Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Udyan Tea
Tea Description:
Goomtee is a very well known Darjeeling heritage garden planted with pure china bushes almost a century ago. It produces one of the best teas from Darjeeling. This tea is for Darjeeling Tea Lovers and newbies alike. It has a very sweet aroma with fruity notes. It makes a well balanced cup that leaves a sweet after taste and refreshing feeling as well. The flavour is superb with a soft and smooth texture.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve always been fond of Oolong teas from Darjeeling so when Udyan Tea sent me this Goomtee Oolong Tea, I was excited to try it.
I brewed it the same way I’d brew most Oolong teas – in my gaiwan! I did a 15 second rinse, and then steeped the first infusion for 45 seconds (180°F). I added 15 seconds onto each subsequent infusion.
My first cup is the combination of infusions 1 and 2. And it is wonderful. The best way I can think of to describe the flavor is what you might taste if you combined an autumnal flush Darjeeling (with all those lovely muscatel notes!) with an Oolong – I’m thinking an Asian Beauty type Oolong – something light and fruity. I get the crispness from the Darjeeling, the pungent grape-y notes of muscatel and the smooth body of an Oolong. It’s not a heavy tasting tea – it’s light and refreshing. There is some astringency to this, the finish is slightly dry.
And because it is an Oolong, that means that you can look forward to many wonderful infusions with this tea.
My second cup (a combination of infusions 3 and 4) was more intensely flavored than the first. I’m getting a lot more of the muscatel now. Still very sweet, I’m picking up on notes of a light buttery taste that reminds me of a browned butter taste. It has a silky texture to it. There is more astringency to this cup but it isn’t something that gets in the way of enjoyment. It’s more like a dryness to the cup, sort of like what you might experience if you were to sip a glass of wine.
My third cup (infusions 5 and 6) is where I started to notice the flavors were waning. The second cup was so profusely flavored and this one is much lighter. Still quite nice though! The texture is not as silky or buttery as the second. But I still taste the muscatel – this cup is much more like a Darjeeling than an Oolong to me.
Overall, a very enjoyable tea experience – one I’d recommend to all Oolong enthusiasts as well as those fond of Darjeeling teas. It’s a rather wonderful tea!
Goomtee Autumnal Black Tea from Udyan Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Udyan Tea
Tea Description:
Goomtee is a very well known Darjeeling heritage garden planted with pure china bushes almost a century ago. This tea is for the strong hearted autumn flush lovers as it has a strong body with a very slight tinge of muscatel (grape flavour usually associated with second flush Darjeelings). It is a well balanced cup that leaves a stong after taste as well. With repeated steepings, the liquor becomes sweeter and midler. Perfect tea for long winding day with a good book in hand to read.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A lovely second flush Darjeeling tea, this Goomtee Autumnal Black Tea from Udyan Tea! It’s a stronger tea than what you might expect from a Darjeeling tea. This is not as crisp and light as a typical Darjeeling, but it’s not as heavy as other black teas. This still has a very recognizable Darjeeling character to it. When I sip this, my palate still identifies it as a Darjeeling.
And the question I usually have for a Darjeeling (especially a second flush) is: am I tasting muscatel? And the answer here is YES! The muscatel here isn’t as strong as one of those lighter, crisper second flush Darjeeling teas but there is still that lovely, muscat grape taste that I absolutely covet when it comes to Darjeeling.
The sip starts out brisk with woodsy notes. Almost immediately after my palate notices those woodsy tones, I start to pick up on a sweetness that reminds me of the sweetness I’d experience from golden raisins. By mid-sip, that raisin-y note transcends into something more like a muscat grape taste. The finish is dry and slightly astringent, but not overly so.
When it comes to Darjeeling teas, the autumnal harvest is usually my favorite, so I’m really glad that I got to experience this Autumnal Black from the Goomtee estate. It’s really delightful to sip.
Rohini Supreme Breakfast First Flush Tea from Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Description:
This Breakfast Tea comes from ROHINI – The Youngest Tea Garden of Darjeeling. This is the only estate which claims to be 100% Clonal.
This tea has a woodsy kind of flavour to it which can be felt in the dry leaves also. The liquor along with woodsy flavour has prominent floral tone which becomes more prominent as the tea cools. The tea has a pleasant mouth feel and the flavour is uplifting.
Learn more about Darjeeling Tea Lovers here.
Taster’s Review:
This Rohini Supreme Breakfast First Flush Tea isn’t yet available this year from Darjeeling Tea Lovers. I was privileged enough to get some from last year’s harvest. I had written this review some months ago, when this tea was still available on the Darjeeling Tea Lovers website, but my review was somehow misplaced. Hopefully this tea will be available again this year and perhaps my review of last year’s harvest will convince you that you should try this year’s harvest!
My apologies to Darjeeling Tea Lovers for the delay in getting this review posted!
When I opened the pouch of this “Breakfast Tea,” I noticed the green leaves. This is not uncommon with a Darjeeling “black” as Darjeeling teas generally undergo less oxidation than other black tea leaves.
I brewed this tea in my Breville One-Touch, measuring 2 bamboo scoops of the tea into the basket and adding 500ml of freshly filtered water into the kettle. Then I set the timer for 2 1/2 minutes and the temperature for 195°F.
The tea brewed up to a very light amber-coppery color. It has a pleasant fragrance that is somewhat floral with hints of fruit.
The flavor is LOVELY. While the tea is still quite hot, I picked up on very light floral notes with prominent woodsy notes and notes of fruit. As the tea cooled, the floral notes began to develop. Usually with a Darjeeling, I notice grape-like flavors. This is particularly true of a second flush Darjeeling. This is a first flush so I wasn’t expecting a strong grape-y presence, but, I was a little surprised when the fruit I was tasting was more like melon. This flavor morphs into more of a grape-like flavor as I continue to sip, but those first few sips were quite honeydew-ish!
