Nepal Tea Collective

Cold Brew Sipdown (2779)!

I wasn’t sure if this tea would work out cold brewed but it was so zesty and refreshing with both an incredibly well balanced citrus and spice profile (namely fresh lemongrass and aromatic cardamom) but also a uniquely light and tingly sort of mouthfeel to it. Just a bit of subtle, natural sweetness to go alongside the rather evocative composition of flavours with a really clean, crisp finish. I actually loved it sooo much more than I expected to!

I’m a big fan of subtle white teas and like this one a lot. The tea is smooth and floral with a powdered sugar like sweetness and a thick mouth feel. Unfortunately, I finished off the last of it today, but I will be getting it again in the future.

Gongfu Sipdown (2784)!

I really quite enjoy the creaminess of Nepalese white teas I’ve had in the past, and that thicker and more milky note was definitely present in these beautifully fuzzy buds alongside notes of yellow peach and cucumber. Though I did feel this tea was just a little bit more coarse and astringent compared to some other white teas I’ve had as of late, it was never unpleasant. It felt quite tethered to the cucumber note as well, which was a little more the green bite of the cucumber skin compared to the cooling pulp. In fact, I felt that the snappy texture of the liquor only added to the complexity of each infusion. Definitely a very enjoyable brew!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DG32k3MSRx8/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0cdbR5ognY&ab_channel=IamdoechiiVEVO

Sipdown (2790)!

Sipping down this golden milk powder sample as a latté, of course! I don’t know if this is a controversial take or not, but I think coconut milk is handedly the best choice when making a golden milk latté so I had to pick some up this morning to make sure my latté was perfect. So rich and creamy with a silky smooth mouthfeel and the perfect balance of earthy turmeric, hot ginger, and cozy cinnamon with a pleasantly peppery finish. Very, very cozy and perfect for relaxing with on a low-key Sunday afternoon! I’m curious, do you have a favourite milk to make golden milk or other tea lattés with?

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF3Xg5ZyHaM/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXxKHGBF-eE&ab_channel=DavidDeanBurkhart

Sipdown (2792)!

I was excited to see Nepal Tea Collective at the Toronto Tea Festival this year – they were really kind to speak to, and so generous with their sampling as well. I ended up getting their 14 tea sampler box as well as a box of one of their reserve teas.

It’s going to take me a while to get through the box, but I wanted to start with this one because the inclusion of Szechuan peppers was really fascinating to me. I’ve had two or three teas now with them included and it’s always a really distinct taste and mouthfeel that I adore. Westholme Tea’s “Boom” lapsang blend that includes them is maybe my favourite example of this.

Opening up the tea packet, the dry leaf smelled incredible. So fresh and aromatic with really distinct, lively notes of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and citrus. It made me nose tickle/burn, but in the good kind of way! Steeped up, those three spices definitely still come out the strongest initially without a whole lot of the turmeric. It’s also more of a hot ginger than an earthy one, which in this context I enjoyed alongside the very aromatic, soothing and slightly cooling notes of the cinnamon and cardamom.

Immediately I felt the numbing sensation of the szechuan peppers with my first sip, though it started light before getting quite tingly and intense near the end of the cup. If you’ve never felt it before, it really does feel like the food/liquid version of static electricity. There’s a citrusy note to it as well, which was doubled down on by the sort of grassier citronella-type taste of the lemongrass. I did kind of feel like the aftertaste was a little soapy though.

You definitely lose the notes of the white tea pretty completely, though I think it probably is adding mouthfeel. Without the white tea I think the liquor would be very thin feeling. Still, I wish I got a little more tea and maybe just a bit less spice? It’s such a unique blend though and that mouth sensation for the szechuan is something I feel like everyone should try in a tea at least once.