Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Tea Description:
A sweet, malty rich and aromatic black tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There are few teas that I find more rewarding first thing in the morning than a delicious, single estate Assam like this one. It is bold, rich and satisfying, and it has that certain strength to it that I look for when I am choosing my first-thing-in-the-morning tea.
This is sweet and malty, as the description states, although, I don’t find it as malty as some other Assam teas that I’ve tasted. Instead, this has an intriguing balance between malty and wine-like taste. Usually, I find that Assam teas are either malty or wine-like … but this one seems to bring both qualities to the cup.
It is also quite smooth and full-flavored, with a pleasing roundness to it. It does have a little astringency to it, but I find that the astringency here plays to the wine-like characteristics.
A very enjoyable Assam, one worth checking out!
Darjeeling Mim from Pekko Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Pekko Teas
Tea Description:
Mim is in the Darjeeling area of Northern India. From the town center on a clear day the peak of Mount Everest can be seen. The genus of the Darjeeling tea bush is the Chinese Jat, which gives it the distinctive muscatel character. Because the tea is grown at such high altitudes and in relatively cool weather the bushes do not grow quickly, and as such the production is limited. The best time of the year for quality is during ‘second-flush’ (end May – end June). During this time Darjeelings are incomparable to any other tea in the world. The fragrance and taste is a complex bouquet that reaches right out of the cup. Some would describe the taste as nutty; others find it reminds them of black currants, but most often it is described as similar to the taste and fragrance of muscat grapes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
For those who have read my reviews, you are probably aware of my love for Darjeeling tea – I’ve never made any big secret of it! It is certainly one of my favorites … and I think that is due to the fact that Darjeeling is such a memorable type of tea! I can still recall vividly my first experience with Darjeeling, and when I find one that is equal to that first tasting, I find myself falling in love all over again. Perhaps, I should say almost equal to that first tasting, because, that first experience was so memorable I think that other teas have a hard time living up to what I’ve build up with that memory! I’ve quite probably tried Darjeelings that were just as good if not better than that first one, but, because I’ve built it up in my mind as such an amazing tea … I think it has more to do with the memory than the actual tea, at this point!
But, really, that’s one of the wonders of tea. How memorable a tea experience can be!
This is truly a fine example of a Darjeeling second flush, sweet, crisp, and tasting strongly of the muscat grape! There is what I’d categorize as a low-to-medium amount of astringency to this Darjeeling. That is to say, it’s there, but, it isn’t as distinctive as some other Darjeeling teas as I’ve tried. Darjeeling teas can sometimes be quite astringent, but I’m finding the astringency here to be quite mild.
The flavor is quite lovely. Muscatel! It has a little less of that woodsy tone that I often associate with Darjeeling here, it’s a little less earthy, and perhaps more fruity and with hints of flower … not so much a pungent floral tone, but more like the taste of the air in mid-spring, when flowers are blooming and emitting their fragrance into their surroundings. That’s what I taste!
A truly lovely Darjeeling – this is one you should try! (And I did notice when I visited Pekko Teas that many of their teas – including this one! – appear to be on sale! Seems like a good time to shop!)
Giddapahar Muscatel (2nd Flush) from Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Description:
GIDDAPAHAR MUSCATEL, manufactured by Giddapahar Tea Estate which produces some of the world famous Darjeeling Teas. The garden is famous due to its distinctive 2nd Flush. The larger part of the garden is planted with CHINA BUSHES which are ideal for the 2ND FLUSH MUSCATEL.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Having just gotten over a bad cold, I was worried that perhaps I would not miss the wonderful subtle flavors of this Darjeeling. I feared that perhaps my taste buds were still impaired and that I’d not be able to detect the lovely muscatel that is promised in the name of this tea.
Fortunately, my taste buds seem up to par now, because I can taste the amazing muscatel notes here. Sweet and fruity, with a slight fermented fruit note going on … like fermented grapes. That is to say, there is a wine-like character to this cup that is quite delightful!
In the background, I can taste notes of earth and wood … deep and oak-y. These flavors come in toward mid-sip and are especially noticeable in the aftertaste, and they offer a very intriguing contrast to the sweetness that is introduced to the palate at the start.
