Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
Broken Orange Pekoe-1 provides the benchmark Ceylon color, may be considered the quintessential Ceylon tea. The pieces are leafy, not fannings by any means, and produce a cup that is beautifully balanced, bright, and crisp.
Taster’s Review:
Not long ago, I reviewed Morawaka Ceylon FBOPF-1 from KTeas. Today, I have the opportunity to try the BOP-1. For those of you who don’t know what all these letters mean, FBOPF-1 means Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings, while the BOP means Broken Orange Pekoe. (Orange Pekoe does not indicate flavored tea) Fannings tends to be a bad word when it comes to most tea enthusiasts, because it indicates the bottom of the barrel, for it is usually the dust and fannings that is used for grocery store tea bag fodder.
However, in the case of the previously reviewed FBOPF-1, I would not have considered that to be tea bag type fannings. While the leaf pieces were generally smaller than you’d find from a typical whole leaf or broken leaf tea, the flavor was fresher than anything I’ve ever tasted from a grocery store tea bag.
That being said, I can definitely taste the difference between the FBOPF-1 and this BOP-1. This has a fuller body. It is not quite as caramel-y sweet as the FBOPF-1, although there is a sweetness to this. I would liken the sweetness of this cup to a fruit-like sweetness. There are some caramel-y tones to this as well, these seem to develop as I continue to sip … but the caramel sweetness does not seem as prevalent here as it did with the FBOPF-1.
This is a brisk and delicious cuppa. It is smooth and rich with the slightest hint of a malty note. The finish is tangy with a slightly dry astringency, and the aftertaste is sweet and somewhat floral. I found this to be quite enjoyable this afternoon. Mellow and relaxing, but with a certain invigorating spirit.
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.
Morawaka Ceylon FBOPF-1 from KTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
A typical Low Grown variety, this Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings-1 grade offers somewhat fewer tips with the leaves than in the FBOPF. You will find in your cup a full-bodied liquor with a distinctive sweet taste.
Taster’s Review:
This is no ordinary Ceylon!
The aroma of the dry leaf was rather unimpressive. I could smell an earthy note, but beyond that, there isn’t that much to tell of it. But once it was brewed, the earthy tone developed into a somewhat flowery note with a sweet, caramel-y fragrance.
The bouquet of the brewed tea is indicative of the flavor that awaits. Sweetness! I have often used the term “burnt sugar” to describe a sweetness, however, I don’t think I’ve encountered one tea that defines that burnt sugar taste better than this one. This has a burnt sugar caramel undertone, and a bitterness that ties into the burnt sugar flavor and gives it a nice roundness. There are hints of fruit and flower in the background, and a fair amount of dry astringency, readying the palate for a sweet, currant-like aftertaste.
A very enjoyable, deliciously different Ceylon.
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!
Glenburn First Flush Darjeeling FTGFOP1 from KTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type:
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
Picked 20 March 2011!
Fresh from the bush at Glenburn to your cup!Savor Glenburn Estate’s First Flush Darjeeling tea, picked on 20 March 2011. Only the finest tender shoots from Glenburn’s clonal sections, picked during the onset of Spring, will do for this delightfully light liquor, bright and smooth on the palate. Don’t miss the full aroma, the citrus flowers and peach undertones in this personification of the first harvest of the growing season, brought to you from the heights of the Himalayas in Darjeeling, India.
Taster’s Review:
This is FABULOUS! Definitely one of the very best Darjeeling teas I’ve ever tasted. Ever!
The dry tea leaves are varying shades of brown and light green. I even questioned whether this was in fact a black tea or a green tea, not only because of the color of the dry leaf, but, because of the color of the brewed tea and the flavor. The liquor is a beautiful, light amber. It is delightfully fragrant, with notes of fruit and spring blossoms. It reminds me of living in California and walking past the orange groves when they’re in bloom. It smells so wonderful!
The flavor is amazing. So light and crisp! The sip starts with a sweet, fruity tone, and transitions smoothly to a dry astringency, leaving behind a sweet, wine-like note to enjoy in the aftertaste. While it certainly possesses the qualities I’ve come to expect in a black Darjeeling, the lightness of this tea, not just in texture but also in flavor, gave me reason to wonder if this was a green or black tea. A prompt response from the Glenburn estate assured me that this is, indeed, a black tea.
This is truly one of the most amazing Darjeeling black teas I’ve yet to taste. It will take your taste buds on a journey, and really, isn’t that what a good tea should do? I liked that this Darjeeling challenged me. If you’re a Darjeeling devotee, I strongly recommend adding this tea to your MUST TRY list.