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!
Doke Organic Silver Needle Second Flush White Tea from Driftwood Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Driftwood Teas
Tea Description:
Doke Organic Silver Needle is one of the finest examples of a white tea I have ever tasted. It’s easy to see the care that has gone into the hand harvesting of each one of these buds and personally I think this is easily more than equal to even the very best examples of silver needles being produced in China’s Fujian Province at the moment.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I find myself in total agreement with Azzrian’s assessment of this tea: “Doke Organic Silver Needle Second Flush from Driftwood Tea offers a crisp, clean, and juicy sweet cup.” It certainly does!
This is one of the finest Silver Needle teas that I’ve ever encountered – and I’ve consumed quite a bit of Silver Needle Tea!
The dry leaf is beautiful: long, silvery spears covered in soft downy fuzz, and the liquid they produce is softly fragrant with notes of fruit and perhaps a hint of hay, reminding me of the smell of the air after a field of hay has been harvested.
The flavor is delicate – no big surprise there. But what does surprise me is how abundant the flavor of apricot is in this cup. It is as though the flavor just bursts onto the palate. The background notes are of hay, hints of a grassy vegetation, and vague floral tones. There is a slightly dry astringency to the cup – slight! Those of you who tend to be “astringency-shy” … I don’t think you’d be put off here. This is more “juicy” than it is astringent.
It is a very enjoyable Silver Needle – as I said, one of the very best I’ve tried. I’d highly recommend this one.
Hattialli Golden Lion Assam Tea from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
Our Hattialli Golden Lion Assam originates from the Hattialli Tea Estate in the Dibrugarh District in the South Bank, Assam region of India. The name Hattialli comes from the words “Hatti Alli”, which means Elephant Road. This name came about because of a nearby elephant camp. The Hattialli Tea Estate is known for golden tippy handpicked teas and the balance of briskness and mellowness of their teas. The golden tips of this tea are longer than the black leaves, which imparts a more golden appearance. This phenomenal malty second flush Assam has baked bread and oak notes. Sweet potato and dried apricot notes are also detectable with fleeting lighter floral notes. There is a fruity sweetness and light astringency present in this truly exceptional second flush Assam.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I find myself in total agreement with the last five words of the above description – this Hattialli Golden Lion Assam Tea from Butiki Teas is indeed a truly exceptional second flush Assam. Wow!
When hot, the flavor is sweet and malty. There is a slight caramel-y note to it, reminding me of the flavor of the warm, caramelized edges of a freshly baked loaf of bread. There are hints of woodsy tones, and it is a very cozy, sort of autumnal taste. The kind of flavors you like to warm up to on a chilly autumn day … but, you still find it perfectly alright to cozy up to these flavors on a warm summer morning too!
As the tea begins to cool (slightly … it’s still hot, just not quite as hot as when I first poured the cup) the flavors of sweet apricot begin to emerge. I’ve tasted quite a few Assam teas in my years as a tea drinker, but, I can’t recall such a distinct apricot flavor from a pure Assam as the taste I’m getting from this cup of Assam. It’s remarkable (and YUMMY!)
The description also suggests notes of sweet potato, and I get those too, but, it isn’t as well-defined as the apricot. To me, the apricot really stands out.
There are a lot of great Assam teas out there, and there are definitely a few that I favor over others … this one definitely deserves to be one of those favorites! It’s really good. I would be very happy to start every day with this tea in my cup!
Castleton Muscatel (2nd Flush) from Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Description:
CASTLETON MUSCATEL is one of the finest muscatel teas that we have come across this season. This tea has been made from selective leaves that come from PURE CHINA BUSHES at an altitude of 6200 ft above sea level which is ideal for the MUSCAT FLAVOUR.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Every time I go to open a new pouch of tea from Darjeeling Tea Lovers, I am so excited for what awaits me. The teas I’ve tried from them so far have been absolutely incredible, and this one is also amazing.
This has such a crisp flavor … there are actually faint notes of mint in the background! The muscatel is a very forward flavor. Sweet and fruity with a fair amount of astringency. The cleansing astringency is somewhat dry and plays to the muscatel notes quite nicely, giving it an almost wine-like finish. In the aftertaste I notice a far off in the distance hint of mint, but otherwise the aftertaste is very clean.
I find this to be a very enjoyable cup of tea – usually with Darjeeling teas, I find that they make a really nice afternoon cup because they aren’t overly energizing; they tend to be more of a calming, relaxing cup of tea. But I find this particular Darjeeling to be more invigorating … I could easily start the day with this! The flavor is very vibrant!
If you are a fan of Darjeeling Teas, you really MUST try the teas from Darjeeling Tea Lovers. Every single tea that I’ve tried from them has been a superb example of what Darjeeling tea should be – and while that definition seems to get broader and broader for me the more I drink Darjeeling, it is one I don’t mind redefining, because I keep finding more to love about Darjeeling – thanks to this company!
Darjeeling Mim from Pekko Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Pekko Teas
Tea Description:
Mim is in the Darjeeling area of Northern India. From the town center on a clear day the peak of Mount Everest can be seen. The genus of the Darjeeling tea bush is the Chinese Jat, which gives it the distinctive muscatel character. Because the tea is grown at such high altitudes and in relatively cool weather the bushes do not grow quickly, and as such the production is limited. The best time of the year for quality is during ‘second-flush’ (end May – end June). During this time Darjeelings are incomparable to any other tea in the world. The fragrance and taste is a complex bouquet that reaches right out of the cup. Some would describe the taste as nutty; others find it reminds them of black currants, but most often it is described as similar to the taste and fragrance of muscat grapes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
For those who have read my reviews, you are probably aware of my love for Darjeeling tea – I’ve never made any big secret of it! It is certainly one of my favorites … and I think that is due to the fact that Darjeeling is such a memorable type of tea! I can still recall vividly my first experience with Darjeeling, and when I find one that is equal to that first tasting, I find myself falling in love all over again. Perhaps, I should say almost equal to that first tasting, because, that first experience was so memorable I think that other teas have a hard time living up to what I’ve build up with that memory! I’ve quite probably tried Darjeelings that were just as good if not better than that first one, but, because I’ve built it up in my mind as such an amazing tea … I think it has more to do with the memory than the actual tea, at this point!
But, really, that’s one of the wonders of tea. How memorable a tea experience can be!
This is truly a fine example of a Darjeeling second flush, sweet, crisp, and tasting strongly of the muscat grape! There is what I’d categorize as a low-to-medium amount of astringency to this Darjeeling. That is to say, it’s there, but, it isn’t as distinctive as some other Darjeeling teas as I’ve tried. Darjeeling teas can sometimes be quite astringent, but I’m finding the astringency here to be quite mild.
The flavor is quite lovely. Muscatel! It has a little less of that woodsy tone that I often associate with Darjeeling here, it’s a little less earthy, and perhaps more fruity and with hints of flower … not so much a pungent floral tone, but more like the taste of the air in mid-spring, when flowers are blooming and emitting their fragrance into their surroundings. That’s what I taste!
A truly lovely Darjeeling – this is one you should try! (And I did notice when I visited Pekko Teas that many of their teas – including this one! – appear to be on sale! Seems like a good time to shop!)