Today’s sample comes from Teabox, a company with stunning, simple-yet-effective graphic design on its website. You can search by tea type, regions, flush seasons, estates, etc. I’m still working on my own personal knowledge base about these things, so this is a great research tool.
This sample is a Spring 2015 Darjeeling from the Mission Hill Estate. My sample bag says that this has “notes of almond, zucchini, and magnolia.”
Of those three things, I honestly can only say I’m familiar with almonds. I was a horribly picky eater as a child, which sometimes hinders my ability to write knowledgeably about tea. (This is why my reviews tend to wander off-topic into metaphors/associations/feelings.)
This tea boils up to a very light brown tea. Don’t be fooled by the color. It’s super-robust. It reminds me of English Breakfast which, traditionally, includes Indian elements (this tea is from Darjeeling, India).
It has a lot of rich, deep notes, but alongside that are coppery, bright sparkles. If I were to liken this to music, it’d be like a cello  accompanied by a lovely child’s voice. Like something that one would play in a rustic church.
I typically prefer blends, and I’m always happily surprised when I find something that’s “straight” I adore. This is one kind of tea from one place from one season. It has no additives; however, it packs a lot of depth. I totally recommend this one.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: TeaBox
Description
AROMA
Lifted bouquet of aromatic white flowers.
APPEARANCE
Light amber
TASTE
A restrained cup, slightly sweet, with soothing herbal nuances accompanied by notes of white flowers and toasted nuts.
COMPLEMENTS
Best paired with caprese salad.
