If you know me at all, you know that black teas are my jam! I love them! Adore them and downright devour them! So when my fellow Sister, CuppaGeek told me about this tea that she really enjoyed, I knew this tea was one I had to instantly brew up when the tea arrived at my door.
Fellow tea enthusiasts-let me tell you, THIS TEA IS FABULOUS! And honestly, I will declare this tea the Tea of the Week for me!
Right from the start, you can tell this quality tea is going to be amazing. The tea leaves are described as having a dark umber leaf and that is exactly what you get.
The directions from the sample package we were sent says “One teaspoon per cup plus one for the pot with freshly drawn, boiling water for four minutes”. And that is exactly what I did, give or take a moment or two.
This tea hits all of the points on the description and more. Smooth- Check! Rich- Check! Delicious-Check! Check!
Like CuppaGeek said in her review of this tea, this tea delivers on all points and would one that I would happily drink as an everyday tea to start off my day or as a cuppa after lunch to get myself over that lunch wall I sometimes hit.
All in all -if you are a fan of darjeelings like myself, do yourself a favor and check this tea! You’ll be so happy you did!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Grey’s Tea
Description
- Darjeeling Castleton Second Flush
- From the Castleton garden in the foothills between Darjeeling and Siliguri.
- Established by Dr Charles Graham in 1885.
- In 1996 it was awarded the ISO 9002 certificate of quality.
- This renown new season Darjeeling Castleton Second flush has a dark leaf.
- It is smooth, rich and has a distinct muscatel character and a long finish.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Darjeeling Castleton Second Flush 2017 from Grey’s Teas. . . . .
Recently I enjoyed a smoky black tea from Grey’s Tea that was a delight but not necessarily my first choice in teas. But this second selection from Grey’s Teas definitely is.
Darjeeling Castleton Second Flush is an amazing smooth rich black tea that gives you all the tea feels from the very beginning. From the moment when you open the tea to get ready to steep, you now you have an instant best friend.
Brewed with freshly boiled water and allowed to steep for four minutes, you will have yourself an amazing perfect cuppa tea! Rich smooth waves of delicious rich slightly astringent tea encases each and every sip with the most gorgeously silky finish.
Simple yet so full of flavors that all combine so well. I’ve found that this tea is one of the more satisfying teas that I have had in a while and I can’t help but sit back and really immerse myself in the cuppa as I sip away.
This tea is a true gem and one that I have greedily sipped down in a few different sessions. Extremely appreciated to have been able to enjoy this delight and excited to hear what my other Sisters have to say about this tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Grey’s Tea
Description
Darjeeling Castleton Second Flush 2017 is from the Castleton garden established on the foothills between Darjeeling and Siliguri by Dr Charles Graham in 1885. In 1996 it became the first Indian tea garden to be awarded the ISO 9002 certificate of quality. This renown new season Darjeeling Castleton Second flush has a dark umber leaf. It is smooth, rich and has a distinct muscatel character with a long finish. Infuse one teaspoon per cup plus one for the pot with freshly drawn, boiling water for four minutes. Drink without milk. A most rewarding experience!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Formosa Lapsang from Grey’s Tea
The other day I was in the mood for a tea that was different. . .a game changer . . .one that would shake up my taste buds and Formosa Lapsang fit that bill perfectly!
This particular tea is an oolong with that familiar smoky tone and flavor of a Lapsang black tea. So you are getting the best of both worlds. That gorgeous oolong setting with a smoky backdrop. Talk about shaking up a flavor profile. This tea does just that.
First you are greeted with this aroma of pure smoke. This tea variety is not for the faint of heart. (If you aren’t one that enjoys smoky teas, than this tea may not be your cuppa, but if you are, I highly encourage you to check this tea out. ) The flavor profiles are bold with
With each sip, you are greeted with that smoky rich flavor that gives both your taste buds a high five right along with your sense of smell. Bold, yet rich and smooth. The smoky notes combined with that familiar oolong flavor that I have come to really enjoy. Towards the end of the sip you start to get this earthy finish that completes the sip while that smoky tone does start to come back in a subtle aftertaste.
