Venetian Rose from Chash Tea was the tea that started my day a few weeks ago! And let me tell you – it was a mighty fine way to start the day!
With black teas from India, China, and Sri Lanka paired with rosebuds – how could you go wrong? Venetian Rose from Chash Tea smells and tastes just like you think it would based on those ingredients! It has a medium strength black tea base and mild to slightly-medium rose flavor to it. It feels great on the tongue and on the throat! It leaves a lovely floral aftertaste, too!
Eventho I sipped on Venetian Rose from Chash Tea for my morning tea – I think this would be ideal for afternoon tea as well! This is completely delightful and satisfying in every way! If you are looking for a gently flavored and scented black tea try Venetian Rose from Chash Tea.
Here’s the Scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Chash Tea
Description:
Venetian Rose from Chash Tea. We select choice black teas from India, China and Sri Lanka
To complement the tea we add lots of delicate and fragrant rose buds
Full-bodied and rich; warm yet light; comforting and relaxing
Enjoy with or without milk
Learn more about this tea and tea company here.
Organic Okayti Wonder – Second Flush From Vahdam Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Darjeeling Tea
Where to Buy: Vahdam Teas
Tea Description:
A certified organic fresh summer black from Okayti. The well manufactured leaves offer a delightful appearance with golden tips sprinkled all over. The tea is elegantly rich and bodied supported by aromas of fruits and berries. Discover zesty notes of chocolate with hints of muscat grapes in every sip. The aftertaste lingers on to a sweet floral finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I will start by explaining that Vahdam Teas is a new name for an older company, formally known as Golden Tips Teas. This tea was a free sample from my previous order with them; of which I am thankful to try.
Darjeeling to me is perfect for the summer months and today has been a little dull but warm and dry non the less, ideal to review this sample. This tea is certified organic and is graded as: SFTGFOP1 which stands for (Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe 1). The packaging label also shows the ‘Date of Picking’ which is a bonus and very nice to see. My sample was picked 15th May 2015, so it’s just over a year old. This crop is still available for sale on their website.
As I open the packet and spread a selection of the leaves in my palm I can note: small/medium dark brown leaves, thinly rolled with some curl and a few golden tips scattered about. They have a dry and sour scent with elements of musk and wood.
Steeping Parameters: 3-4g of leaf into a 320ml vessel with boiling water for 3 minutes.
The result is an amber coloured tea liquid that bares the same muscatel, wooden scent as it’s raw form.
Flavour is slightly sour with mild leather and malt flavours with dryness in the after taste. There is also some sweetness which cuts through the sourness a little. The musk is also present but it smells stronger than it tastes. As it cools the sourness tones down slightly but the malt and dry leaf flavour remains dominant and fills my mouth. The dryness increases but remains at a manageable level.
After the steep the used tea leaves are mostly whole and now fully opened, baring a brown colour with a red hue. They have no discolouration or holes/marks and I can see no stems other than those that have broken off from the leaves.
There are a few reasons that I tend to prefer 2nd flush Darjeeling and the main reason is the muscatel flavour/scent. It is unique to Darjeeling and that makes it special, and also a favourite of mine. This is a nice example of a 2nd flush Darjeeling, though the musk is not as strong with this one as it can be. Still, overall it tasted and smelled wonderful which is all I can ask for. And it’s aided me on this warm day beautifully.
Until next time, Happy Steeping!
Putharjhora Estate Dooars TGBOP Black Tea from Upton Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Upton Tea
Tea Description:
Eventho this specific tea is not currently on their website below you will read a bit more about the estate in which it came from.
The Putharjhora Estate is just west of the Assam district in northeast India and the Dooars region produces teas that are excellent for breakfast or early afternoon drinking.
Learn more about this company here.
Taster’s Review:
My favorite part about drinking teas from Upton Teas is that I get to learn about the different estates and region and I did just that with this Putharjhora Estate Dooars TGBOP Black Tea from Upton Tea.
Putharjhora Estate Dooars TGBOP Black Tea from Upton Tea has gray-black, tippy, twisty leaves that have a fairly standard, average, stereotypical black tea aroma. The brew – once infused – has a slightly peachy flavor that is almost overpowered by an earthy and woodsy nose. As for the flavor of this year it does pack a powerful punch. It’s not the strongest black tea I have had but it’s more intense than what I would consider medium strength. It’s heavy on the musky, wet woods flavor with hints of peach and maybe a bit of lemon, too. Eventho it’s woodsy it does quench your thirst unlike some of the other woodsy (naturally) flavored teas I have tried. It has a lingering muscatel type aftertaste that slowly morphs into something a little sweeter.
