Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Description:
JUNGPANA GOLDEN TIPS is by far one of the finest available teas. It comes from the prestigious JUNGPANA TEA ESTATE. This tea is special as it has been made with utmost care. The tea is made from the finest clonal plants from the plantations at an altitude of 6000ft. The leaves were handpicked with a trained group of women. The manufacturing process was also done with utmost care.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I adore Darjeeling tea, and some of the finest Darjeeling teas that I’ve ever tasted have come from Darjeeling Tea Lovers! This Jungpana Estate 2nd Flush Golden Tips Darjeeling Tea is a perfect example of the fantastic quality teas that come from this fantastic company.
The dry leaves are beautiful with their golden tips, and they brew up a liquid that is coppery in color and that smells sweet with notes of fruit, earth and wood.
And I like that what I smell is also what I taste. The tea is delightfully sweet without being too sweet. There is a lovely fruit note to this, wine-like, with notes of currant and muscat grape. The finish has a gentle astringency – very slight! For those of you who tend to avoid Darjeeling teas because you aren’t wild about the astringency … I think you’d find this Darjeeling to be more to your liking! The finish is less dry than the typical wine-y Darjeeling.
There are notes of wood, earth and hints of flower to this tea as well. It is quite smooth for a Darjeeling, and I note more body to this … it is not quite as “light” and “sparkling” and in place of the sparkling lightness is a smooth body that is very satisfying.
Another remarkable Darjeeling from Darjeeling Tea Lovers!
Organic BOP Iyerpadi Estate Nilgiri Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
A rich tea with solid body and full mouth feel. A pleasing, balanced cup with a classic Nilgiri flavor and style.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Organic BOP Iyerpadi Estate Nilgiri Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports is such a satisfying cup of black tea – ideal for that all-important first cup of the day, but equally as nice when served as an afternoon tea.
The dry leaf has a sweet, slightly earthy aroma, and it brews up dark, with hints of the sweet, earthy tones that were more prominent in the dry leaf. The flavor is sweet and smooth.
The tea is indeed a rich tasting tea. It is a hefty kind of tea – strong and bold – which is why I stated before that this would make an excellent choice as a breakfast tea. It has that “wake-me-up” kind of quality to it. It is nicely round with a pleasing malty tone to it, with notes of a tantalizing, freshly baked kind of taste. It is not bitter, and there is only a very mild astringency to the cup.
A very enjoyable cuppa!
Budlabeta Estate Assam GBOP SPL from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
A quality broken-leaf selection, with a pleasant and complex aroma in both the dry leaf and cup. The liquor has a medium body, with notes of dried fruit and a pleasant finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I had to wake up early today, and I am still feeling a little sluggish as it nears the afternoon, so, I am in need of a good, hearty Assam. I chose to try this Budlabeta Estate Assam GBOP SPL from Upton Tea Imports … and I’m hoping it will do the trick and shake me out of this nagging, dragging feeling!
The first thing I noticed, right off the bat, is how smooth this Assam is. The delivery is smooth from start to finish … tasting sweet – like the somewhat sugary sweetness you’d experience from dried fruit. The fruit notes remind me a bit of raisin and dried currant. There is a touch of malt to the flavor as well as a hint of wine-like flavor that is especially noticeable at the finish and in to the aftertaste.
I chose to brew this Assam for just 2 minutes, and I based this decision on the fact that the leaves were on the small side. When it comes to Assam teas, my general rule of thumb is that when brewing smaller cut Assam tea leaves, it is wise to cut back on the brew time just a bit to avoid bitterness. I think I made the right decision with this tea because I’m not experiencing bitterness with this tea.
