Every now and then a tea comes along that really surprises you. This was mine!
A really unique nose (albeit coming from someone who doesn’t drink much Darjeeling). Delicate but interesting, this tea has the aromatic character of a black tea veiled by the subtle freshness of a light green tea. Not dissimilar to a delicate Pai Mu Tan in some respects. Interesting, though the more I pick up on the nose of this tea the more I long for a little bit more punch – a longing that is quickly delivered on by a sniff of the fresh wet leaves, which smack of deep aromatic flavour and bring to mind a savoury character I can’t quite put my finger on… is it Oragano? Dried chives? Roast chicken?
A real freshness on the palate, with just enough tannin and acidity to make it a lively brew, but without any bitter astringency. And that savoury note is ever present on the palate too, this time with a more distinctly iodine character reminiscent of dried seaweed. The distinctive sweet herbaceousness common to Darjeelings (well, to me anyway) is certainly there, but in a more delicate and restrained form that I’ve never experienced before. Above all this tea is subtle and beautifully balanced.
The second steep brings out a real sweetness with rose petals, light straw and a subtle green freshness.
All up a really interesting cup. As a green tea lover I haven’t met many Darjeerlings I’ve wanted to be friends with, but this has made me wonder what I’ve been missing!
Flavors: Herbaceous, Iodine, Rose, Straw
