Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
Our luxurious Champagne & Rose Cream pairs our Glenburn Silver Needle with sweet champagne, fresh cream, and delicate rose notes. The initial sip delivers a lingering sweetness and tang of champagne. Rose and cream notes remain long after each sip. The malty flavor of the Silver Needle tea adds to the champagne flavor and there is a bubbliness that can be felt on the tongue. With each continuing sip the rose and cream notes become stronger. We recommend drinking this tea at a cooler temperature.
Ingredients: Glenburn Silver Needle, Rosebuds, Amaranth, Organic Natural Flavoring (vegan)
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m impressed with this Champagne & Rose Cream White Tea Blend from Butiki Teas! That shouldn’t surprise me, of course, because I’m often impressed by this company … that’s why Butiki Teas is one of my favorite tea companies. They know what they’re doing!
I’ve tasted several different champagne flavored teas, but I think that this one just may be the most impressive to date. The champagne notes are so clear and on point. The white tea base is delicate and sweet, and accentuates the champagne very nicely, and I especially appreciate how these two flavors don’t seem to be competing with one another. They meld almost seamlessly, offering a flavor that is both champagne and tea – but in a soft, delicious way that is in keeping with the nature of the white tea. The rose is also subtle here, and the floral notes linger on the palate.
The sip starts off sweet, with notes of champagne and white tea making their presence known immediately. A soft rose note comes through next. Throughout the sip, I notice notes of cream, but it isn’t a heavy cream taste. It’s sort of there, just beneath the rose notes.
I have mentioned on more than one occasion on this blog that I’m not much of a consumer of alcoholic beverages, but one thing that I do remember from the days when I did consume an alcoholic beverage or two is how quickly champagne would go to my head. I’d start feeling “bubbly” very quickly (I guess I’m kind of a lightweight when it comes to booze), and I guess the reason I bring that up is because I’m feeling bubbly (but in a non-intoxicated way!) over this tea too!
A really amazing tea!
Glenburn Second Flush Darjeeling Summer Leaf Tea FTGFOP1 from KTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
picked 30 May 2011
Direct from the Glenburn Tea Estate in Darjeeling, India!
This second flush Darjeeling is plucked during the early summer months of May and June. Shoots of the bush which draw their succulence from the late spring rain showers are selected to make the stylishrolled leaf. The cup is clear amber to the eye, nonetheless full-bodied with a mature flavor compared to the First Flush that preceded it. Glenburn’s unique growing conditions imbue the very select clonal plants with a special character in their liquor all its own, yielding a complex layer of maltiness with musk and nutty undertones.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve hung on to this sample for a while, waiting for that moment when I really wanted a Darjeeling … and I didn’t bother to really read the label. This tea was picked on my birthday!
Anyway… today seems like a good Darjeeling day. I’m not in a particular rush to get anything done (at least not for the next hour or so), and so I’d like to just sort of slowly ease into the swing of things. Darjeeling does that for me with it’s crisp, light nature. Or so I thought!
These Darjeeling teas from Glenburn Estates are so unique – quite unlike any other Darjeeling teas I’ve encountered. It is as though these Darjeelings want to be an Assam, but couldn’t quite get there. They are a bit lighter, of course, than a typical Assam, but, they are a bit heavier than a typical Darjeeling. Where Darjeeling tea tends to be quite crisp and light (somewhat reminiscent of a white wine), this Darjeeling has some body to it, with a thicker, smoother texture, and even a hint of malt in the background. It also has a toasty flavor in the background, providing a slightly nutty taste. Nice! Different, but nice!
But that is not to say that this Glenburn Second Flush Darjeeling is not at all like a Darjeeling because it does possess many of the characteristics that you’d expect from a Darjeeling as well. A fruity overtone – muscatel grapes! – providing a nice sweetness to the overall cup. Pleasantly sweet and delicious.
The astringency here is quite unusual as well. Astringency is that sensation that either leaves your palate feeling clean, or sometimes sort of dry, and still other times it imparts a slightly tangy sensation. But this astringency isn’t quite like any of those … instead, it is more like a tingly, almost prickly kind of effect on the tongue. Interesting.
I am so very pleased to have had the opportunity to try this Darjeeling. It is one of the best that I’ve tried yet. If you’re a fan of Darjeeling teas, you should definitely try this one… it will surprise you! It would also be a great Darjeeling for those who are new to them … although, be warned, after you try this one, other Darjeeling teas just may not satisfy. This one is a keeper!
Right now, through December 11, KTeas is having a BIRTHDAY SALE! Be sure to check out their homepage for details on how you can save 20% off the subtotal of your order! The only thing better than ordering tea is being able to save money when you’re doing it!
Glenburn Estates Khongea Chai Assam (2nd Flush) CTC-BOP from KTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
Freshly picked 8 June 2011.
“Chai” is a word meaning “tea” in many parts of the world. In addition, these CTC black tea leaves are called “chai” because they make a popular base to which to add those luscious spices that turn the tea into the deliciously spicy beverage we call “Chai”. These CTC leaves of second-flush assam can certainly steep into a thoroughly enjoyable cuppa all on their own … well, okay, maybe add some sweetener and milk or cream (yes! this tea will stand up to cream!).