Shortly after the fruity sweetness, I notice a sweet, exotic floral tone followed by a clean, almost bubbly kind of sensation over the palate. It’s almost effervescent. I want to describe it as a sparkling mineral water kind of taste that together with the astringency of this tea, creates an almost champagne-like experience. I don’t know if this is why some refer to Darjeeling as the “champagne of teas,” but, it would certainly give me cause to refer to it as such. It’s quite remarkable, and really very enjoyable.
Overall, the flavor is very light and crisp. I find this lightness to be very invigorating. Something that can put a skip in one’s step. Vibrant, complex and bright. A lovely experience!
Assam Hazelbank from Whittard of Chelsea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Whittard of Chelsea
Tea Description:
This small and picturesque garden produces one of the world’s best teas. This tea was named after Hazel, the daughter of state official, Dr Mead. The richness, size and color of its tips make Hazelbank an all-time favorite.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I visited the website for Whittard of Chelsea, I noticed that this tea is currently sold out. Looks like I got a pouch of this just in time! And I’m SO glad that I did; this Assam Hazelbank is exquisite. (And I recommend keeping an eye out for the next harvest of this to become available, this one is worth that effort!)
There are many different Assam teas out there. Each one varies depending upon where it is grown: Whether or not it is a single estate or not, and if it is a single estate, the flavor of the Assam is affected depending upon which estate it comes from, and even how it is processed affects the flavor of the cup. And even though there are many different Assam teas, I tend to consider Assam teas as either bold and malty OR somewhat mellower and wine-y.
However, this Assam from the Hazelbank estate tends to take on all of these characteristics. It is bold and malty… although it is somewhat mellower than a strong, robust Assam … and it does also have the fruity, wine-like character of a mellower Assam. This tea has it all!
The first thing I really noticed about this tea is its sweetness. It is a fruity sweetness, but there is also a caramel-y sweetness that melds quite nicely with the malty tones. It has a solid, full-bodied flavor, but it isn’t an aggressive flavor. I didn’t notice any bitterness to this, but then, I didn’t come close to oversteeping it (I steeped it only 2 minutes), but even with other Assam teas I find that there are hints of bitterness in the background that tell me that oversteeping the tea would lead to more. This doesn’t have that. That’s not to say that if it were oversteeped it would not become bitter, I’m just saying that this cup is remarkably smooth and free of anything resembling bitterness.
This is pleasantly complex, and has one of the most well-rounded flavors that I’ve yet to taste with an Assam. I like it a lot.
Organic Korakundah from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
This green tea originates from the Korakundah Estate in Nilgiri, India and is grown at an elevation of 8,000 feet. Organic Korakundah is an FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe) grade. The Korakundah Estate is biodynamic, pesticide free, and socially responsible. This tea is very unique and almost difficult to describe. Notes of bitter greens and baby spinach are present with some smokiness. It is lightly astringent yet somewhat sweet.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve had this tea a couple of times now, and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s a refreshing change from the sweeter Chinese green teas that I’ve tasted. This has a sweet flavor to it too, but, it’s quite different from the sweeter, creamier type green teas that I so often review.
This tea has a very interesting balance between bitter and sweet. The flavor is quite vegetal, with notes of grass, smoked spinach and dandelion greens. Yes, that’s right, I said “smoked” spinach, rather than steamed spinach. It has that mild, sweet flavor that one would experience with steamed baby spinach, but there is a smoky tone to this too, so imagine if the baby spinach were smoked instead of steamed … what that might taste like. That’s what I taste with this tea.
I love the complexity of the “green” flavor of this tea – it doesn’t just taste “fresh” or “vegetative” … it has a palate-pleasing sweetness that contrasts nicely with bitter tones, and a hint of smoky flavor that is also quite “green” tasting. There is a smooth astringency at the tail that is quite different from the astringency in other teas too. I often suggest an astringency is “dry” or “tangy” … but this is different. It is smooth with a hint of sourness to it … almost tangy, but not quite. It leaves the palate feeling clean and very refreshed.
A lovely green tea – uniquely different from the Chinese and Japanese greens, but every bit as interesting.