Putharjhora Estate Dooars TGBOP Black Tea from Upton Tea is a goodie! It may not be for everyone but it’s for me! Is it for you?
Jubilee Tea From Fortnum & Mason
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Fortnum & Mason
Tea Description:
Blending teas from India, Ceylon and China, this noble tea offers mellow sweetness and golden brightness and is truly fit for a queen. Presented in a decorative tin, it will be a lasting memory of the happy and historic occasion.
Taste & strength
Sturdy and refreshing.When to drink
Ideal at any time of day.Brewing information
Use boiling water and brew for 3-5 minutes depending on taste. Best drunk with milk.Storage advice
Airtight container, preferably a tea caddy.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Jubilee Tea From Fortnum & Mason smells like a maltier black tea with cinnamon undertones. Very pleasant to the nose and the tongue because Jubilee Tea From Fortnum & Mason is one of those black tea blends you’ll remember for some time. The black tea base is blended from teas from 3 regions…China, Ceylon, and India. Not only does it have a bit of maltiness to the smell the taste follows suit. The cinnamon I smelled I could also taste but not as a flavoring just a natural cinnamon from the blend of these 3 quality teas.
Jubilee Tea From Fortnum & Mason is an eye opener without being too strong or harsh but it does have some heft to it which makes it ideal for mornings or an afternoon pick-me-up!
Two thumbs up for Jubilee Tea From Fortnum & Mason in my book! A nice, strong black tea!
Rohini Emerald Green First Flush Darjeeling from Udyan Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Udyan Tea
Tea Description:
Rohini has been planted with special green tea clones which have very less *tannin content in them. The teas made from these bushes taste smooth and sweet, with pronounced vegetable flavour. They aren’t bitter unlike their counterparts from the district. Rohini Emerald Green Tea is made from single leaf and a bud.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Rohini Emerald Green is a First Flush Darjeeling tea, a variety I’m particularly fond of. I’m intrigued by this one, though (more so than usual!) because the leaf is different from any I’ve seen before. It’s a fairly uniform mid-green in colour, with one or two lighter leaves and some yellow mottling. What’s surprising is that the leaves are large and curly, partially rolled but not tightly. I’ve never seen a first flush Darjeeling that looks quite like this one. I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 2.5 minutes in boiling water. The resulting liquor is a bright yellow-green, the scent reminiscent of a green tea. After an initial hit of orchid-like floral, there’s a distinctive vegetal scent. The leaves, once unfurled, remind me a little of oak tree leaves.
To taste, this tea is also unlike any Darjeeling I’ve tried before. In some ways, it’s far more like a green tea or an oolong than anything else. The initial flavour is lightly floral, in the sweet, heady way of orchids. It’s not an intensely perfumey floral, but rather like crushing the petals of an orchid or lily flower in your hand and then translating the scent into a taste. It’s difficult to describe, because it’s like the wrong sense is being used, but that’s as close as I can get to identifying the kind of sensation the floral produces. There’s a mild “green” flavour lurking underneath the floral, but it’s more chlorophyll than vegetal – not a flavour I’ve come across very often, but it works well here, continuing the floral theme. The texture reminds me a lot of an unflavoured milk oolong, in that it’s buttery and mildly creamy. It’s not thick tasting, exactly, but it has a sort of dairy cream feel to it that’s pleasant and unusual – almost a little “flat” tasting, but with a richness at the same time. The aftertaste is a little mineral, again reminding me of a green oolong. It’s a little like wet rock; a tiny bit metallic, but also fresh and clean.
This one was an experience for me, and I really savoured every sip. I’ve not come across a Darjeeling like this before, either in terms of taste or appearance, so it really made me think about, and question, my expectations. I enjoyed the flavour, even though floral teas aren’t usually my thing. Clearly I can still surprise myself on occasion! I’d happily recommend this one to most people, whether they’re fans of Darjeeling, green, oolong or floral teas. This tea certainly offers a unique experience, and its placed Udyan Tea more firmly on my personal radar.