It is mildly astringent and a bold tasting tea. It has a certain rigor to it – this would be a good “wake me up” kind of tea to enjoy first thing in the morning … or if you’re like me and one who doesn’t typically enjoy mornings (I think I’d like them a lot better if they started later), this also makes a good first thing in the afternoon tea! It has an edge to it, so if you want to soften that edge, a dollop of honey will do that and this tea takes the addition of honey well – and milk too, if you want a latte! As for me, I took a few sips of it straight up, and decided I wanted a slightly softer edge, and I added about a quarter teaspoon of turbinado sugar. This was enough to curb that sharpness without making it too sweet, because I really do enjoy the natural sweetness of this tea.
Another fine selection from Upton Tea Imports!
Southern Mint Herbal Tea from Revolution Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Revolution Tea
Tisane Description:
A refreshing pick-me-up, Southern Mint is a delightful version of the traditional English mint tea. This herbal drink, made from whole Egyptian mint leaves, has soothing properties and can help combat headaches and aid in digestion. Caffeine Free.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Ah! This Southern Mint Herbal Tea from Revolution Tea is so crisp and refreshing! It’s a great tisane to sip after a spicy meal, it helps calm the tummy!
The mint used in this tisane is an estate grown pure Egyptian peppermint. It has a very fresh and exhilarating taste … and even though it is very invigorating to drink, it is naturally caffeine free so it won’t overstimulate me before bedtime.
The taste is clean and pure. It freshens the mouth and leaves my mouth feeling refreshed and I can already feel it calm my stomach after eating spicy tacos! It’s a nice, natural way to freshen the palate while relaxing the tummy. This is the kind of tisane I like to keep on hand for times like this … and I also like to keep it on hand because my daughter loves peppermint tea and this one from Revolution tea is one of the better ones I’ve tried.
Beesakopie Estate Assam Black Tea from Simpson & Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
The Beesakopie Estate is located in the eastern most region of Assam, closest to the Burmese border, in the Tinsukia district.
If you’re looking for a very malty, well balanced tea with a rapid infusion, then look no further. This tea is a CTC style (cut, twisted, curled) and unlike leafed tea, it doesn’t expand. The tea brews to a deep amber cup that stands up to the addition of milk. A real morning “wake-me-up” beverage!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yay! I love a good, rich, malty Assam and this Beesakopie Estate Assam Black Tea from Simpson & Vail is exactly that! It is remarkably rich and malty and oh-so-good! It’s got that first thing in the morning kind of GUSTO that you want from an Assam too!
The dry leaf is a remarkably fine cut (or chopped?) CTC – resembling what many might think is dust or fannings. Yes this DOES indeed look like something that you got from an inferior tea bag, but, it doesn’t TASTE like it! Don’t let a finely cut CTC fool you into thinking that the tea lacks quality, this is not always the case, especially in Assam teas like this one.
However, with a fine cut tea like this one, you do need to be careful on how you brew the tea, because it can become bitter faster than a larger leaf Assam can simply because there is more surface area exposed in the brewing process. If you normally would brew a larger leaf Assam for three minutes, go just 2 1/2 with this tea. I normally brew an Assam at 2 1/2 minutes, and this one, I went with 2 minutes and I have a tea that’s been brewed perfectly to my taste sitting in front of me.
The flavor is very rich and full-bodied. It has a strong, vigorous flavor – it’s one of those teas that will help you get those eyes OPEN and your blood pumping on days when you’d rather be snuggled up in bed sleeping than up and at ’em. There is a sweet, caramel-y undertone to the tea that melds well with the strong, malty overtones. There is also that delicious “freshly baked” quality to this tea – reminiscent of a fresh loaf of french bread with the chewy crust. Nice!
I prefer my Assam teas served hot, because I find that the rich, malty flavor expresses itself best when the tea is warm. As it cools, the malty notes seem to lose something. It is still good …just not as good, you know? And because it’s a robust, hearty brew, it takes the additions of milk and/or honey well, if you care to add them. I personally like this with a half teaspoon of turbinado sugar – just enough to soften that sharp edge of the Assam without overwhelming it. On more relaxed days, I might add a splash of milk and go latte, and on the days when I really need an extra boost, I drink it straight.
However you choose to drink your Assam, this is one that you should definitely try!