I can’t say that this tea would be an everyday drinking sort of tea, but for a switch on what I normally drink -which is green or white teas- this Formosa Lapsang was a very welcomed palette cleanser and one that reminded me of how tasty smoky teas are. Usually I do shy away from them, but I feel myself starting to open up to those varieties more.
All in all, a tea variety that absolutely delivers on flavor, quality, and uniqueness. this tea will be one that I will remember for some time to come!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Grey’s Tea
Description
- Formosa Lapsang: a most unusual Lapsang tea from Formosa (Taiwan).
- It combines the earthy characteristics of Formosa’s oolongs with the pinewood aromas of Fujian Lapsang Souchongs.
- This aromatic tea is smoked uniquely over a combination of oak and pinewood.
- The typically coarse yet deep brown leaf produces a wonderfully balanced and subtly smoky tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Winter Warmer Black Tea Blend from Grey’s Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Grey’s Teas
Tea Description:
Looks good, ..smells good, …tastes good. Just the reassurance you need on a cold winter’s evening. China tea with citrus peels and cloves. Perfect.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Winter Warmer Black Tea Blend from Grey’s Tea is a really nice alternative to the typical “orange spice” winter blend. Other orange spice blends often overwhelm the palate with spicy notes … nothing wrong with that, of course, because I like spicy tea, but, sometimes, it’s nice to have something on the gentle side.
This Winter Warmer is just that. Warmly spiced, but gently so. The clove is exotically sweet and has a comforting, cozy kind of flavor to it without going over the top. The citrus brightens the cup but does not overpower the flavor of the black tea. The orange-y notes taste sweet, a little tangy, but it isn’t overdone.
The black tea is really the star of this cup, and that – in my opinion – is just the way it should be. The black tea tastes robust with a mild-to-moderate amount of astringency which is accented by the citrus notes.
This is a really nice black tea – one that maybe isn’t quite strong enough to serve as a breakfast tea alternative … but instead, one I’d like to sip in the afternoon – it’s something that would warm me up and energize me at the same time.
Kenya Rift Valley Green Tea from Grey’s Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Grey’s Teas
Tea Description:
A rare and wonderful orthodox green tea from Kenya… Now aged 111 Arthur Njuguna Komo planted his tea estate over fifty years ago on naturally fertile soils at an altitude of 6700 ft in Gatundu District, amongst the foothills of Mount Kenya, alongside the Rundu and Mukengeria rivers. Whilst continuing to play an active role in ensuring the quality of his tea and furthering the enlightened approach to employment which he pioneered, it is now run by his grandaughter, Joy. This orthodox, large leaf green tea is loosely rolled and has a sweet and fruity aroma of peaches, nectarines and mangos. In the cup the greeny gold infusion is mellow, complex and full flavoured. Brew for thirty seconds with freshly boiled water that is a minute off the boil. Up to five infusions can be made with the leaf. Truly delicious.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh, I’m really enjoying this!
It isn’t often that I come across a pure green tea (that is, an unflavored/unblended green tea) that possesses more fruit notes than it does vegetative notes. Usually, when I taste a green tea, I’m expecting a vegetative tone, be it a grassy note or something that tastes more of steamed or fresh leafy vegetables … sometimes, I am surprised to taste a mild bean note or something. But, usually, I expect something that could be characterized as “vegetal.”
But, this tastes more of fruit than of vegetative. Oh sure, there are some vegetative notes in the distance. But they are way off, and only really obvious when I am really focused on finding them. The more prevalent flavors here are that of nectarine and of mango, believe it or not. No, go ahead and check the description above again … this is not a tea that’s been altered with fruit flavoring. This is a green tea – pure and true – from the Gatundu District in Kenya.
The texture is somewhat brothy – smooth and rich! And as the tea cools, more of the vegetal notes become more apparent, but, those beautifully juicy and sweet fruit notes remain.
This tea is special – I’d recommend this to everyone!