Here’s a review I forgot to post last week. I finished a sample pouch of this tea about 6 days ago, but kept waffling on the numerical score and held off on posting it. I then, of course, forgot about it. Overall, I found this to be a very nice second flush Darjeeling, though it did not quite edge out some of my established favorites.
I prepared this tea in the Western style. I steeped about 3 grams of loose leaf material in approximately 8 ounces of 194 F water. I did not attempt any subsequent infusions.
Prior to infusion, the dry leaf material emitted aromas of wood, toast, malt, caramel, and raisin. After infusion, I found aromas of wood, toast, malt, caramel, raisin, and Muscatel underscored by a hint of chocolate. In the mouth, I noted flavors of wood, brown toast, leather, and malt up front. These notes soon gave way to softer impressions of Muscatel, raisin, butter, caramel, black walnut, roasted almond, straw, anise, grass, rose, and chocolate. In a few places, I thought I caught a hint of black licorice too. The finish was pleasant, offering lingering notes of malt, Muscatel, raisin, caramel, and butter while hints of black licorice and anise popped up briefly at the very end.
Again, this was a very nice second flush Darjeeling. I had a second flush tea from Risheehat last year, but this one struck me as being more complex and perhaps just a touch more balanced. For fans of second flush Darjeelings, this would be a tea worth trying.
Flavors: Almond, Anise, Brown Toast, Butter, Caramel, Chocolate, Grass, Leather, Licorice, Malt, Muscatel, Raisins, Rose, Straw, Walnut, Wood
