Giddapahar SFTGFOP 1 CH SPT- 1st Flush

2011 crop.

Smells fruity and delicious. Is fruity and delicious.

Surprisingly bold. Has some of the mellow notes that normally accompany later flushes. Not so spritely as last year’s First, but a solid showing.

I am rather new to Darjeeling teas and this is the 1st Flush that I have tried. However I have always thought of Darjeeling teas as a black tea. This tea surprised me in how green it looked. The tea leaves range in color from light spring green to a darker evergreen in color. Looking at the shape of the leaves though reminded me more of a black tea in that they are thin and wiry.

There wasn’t much aroma to the dry leaves, just a slight tinge of a vegetal aroma. Once brewed the liquor is a pale gold in color that is just a bit darker then a white tea. Again I am having my preconceptions thrown out the window. The aroma now has a slight muskiness that reminds me of the leaves on the ground in an old growth forest.

This is a simple easy drinking tea. I kept looking for nuances in the flavor that just wasn’t there. It has a slight sweetness that offset the muskiness that plays along the edges of your tongue. I can easily see myself drinking this tea when I am busy with other things as it doesn’t demand any concentration.