has a mellow floral bouquet, with a good balance of sweet notes and a dry briskness.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:  

The above photo might suggest that the dry leaf of this tea is a bit greener than the leaves appeared to me.  There are some green leaves there, but overall, I found the tea to be more of a medium brown color with varying shades of tan and grey, with some green leaves and green tips.  The aroma of the dry leaf is much more like what the picture suggests to me:  earthy and “green” (vegetative).  Not so much like a green tea vegetative tone – it doesn’t smell grassy, really, or like steamed vegetables or kelp.  It just smells … kind of leafy and floral. There are also delicious hints of fruit.

The flavor is a classic first flush Darjeeling taste.  Crisp!  Invigorating and yet light and clean on the palate.  When I sip a Darjeeling like this Organic Sungma First Flush Darjeeling Tea from Happy Earth Tea, I find myself understanding why Darjeeling tea is called the “champagne of tea.”  It seems to sparkle on the palate.  It isn’t literally “effervescent” but, it seems to be bubbly and crisp as I sip it, evoking thoughts of sipping champagne.

It is a very uplifting kind of tea.  The flavors are slightly earthy and vegetative, just as the fragrance of the dry leaf suggested, with notes of fruit weaving their way throughout the sip.  It isn’t so much a “grape-y” muscatel kind of taste (this kind of flavor you are more likely to find in a second flush Darjeeling).  Instead, I taste just a subtle, indistinct fruity note that melds with overtones of flower and woodsy tones.  There is a nuttiness to this cup as well as a lovely malty tone that I’m really enjoying.

Overall, the tea is sweet and crisp, with a charming complexity that keeps me sipping.  A very enjoyable example of a first flush Darjeeling, and I’m loving that it’s an organic tea!