Did you know that one of the aroma descriptors for wet tea leaves is wet leaves? I laugh every time I read it and yet it perfectly makes sense.
If we really want to get complicated we could define how wet leaves differ in smell. For instance the wet leaf of this Darjeeling smells different from the wet leaf that falls in our forests around here in MN.
The wet leaves around here have a somewhat musty and crisp smell in fall whereas this Darjeeling smell is smooth and clear. Generally I don’t like to use clear as a descriptor but it literally feels like the air is clear and being cleansed when you smell it.
Perhaps there is some unknown air cleansing property to it like coffee.
This Darjeeling is quite lovely. It brews up a medium dark, clear, amber. Typical crisp Darjeeling flavor with a silky mouth feel and only a tiny amount of astringency in the after taste.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Darjeeling / Black
Where to Buy: Upton Teas
Description:
This 2018 first flush Darjeeling blend has a sweet aroma, hinting of honey and flowers. Those classic hints spill over into the golden amber cup, complementing the silky smooth mouth feel. The finish lingers on a clean, crisp note. A great value.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jungpana Spring Delight from Tea Swan. . . . .
Darjeeling Tea, is among the most special, and for good reason. The taste of many Darjeelings – especially THIS Jungpana Spring Delight from Tea Swan – is a wonder as it gives the smell of pure chocolate blended with spicy herbs. This variant of Darjeeling tea, hand plucked and hand rolled, is nature’s purest gift to mankind.
What makes this even more special in my eyes is that it’s organic. This was a 1st flush of 2017 and I’m coming to the end of my sample and wanted to write about it and share it with you before I ran out.
I infused the loose leaf for about 3 minutes at between 200-215 degrees and it seemed to infuse perfectly! At least perfectly for my own personal liking, that is.
Jungpana Spring Delight Black Tea from Tea Swan gives off the taste of fresh corn with a speck of marigold and gives off a deep, golden yellow brew. It’s truly delightful and delivers a full, robust flavor with very little astringency. When I read ‘smooth, refined and regal’ – according to the company’s website – I couldn’t agree more. It even finishes with a whisper of sweet citrus…how lovely!
This is a KEEPER to say the very least! Two thumbs up, indeed!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Swan
Description
The taste of this tea is a wonder as it gives the smell of pure chocolate blended with spicy herbs. This variant of Darjeeling tea, hand plucked and hand rolled, is nature’s purest gift to mankind.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Edith Wharton blend from Simpson and Vail
This lovely tea has been sitting on my tea shelf for a while, just waiting for the right day. Well today was the day. This darjeeling blend was created in honor of author Edith Wharton at the Simpson and Vail tea shop.
I don’t know what it is, but darjeeling and earl grey teas always make me think of ladylike tea parties with finger sandwiches and sugar cubes. This darjeeling blend is crisp and and could fit into the high tea setting, but it also has a lot more to bring to your cup.
In both scent and taste this blend is pleasantly bright and playful with plenty of grapefruit citrus. This tartness feels satisfying like having the perfect biting witty comment ready to go on your tongue. Beyond the grapefruit there is a bit of ginger heat, quickly followed by the smooth, vanilla tones of the mallow blossoms at the end.
Bold but ladylike, sharp but playful. This is a great tea for that favorite smart and sassy friend in your life, or for any literary tea aficionado.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description:
For our Edith Wharton blend we pay homage to her descriptions of the undercurrents rippling through fashionable society. We have combined a refined, high-grown Darjeeling black tea with a little passionfruit and citrus flavor, a dash of spice and lovely flower petals to create a taste that is smooth and elegant. Perfect for an afternoon tête-à-tête.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Black Cherries in Sweet Cream from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
This Darjeeling, cherry, and cream tea is profoundly decadent. This blend tastes like a dessert that’s melty and gooey. The cream is so creamy that I feel like a farm where it came straight off the cow. Like, a fancy French cow.
A Quarter To Tea has a good grasp on cherries. I never liked cherries until their Chocolate Cherry Oolong showed up in one of my sample packs. It was a game-changer. So much so that my hopes were high for this one — and it succeeded.
When I went to this tea’s site, I discovered that this tea was inspired by Game of Thrones:
“Illyrio smiled as his serving men spooned out bowls of black cherries in sweet cream for them both.” (Dance with Dragons)
In case you forgot Illyrio (I did), he was the one that took care of the Targaryens while they were in hiding. If this is what he was serving people, well, I might hide out there, too. Does he have any space available?
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
“Illyrio smiled as his serving men spooned out bowls of black cherries in sweet cream for them both.” (Dance with Dragons)
Luscious black cherries with a medium body darjeeling base, paired with heavy notes of cream and vanilla. Decadent enough to make a magister proud.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Goomtee Muscatel Valley Autumn Flush 2016, Darjeeling Organic from Tea Swan. . .
Many of you may already know that I start each and everyday with at least one black tea. Recently finished up my stash of Goomtee Muscatel Valley Autumn Flush 2016, Darjeeling Organic from Tea Swan and I have to say it will be sorely missed!
The natural flavor of Goomtee Muscatel Valley Autumn Flush 2016, Darjeeling Organic from Tea Swan was both floral and spice and they shine thru this straight-up black tea. It’s warming and comforting on just about ANY day.
I like my black tea strong so I tend to add a few extra leaves of tea to my cuppa. A nice hefty, overflowing teaspoon in about 200 degree water for about 2 minutes seemed to do the job for me.
The aftertaste was a lingering masculine type flavor sort of like pine, for example. Prior to steeping the leaves we crisp and much like you see in the photo above. This is an outstanding black tea. If you are a fan of straight-up black teas – you are going to want to try this one!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Swan
Description
Goomtee Muscatel Valley Black Tea is unique variant of whole leaf tea is collected from Darjeeling during the autumn flush. It combines the flowery essence of autumn and the spicy charm of spring.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!