Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Single Origin Teas
Tea Description:
Jun Chiyabari, a neighbor to the famous Darjeeling tea province, offers truly excellent tea. Notes of maple and floral undertones of rose bring a unique touch. One of the smaller tea estates at around 123 acres, and one of the youngest – planted in 2002! – Jun Chiyabari offers a delicious tea that highlights how high altitude growing can bring out delightful flavors if processed correctly.
Produced in hand-rolled batches with an exemplary level of care, the leaves are nicely curled, and provide a prime example of how high quality tea is not limited to the Darjeeling gardens.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Although this Jun Chiyabari Second Flush Nepal Black Tea from Single Origin Teas is not technically a Darjeeling, it still has many remarkable similarities to a Darjeeling. It has that crisp, “sparkling” taste of a Darjeeling … it is lighter in body and it has a sweet, wine-like quality that reminds me of a Darjeeling.
However, I am noticing some differences, as well. I note less muscatel-like notes here. There are some, but they seem to be more of a background note than a prominent note. There is a slight “lemon-y” quality that I notice toward the finish.
And then I notice the rose-like notes. These are lovely! It’s like an undercurrent of rose notes – not a heavy essence, but, like an ever-present wisp of rose-y flavor. The floral tones give the cup a pleasant sweetness, and there is something more to it … an almost autumnal sweetness. After reading the above description, I realized that what I noticed was the maple notes. I don’t know that what I’m tasting is a distinct maple taste, but it is a definite sweetness that has an autumn-like taste to it.
I am really glad that I tried this Jun Chiyabari tea. I’ve tried several teas from this estate and while they have all been very good teas, I am finding this one to be just a little different from the others I’ve tried. Different is good!
Jun Chiyabari Nepalese Black Tea from Imperial Tea Garden
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Imperial Tea Garden
Tea Description:
Jun Chiyabari is a luxury black tea (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) with ethereal notes of muscatel that whispers true himalayan beauty. Grown on mountainside elavations reaching 7000 feet above sea level in the Hile Hills Dhankuta district of Nepal. The exceptionally clean air, rich mountain soil and pure sunshine help Jun Chiyabari continually exceed the quality of many darjeeling teas. It is no surprise that Jun Chiyabari black tea ranks so high as a source for powerful antioxidants. With polyphenol levels of 10.7% by dry weight, this is truly a gourmet black tea for the connoisseur and those individuals that desire a healthy black tea alternative.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Having tried a couple of Jun Chiyabari teas, I was only too happy to be in possession of another sampling of this Nepalese black tea. Imperial Tea Garden has the “touch” when it comes to selecting top notch teas, and this offering is an example of what I mean.
This is a delightful “Darjeeling-esque” black tea is very much like a second flush Darjeeling, with notes of muscatel, its compelling fruit notes, hints of earth and wood, and a dry finish that is reminiscent of wine. It has a fair amount of astringency that leaves the palate feeling clean after each sip. The aftertaste is sweet and grape-y!
This tea also has a slightly heavier texture to it than a typical Darjeeling, which I would ordinarily classify as a light or even sparkling sort of texture. This has a texture that is more like a Ceylon.
A really charming cup of hot tea in the afternoon, or if you are looking for iced refreshment, this tea tastes great chilled and served with a sprig of mint!
Nepalese Afternoon Tea from Golden Moon Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Golden Moon Tea
Tea Description:
Nepalese Afternoon Tea is grown at the base of Mount Everest in the remote Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. The infused nectar of this tea evokes serene notes of lotus, honey and fragrant sandalwood.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I first took a sip of this tea, I was afraid maybe I steeped it wrong or something, because the taste was a little harsh. But then I sat back, and allowed the tea in my cup to cool for a few moments (about three minutes) and took another sip. This time the flavor has mellowed, offering a lovely honey-esque sweetness and beautiful floral tones.
The flavor is vaguely reminiscent of a Darjeeling, but it also possesses some nice malty tones as well, like a fine Assam or Nilgiri. It has a boldness to it, but, like the name of the tea suggests, it isn’t quite as bold as you might want for a morning cup. This makes a much better afternoon tea for those times when you’re feeling the energy levels dip a bit – this tea will perk you right up!
I can’t get over how remarkably smooth it tastes. Especially when I consider how the first sip was really quite harsh. Those few moments of cooling time are essential to this tea – it makes the tea not just “tolerable” but very enjoyable. I also find that as the tea cools, the lotus notes seem to emerge. Very nice, indeed!
Organic Guranse from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
Our Organic Guranse tea originates from the Guranse Estate in Nepal and is graded FTGFOP-1 (Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, First Flush). This light and fragrant tea has notes of tobacco and wet mahogany with light peach notes that linger. Organic Guranse is lightly malty and perfect for afternoon or early evening enjoyment as it is not as strong as some of our other black teas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf of this tea is earthy and a little sweet, reminding me a bit of the pipe tobacco my dad once had when my stepmother was trying to get him to start smoking pipes. The brewed tea maintains much of this fragrance, although it is a slightly lighter scent than the dry leaf.
The flavor immediately reminded me of an Assam with its delicious malty tones, although I’m finding it to be a lighter bodied tea than a typical Assam, which I usually categorize as a full-bodied tea. I think I’d categorize this one as a medium bodied tea, or even a light-to-medium bodied tea. To put it another way, I would put this somewhere between a full-bodied Assam and a light-bodied Darjeeling.
Interestingly enough, this tea also has other characteristics that remind me of these two teas. The aforementioned rich malty tones that remind of an Assam while the woody, fruit tones remind me of a Darjeeling (but without the muscatel). There is a fair amount of astringency to this tea as well, which is common in these two teas. Here the astringency is crisp and tangy, and leaves the palate feeling clean and dry. The aftertaste is earthy and sweet.
I’m finding this to be a delightful, contemplative cup – just right for the afternoon. It’s also REALLY good as it cools – makes an awesome iced tea!
Nepal Kuwapani 2nd Flush from Stone Leaf Teahouse
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Stone Leaf Teahouse
Tea Description:
Grown in the shadow of Makalu (27,765 ft), the cool Himalayan air currents envelope the gardens to produce a truly unique environment that is best suited for tea. Add the considerable wisdom and experience of the tea manager, and you have the tea we present to you. A fine leaf selection with a remarkable honey aroma, followed by bright amber infusion with a full body. This black tea has characteristic tannins similar to Darjeeling, but distinctly holds up on its own.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
While I haven’t tried a large number of teas from Nepal, I have had several, and I’ve always been very pleased with what I’ve tasted from this country. This tea is no exception. This is fantastic!
The flavor is similar to a Darjeeling, but it has a fuller body and more robust flavor than what I typically experience from a Darjeeling tea. The flavor is deliciously bright, with lovely honey-esque notes that are detectable not just in the flavor but in the inviting aroma as well. There is some astringency to the cup that dries the palate slightly, as if to ready it for another sip. The aftertaste is lightly sweet.
There is a lovely wood tone to the flavor with hints of earth. There is also a delicious dark cacao note in the distance that mingles with a hint of flower. So many wonderful flavors, so deliciously complex, such an amazing tea!
I highly recommend this one!