Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
One of the Arya Estate’s acclaimed ‘Jewel’ teas. The Diamond delivers the bright, beautifully balanced muscatel flavours of one of the most sought after teas in the world. The dark, twisted tea leaves have streaks of gold and fuzzy silver tips. When infused, the tea is smooth and rounded with a long, sweet aftertaste that evokes dried fruits and nuts.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I received a sample of this Organic Arya Diamond Second Flush Darjeeling Tea from Canton Tea Co., I knew I was in for a treat. I have been very impressed with the quality of teas that I’ve tried thus far from the Arya estate, in fact, I might go so far as to say that they’re one of my very favorite Darjeeling estates.
So, I had high expectations going into this tea and it did not let me down! This is excellent!
As I’ve said on more than one occasion, second flush are my favorite when it comes to Darjeeling. I love that muscatel flavor from the second flush and that’s something that you don’t often find (occasionally you do but it’s rare) in a first flush.
This is nice and smooth. It has a nicely round flavor. The muscatel notes are sweet and grape-like. The finish is smooth with very little astringency. The aftertaste is sweet and fruity. The above description suggested a nut-like flavor, but I didn’t really get anything that tasted nutty to me. Instead, I just got a really enjoyable fruit taste that reminded me a bit of a sweet wine. The cup disappeared before I could finish the review! That’s always a sign to me that the tea is seriously good!
Arya Ruby Darjeeling Black Tea from Golden Tips
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Golden Tips
Tea Description:
Our second flush ‘Arya Ruby Black Tea’ is a classic example of Darjeeling summer royalty. The well-made leaves are wiry and have a delightful appearance with plenty of silver tips. Manufactured to perfection, the tea boasts of an immensely complex character with abundance of muscatel flavor. The fruit-flowery notes flush your mouth with a sweetness that is pleasant and comforting. The aroma scents of rich caramel with a slightly woody character. The nose is sharp and slightly fruity which resonates muscatel richness. Overall, the tea has a fantastic texture, a balanced and rounded body with an extremely smooth flavor that leaves a sweet lingering aftertaste in your mouth. An excellent limited edition Darjeeling second flush black tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Having tried Arya Ruby Darjeeling teas in the past, I was pretty confident that I’d enjoy this. It’s one of my favorite Darjeeling teas out there.
And this is indeed lovely! Sweet, delectably fruity and delightfully floral!
To brew this tea, I used my Breville One-Touch. I measured 2 bamboo scoops of tea into the basket of my tea maker and added 500ml of freshly filtered water. I set the temperature for 195°F (my go-to temperature for Darjeeling teas unless they look really green, then I might lower it to 190°F or even 185°F.) I set the timer for 2 1/2 minutes and I let my tea maker do the rest.
A few minutes later, the tea is done! Mmm!
The sip starts out with some what I’d describe as a medley of floral and fruit notes. By mid-sip, hints of fruity muscatel shine through. Subtle yet lovely notes of grape! A mild astringency toward the finish.
I’d categorize this as a medium bodied tea, it’s got a little more texture to it than a typical Darjeeling, but it certainly isn’t as hearty as say, an Assam tea. It would make an excellent afternoon tea!
A really lovely Darjeeling. I’d recommend this to any tea drinker, and especially those who might not have liked Darjeeling in the past. I believe this Darjeeling could change their opinion of Darjeeling!
2014 Organic Arya Ruby Darjeeling First Flush from Happy Earth Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Happy Earth Tea
Tea Description:
This Arya Ruby is finely crafted with its signature fragrance deep and rich in complexity that will cheer a Darjeeling enthusiast.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Sweet! That’s the first thing that I thought when I took my first sip of this tea: this is beautifully sweet!
The dry leaf is appealing to me with the varying shades of green, brown and silver. These leaves produce a coppery colored cup with a pleasant fruity note that evokes thoughts of grape. I could also pick up on some floral tones in there.
My first sip, I was really blown away with how sweet it tasted. I could taste notes of raisin (not always something I notice in a first flush Darjeeling) and peach. I’m tasting some of that sugary sweetness that I would taste with a dried fruit with hints of a grape-y like flavor. The peach is much more apparent to me, with mere hints of grape-like flavor, but I’m definitely tasting the sugary sweetness which leads me to think “raisin” rather than “grape.”