When it comes to the layers of flavor in teas, “woodsy” is not one of those flavors that I often celebrate. It’s more or less one of those flavor profiles that I can take or leave. It’s not something I usually get excited about. I’m not usually like “Wow! I love the woodsy flavors of this tea!” Then again, I’m not usually like “Gah, I really don’t like that woodsy note.” For me it’s something that I don’t really mind one way or another if it’s there or not.
But, I really am enjoying the woodsy tones of this. It’s not a bitter wood or sour wood note. It’s smooth and beautiful. It melds beautifully with the fruit and the flower. It’s a warm, slightly earthy note that is quite appealing.
Since I typically think of a breakfast tea as something that I might add milk and honey to, I don’t know that I’d consider this a breakfast tea. It’s a brisk, bright flavored tea so I can understand why Darjeeling Tea Lovers might call this a breakfast blend – but I wouldn’t advise adding milk and/or sweetener to this. It would really overwhelm the beautiful balance of flavors!
Instead, enjoy the gently nuanced flavors of the cup as they are.
Mankota Exotic Assam Second Flush Black Tea from Golden Tips
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Golden Tips
Tea Description:
Mankota produces some excellent second flush black teas every year. This tea in particular boasts of all characters of a premium Assam tea. The tea is robust, bold and extremely malty. The full-body of the tea finishes on a slightly sweet note which makes it an absolute prized possession. Sprinkled with golden tips all over, the dark red liquor shimmers in the cup.A fantastic breakfast tea and a must-try if you love Assam tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
After taking my first few sips of this Mankota Exotic Assam Second Flush Black Tea from Golden Tips, I found myself in complete agreement with the last sentence of the above description. This is definitely a fantastic ‘breakfast tea’ – it tastes great straight up, but it would take the additions of milk and honey very well too. And I would put this on the ‘must try’ list of anyone who enjoys a good Assam.
I brewed this tea in my Kati tumbler, adding 1 bamboo scoop of tea to the basket and pouring 12 ounces of nearly boiling water (205°F) and steeped the tea for 2 1/2 minutes. The reason I lowered the temperature slightly is because Assam teas tend to be somewhat temperamental and can become bitter. A little lower temperature and a little less time in the steep can do much to help avoid a bitter cup! It’s a little extra effort that’s well worth the investment because the payoff is a wonderful, malty cup of Assam!
This tea is indeed delightful! It’s rich, malty and has a satisfying, thick texture. It has notes of freshly baked bread, evoking thoughts of a warm loaf of French bread with a crisp, chewy crust. The caramelized sweetness of the crust of that loaf of bread comes through in the undertones of this tea.
Fruit notes! I didn’t pick up on them right away but by mid-cup, I started noticing notes of raisin and wine-like grape. Sweet. Notes of plum and even a hint of citrus in there too. I’m not sure how I missed these flavors at the start because they’re so abundant now, I can only think that I was so enchanted by the warm, freshly baked bread notes that my palate was ignoring all else! But now, I am enjoying the way the sweet, malty notes marry with the fruit tones. Quite lovely, indeed.
It’s an invigorating tea – it’s got gusto! It’s a bold cup of tea, but it’s not an overly aggressive cup. It isn’t bitter and it doesn’t have a lot of astringency to it either. It’s actually quite smooth. There is some astringency toward the finish, a slightly tangy effect. The aftertaste is sweet.
A truly rewarding tea. I highly recommend this those who love a good Assam!
Organic Jungpana Premium Autumn Flush Darjeeling Black Tea from Golden Tips
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Golden Tips
Tea Description:
A first-rate Autumnal from the paradisiacal tea plantations of Jungpana. Amber liquoring with a riveting aroma, this is sure to become your favorite morning cuppa. Fittingly robust and bodied, the tea brings in whiffs & undertones of muscatel complimented by distinctive maltiness unique to Darjeeling black teas through the pre-winter harvests. Taste buds capitulate to the bold slightly-earthy character of the tea as it flushes your mouth with its dominant character. A slight palatableness engulfs as you roll the liquor. Floral and dark chocolaty notes are sustained during the entire experience. An excellent tea and among our best-sellers every season.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tried quite a few Darjeeling teas from Golden Tips so far and I’ve been impressed with what I’ve tried. This Organic Jungpana Premium Autumn Flush follows in fashion. This is a wonderful Darjeeling!
I brewed this tea in my Breville tea maker, adding 2 bamboo scoops of tea to the basket and pouring 500ml of water to the pitcher. Then I set the temperature for 195°F and the timer for 2 1/2 minutes. It’s been my experience that Darjeeling teas do better with a slightly lower temperature.
And the result is a cupful of deliciousness! This is a delightfully complex Darjeeling. It’s crisp. The body of this tea falls somewhere between light and medium. There is some astringency to this, but not a lot. Just a slightly dry sensation toward the tail. No bitterness – just wonderful flavor that keeps me sipping.
The sip starts out with a sweet note that’s slightly grape-y. This tea has a distinct wine-like flavor (muscatel!) and there are some notes of flower. By mid-sip, the grape notes become more defined. I taste subtle woodsy tones and hints of earth. As the sip goes into the finish, there is a slightly dry, sweet note. The aftertaste is sweet with just a hint of tartness that reminds me of currant.
A fantastic Darjeeling. This is the kind of tea that I’d recommend to any tea drinker, especially to those who are new to Darjeeling. This tea would be a great way to start one’s journey into the wonderful world of Darjeeling tea!