Taster’s Review:
If you’re like me, when you first saw the name of this tea, you thought this would be a spiced tea blend. It is not. Here, “chai” is used as it was originally intended: to mean “tea” and not “spiced tea.”
By now, I’ve tasted several of the Estate teas offered by KTeas, and I’ve been impressed with every single one of them that I’ve tried. And this brilliant cup of CTC-BOP Assam from the Glenburn Estates is no exception.
One thing that impresses me about these Estate teas from KTeas is that it says – right on the package! – the date this tea was harvested. So I know the tea that I’m drinking is very fresh. And one sip tells me that the tea I’m drinking is very delicious!
This Assam is bold and full-flavored. It has a very bright flavor with a prominent malty flavor. It has a very strong character: this tea can get you GOING in the morning; even on those mornings when you’re feeling sluggish and really need a boost. This tea will give you that boost you need.
This tea has a sweetness to it that is quite like burnt sugar caramel. The sweetness is enhanced by the aforementioned malty tones, and these two qualities linger long into the aftertaste. There is a fair amount of astringency here, but I don’t mind it. If you want to curb it a bit, add a splash of milk to the cup – this tea takes it quite well.
Because this is a CTC-BOP, the leaves are granular – about the size of a grain of couscous! – and you’ll want to take this into account when you steep the tea. Use a little less tea when you measure the tea and do not infuse quite as long as you might steep a whole leaf tea; otherwise you may end up with a somewhat bitter brew. With this tea, it is definitely worth the extra thought and effort to steep it correctly, because the reward is a delicious cup of Assam.
Glenburn Autumn Oolong (Darjeeling) from KTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong Darjeeling
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
We received 8 pouches of the 2010 harvest (still the current year, as 2011 has not been harvested yet). Each pouch contains 4oz (113.5g) of the marvelously huge leaves constituting this ultimate whole-leaf tea. At Glenburn’s recommendation of 3-4g in 200ml (7 fl-oz) water, the pouch yields from 28 teacups (4g tea) at 88¢ per teacup to 37 teacups (3g tea) at 66¢ per teacup–if only one infusion is made. Keep in mind that oolongs stand up famously to multiple infusions of the same leaves, so you may get twice to three times as many bright reddish cups of this lightly-oxidized Oolong!
Taster’s Review:
This is exquisite!
The photo above is accurate as far as what the leaves look like. They’re long and curly, green with lots of silvery tips. The aroma of the dry leaves is light and evokes thoughts of the cool, crisp air of autumn. It’s a clean and invigorating scent with notes of grass and flower. The brewed liquor has a very Darjeeling-esque kind of fragrance. I can smell the grape-y, wine-like tones.
But what really blows me away is how it tastes. What I am tasting is what might be the love child of a fine Darjeeling brimming with muscatel notes and a smooth green Oolong. The mouthfeel is soft and velvet-like. The flavor is sweet with notes of grape and black currant, finishing off with a wine-like sweetness, but without any bitterness. There is very little astringency to this cup, which is another surprise. It is incredibly smooth and very pleasant.
As I sip this, I consider myself so very lucky to be amongst the few to whom this tea has been made available. If you are a fan of Oolong or Darjeeling, I strongly urge you to grab some of this tea while it is still in stock at KTeas. This one is great for multiple infusions – each subsequent infusion just as lovely as the first.
So good. So very, very good.
Khongea Golden Tips Second Flush Assam TGFOP1 from KTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
picked 10 June 2011
Direct from the Glenburn Tea Estate in Khongea, Assam, India!
10 June 2011 harvest pouches contain 8oz (227g). At Glenburn’s recommended 2.5g in 200ml (7 fl-oz) water, each pouch yields about 90 teacups at 26¢ per teacup.
2010 harvest tins contain 3.5oz (100g). At Glenburn’s recommended 2.5g in 200ml (7 fl-oz) water, each tin yields about 40 teacups at 43¢ per teacup.
Taster’s Review:
This is OH-SO-GOOD! Like fabulously fantastically good.
The picture above does not deceive, there really are a bunch of golden tips in this tea. I know that sometimes with “tip” teas, there are relatively few tips. Not so here. This tea is loaded with golden tips. It’s beautiful!
This tea produces such a rich, delicious cup of tea. It is robust and possesses a beautiful malty tone. I can really taste the freshness with this tea, and it makes all the difference!
There is a very pleasing undercurrent of sweetness to this tea, it is caramel-y in flavor with a subtle burnt-sugar taste. That subtle burnt-sugar flavor emits a very delicate bitter note. This is a savory bitterness, not the “Oh no! I over-steeped the Assam” bitterness, and it lends a delightful depth of flavor to the cup.
It is a smooth Assam with a moderate amount of cleansing astringency at the tail. I don’t find this astringency to be particularly drying in nature, but, it imparts a clean feeling allowing this taster to enjoy the sweet aftertaste.
Tea connoisseurs take note: this Assam is exquisite. You really must try it!