This is another one of my favorites from this company. The dry leaf is incredibly fragrant. Once you open the punch you’re blasted with sweet smelling flowers and a soft woodiness. The leaves are darker than the first flush, but they every bit as tippy. You can easily spot multiple platinum tips in a handful of this sweet smelling leaf. I poured a heavy amount in my tetsubin and brewed away. The steeped leaves are still sweet, but they carry a wet wood roughness and a tangy maple aroma. The brew is thick and dark red. The initial sip begins with some smooth oak and moves into a walnut nuttiness. The drink finishes with a thick muscatel and some dark fruit in the background. This is a heavy muscatel toned beverage. I enjoy brewing this later in the day, so I may sit and unwind and pay attention to the transition of the flavors. It’s enjoying as how it begins almost rough and “bitey”, and then it softens and curbs the palette. This a great example of what a fine Darjeeling should taste like. You can also easily notice the sweet fragrant sweetness that lingers in the throat long after drinking. Personally, I enjoy both the First Flush and Second Flush Arya from this company; however, I prefer the First Flush in the morning for it’s crisp tones and Second Flush in the evening for it’s complexity and heavier tones. I highly recommend this tea, and there is not much of it left. The aroma from the liquor of this brew is something to experience. I am incredibly excited to experience this years harvest.
https://www.instagram.com/p/-T79fkzGe4/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel
Flavors: Dark Wood, Floral, Flowers, Muscatel, Nutty, Red Fruits, Sweet, Walnut
thanks for this post! the tea sounds awesome..and now I started browsing happyearthtea’s website.
The couple that owns Happy Earth Tea are wonderful to deal with! Lovely people! Great email correspondence!