I taste floral notes that have been softened by the sweetness of this tea. As I near the bottom of the cup, the floral notes begin to emerge stronger than at the start.
But what really surprised me is that lovely hint of chocolate that I started to notice at about mid-cup. There were these really rich, decadent, smooth flavors developing: somewhat caramel-y with notes of chocolate! Love! There’s a delightful smoothness to this cup with very little astringency.
Yet another amazing Darjeeling from Happy Earth Tea. If you’re a fan of Darjeeling, you really can’t go wrong with the teas that Happy Earth Tea offers. It’s a great company that is socially and environmentally responsible, and I really appreciate that.
Organic Arya Ruby Darjeeling Black Tea Second Flush from Happy Earth Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Happy Earth Tea
Tea Description:
Second Flush Arya Ruby is much sought after by Darjeeling tea enthusiasts for its rich muscatel and a floral-fruity complexity. Our earlier batch was entirely sold out even before we could put it up on the website. We are glad we managed to get a fresh stock, albeit limited.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
YES! This Organic Arya Ruby Darjeeling Black Tea Second Flush from Happy Earth Tea is the type of Darjeeling that I think of when I think “Darjeeling Tea.” This is it! When I say “I think I’d like a Darjeeling Tea today … this is the kind of Darjeeling that moves me to want that type of tea! This is the Darjeeling I LOVE!
This is as close to perfect that a Darjeeling can get.
As with most Darjeeling teas, it has a lighter body than a typical black tea. A typical black tea generally delivers a rich and robust flavor while this Darjeeling delivers a crisp and lively flavor. This has a smoothness to it and a milder astringency than many Darjeeling teas that I’ve tasted.
This is sweet! Lovely floral notes that weave their way throughout the sip. Toward mid-sip, I find that muscatel. Piquant and fruity. It’s a delicate muscatel note and keeps to the rest of the flavors within the tea. That is to say that this tea isn’t just about it’s grape-y notes. This Arya Darjeeling has a wonderfully complex character.
Toward the tail, I notice the dry wine-like astringency. Again, this astringency is mild, much more so than I might experience with another Darjeeling tea.
I think I just found my favorite Darjeeling tea. If I could, I’d put this on everybody’s MUST TRY list, because you really have got to try it!
Arya Emerald Darjeeling Green Tea from Happy Earth Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Happy Earth Tea
Tea Description:
A good value green tea from Arya Tea Estate which is known for its high quality of produce. This tea bears the rich satisfying flavor of Darjeeling; nothing like the bitter green teas out there.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I think “Darjeeling” – whether it is a black, or a green, or even a white or Oolong Darjeeling – one word comes to mind … MUSCATEL! I love that sweet, wine-y, grape-y, slightly woodsy, earthy note that is so uniquely muscatel.
So, when I come across a Darjeeling – again, no matter what type of leaf it may be – I find myself expecting a muscatel tone to the flavor profile. And when I don’t experience muscatel, I am a little disappointed.
And so it is with this tea.
The truth is, not all Darjeeling teas possess that muscatel note. There are some very delicious Darjeeling teas that do not. I shouldn’t expect muscatel from every Darjeeling and I shouldn’t be disappointed by a Darjeeling that doesn’t offer that flavor. But, I love muscatel, so I can’t help but want it whenever I come across a Darjeeling.
This is NOT a bad green Darjeeling, not at all! In fact, it’s really quite lovely. But, it does not have the muscatel tone that I desired, either. This is much more reminiscent of a Dragon Well or perhaps even a buttery Chinese Sencha. It tastes much more like a Chinese green tea than an Indian green tea, although I must admit that my experience with Indian green teas is a bit more limited than with Chinese.
This is tasty, very much so. It is sweet, it has a creamy texture to it, very smooth and there is very little astringency. Absolutely no bitterness. Hints of grass and vegetative tones, and I even taste a slight fruitiness to this … citrus-y with a hint of peach. It’s a very pleasant tea to sip.
There’s just no muscatel.