Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Tea People
Tea Description:
Makaibari tea estate is situated in a town called Kurseong in the district of Darjeeling. Kurseong means the land of the ‘white orchid’ in the local language. From the land of the white orchid is produced the exquisite ‘White Magnolia’. This tea is made from the delicate unopened leaves of the plant and undergoes the least processing among all the teas. This is the reason why the infused leaves seem to come alive again yielding the palest liquor yearning to be sipped. When it touches your lips, your palate comes alive with a light chestnut flavour. The sweet aftertaste lingers on forever.
Makaibari tea estate located in the foothills of the Himalayas is an organically certified tea estate where the tea is grown at an altitude of around 4500ft.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Bai Mu Dan tea is one of those teas that when I drink it … I think to myself: it’s been a long time since I’ve had a Bai Mu Dan. It may not actually have been that long, but, it’s one of those teas that I miss when a day or two has passed and I haven’t had it.
I love the sweet, delicate quality of a good Bai Mu Dan. And what makes this Makaibari Bai Mu Dan White Tea from Tea People different is that it is grown in the Darjeeling district, so I think that technically makes it a “Darjeeling” white tea, even though the leaves resemble a very high quality Bai Mu Dan. These aren’t those crumbly, brown leaves that some companies pass off as a Bai Mu Dan. These leaves are a gorgeous pale green, and if you look closely, you can see the soft, fuzzy down on these leaves. The leaves are large and beautiful.
My first sip of this tea evoked thoughts of the taste of a dewdrop, like what I might taste if I were to drink the dew off a fresh, new spring leaf. After that initial sip, I started to notice other flavors developing.
As the above description suggests, there is a light nutty flavor to this white tea, reminiscent of that creamy taste of a freshly roasted chestnut. There are slight notes of earth to this as well as a hay-like note and a background of delicious melon.
The overall taste is light and refreshing. It is sweet and relaxing to sip. A really beautiful white tea! If I were asked to list my all time favorite Bai Mu Dan teas, this one would land at the top of the list. It’s one I’d recommend to all the white tea fans out there.
Organic Makaibari Estate Green Tea from Arbor Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Arbor Teas
Tea Description:
This Fair Trade Certified organic green tea is another example of the wonderful offerings coming out of the Makaibari Estate in India. Biodynamically farmed in India’s Darjeeling district, this organic loose leaf tea exhibits many of the same qualities of the black teas of this region, but with an unoxidized leaf. The varying leaf colors (ranging from green to brown to white) produce an easy-to-drink cup. This organic Indian tea also exhibits slightly lemony, vegetal and earthy qualities akin to other Darjeeling teas. Established in 1859, Makaibari is the oldest estate in Darjeeling, where a strong commitment to sustainable farming prevails.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea is indeed very easy to drink! It is quite smooth and flavorful, with pleasing citrus notes, and a light vegetative quality. Not what I would call “grassy,” it is more like steamed vegetables.
According to the above description (from Arbor Teas’ website), this tea was grown in the Darjeeling region, and I can taste some similarities to a Darjeeling tea. It has a lemony note that is quite similar to a Darjeeling tea as well as some of the woodsy tones of a Darjeeling.
However, I find that this green tea lacks that “crispness” of a Darjeeling, instead, this one has a smoother flavor to it. It also does not have the same astringency that I would normally expect from a Darjeeling, the astringency here is quite soft … so soft, in fact, that if one wasn’t paying attention, one might not notice it at all.
Overall, I find this tea to be very pleasant: sweet, smooth, and seems to promote a sense of tranquility as I sip it, while at the same time, restoring me. A very enjoyable cup!
Makaibari First Flush Darjeeling from Silver Tips Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Silver Tips Tea
Product Description:
The prize crop of Darjeeling, the champagne of teas! This is first flush at its best – slightly astringent, a green hue to the leaf and a pleasant floral tone to the cup. Enjoy the spirit of the Himalayas – Organic, Biodynamic & Fair Trade.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve said many times before, I love Darjeeling. So, I’m always happy to try new Darjeeling teas. This Darjeeling I received as part of the Steepster Select monthly subscription. This new program from Steepster is really great. For just $19 per month, I receive three packages of tea (an ounce of each tea, I think?) I love receiving tea in the mail, and I was all giddy (like a kid on Christmas morning) when this package arrived last week.
But… let’s get on with the review, shall we?
This First Flush Darjeeling from the Makaibari estate is very pleasant. It has that clean, crisp flavor and lightness that I have come to expect from a first flush Darjeeling. The muscatel of this tea really stands out. It is deliciously fruity with a very wine-like finish.
About mid-sip, I notice a sharp bitterness. It isn’t an unpleasant bitter tone, but it does seem to shift the flavor focus from sweet to bitter. However, just as quickly as the bitterness displaces the sweetness, the astringency seems to cut out the bitterness. It is a very smooth transition from sweet fruit notes to sharp bitterness to tangy astringency. The aftertaste is mildly sweet with an almost wood-like flavor in the distance.
I generally do not drink Darjeeling teas as iced tea, but I found this one to be exceptionally tasty when it cools. The bitterness becomes more of an afterthought, and the astringency nearly disappears as well. It becomes less focused – somewhat like a blurry photograph – but, even without the hot tea’s complexity this is still incredibly flavorful.
I really like this. I’m glad it was part of the Steepster Select box this month!
Organic Darjeeling from Hampstead Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Hampstead Tea
Product Description:
Our signature, award-winning black tea from the Makaibari Estate in Darjeeling, India. A light, afternoon tea with muscatel and fruit tones.
Ingredients: Fairtrade black tea
Taster’s Review:
This is a really flavorful Darjeeling – and it’s a bagged tea!
Yes, I prefer loose leaf. But I have learned that not all bagged teas are inferior. This Darjeeling is a perfect example. Hampstead Tea is dedicated to providing only the finest quality teas, and they choose to package their teas with the same care that they use when selecting their organic, fair trade teas.
This Darjeeling offers a light, crisp muscatel flavor that seems to sparkle on the palate. It tastes of fruit and finishes dry and astringent, like a fine wine. The aftertaste is sweet and tastes like a sweet-tart currant.
The lightness of this tea makes it an ideal afternoon tea. I prefer it straight with no additions, but a little honey or agave nectar might be alright. Just don’t overdo it, or you might ruin the gentle sweetness that this tea already possesses. I wouldn’t recommend adding milk, I think it would overwhelm the delicious complexity of this tea.
It is easy to see why this Makaibari Estate Darjeeling is an award winner. It is an absolutely delightful Darjeeling.