Namring Upper Darjeeling Autumn Flush Green Tea

Since I really disliked the Earl Grey Green Darjeeling I sampled the other day, I noticed I had one other green Darjeeling in my collection, also a sample from Meowster’s cupboard destash (thank you!), so I still have a chance to try Indian green tea, without the flavoring. The dry leaf smells a little musty to me and I have no idea how old this may be by this point — I got it from Meowster in summer of 2018, and I have no idea how old it may have already been by that point. If it hasn’t held up well, I’ll likely cold brew the rest of my sample, since I seem to enjoy even the most ancient of green teas when steeped in ice cold water overnight. For now, I’ve brewed a hot pot, but used my “normal” leaf-to-water ratio and temperature for green teas (2.5g leaf for 500ml pot @ 175F, 2 minute steep) rather than what Vahdam recommended, after that sad sad pot of EG green Darjeeling the other day, which was waaaay too bitter using Vahdam’s recommended leaf amounts.

The steeped leaf smells deeply of cooked spinach. The tea is a pale yellow liquor and smells a bit smoky, a bit earthy (particularly of minerals/wet rocks), slightly nutty, and a bit of a dry herbaceous quality. The flavor reminds me of Gunpowder green tea or plain green yerba mate… I’m getting that tobacco smoke flavor over a dry grass/hay flavor, though the finish is heavily mineral. I’m getting a very subtle notes of nuts and lemongrass, as well. It’s mildly drying after the sip, but there is no astringency/bitterness during the sip.

I’m not much of a fan of smoky notes presenting in green teas, so I’m not really enjoying this one much (that “tobacco” sort of taste is just really off-putting to me). I’ll finish the pot, but think I’ll coldbrew the rest with a bit of peppermint leaf added to smooth out those notes until I’ve used up the sample. I’m still curious to try other Indian green teas; I wonder if they all have that “gunpowder” taste or if some are significantly different?

Thanks so much for the chance to try something new to me!

This is an interesting green tea. Frankly, it reminds me of a young raw Menghai-area pu’erh, on its sixth or seventh infusion. It has a mushroom broth body with dried and fresh herb notes. The finish is the fruity, gummy sweetness you would find in a Menghai pu’erh.

It does not go for many infusions (I gong-fu’ed it!), but that is fair considering that it is a green tea and that gong fu style is not the traditional method of preparation.

The experience was interesting and tasty, although there were only two infusions that were really nice. The others had a fairly flat arrival and development, although the gummy, fruity aftertaste was persistent.

Certainly an interesting experience for a green tea, although I would be much more likely to reach for a pu’erh, where I could get similar flavors with more of a kick.
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Dry leaf – noticeable spice note in the bag (turmeric, ginger, coriander), dry cut grass, hints of popcorn, sassafras, and charred mesquite wood. In preheated vessel – sweet grass, some red-fruit notes.

Smell – mushroom broth, campfire log, hints of incense/sandalwood

Taste – arrival of mushroom broth, hints of charred mesquite wood. Development of sweet grass with hints of sassafras and dried parsley. Finish has herbal (fresh parsley and cilantro) and arrival of gummy sweetness. Aftertaste of gummy sweetness (pear, peach, mandarin orange combo) with lemongrass.

When I grabbed this to brew I thought I was grabbing a black tea so I brewed it at a bit higher temperature than green tea normally gets. Doesn’t seem to have effected it though. This is very good tea but it doesn’t taste like a green to me any more than the first flush black tasted like a black. I am somewhat at a loss to describe the flavor of it. Sweet but not bitter. Not vegetal or particularly grassy like a green. It is just very tasty.

I brewed this once in a 16oz Teavana Glass Perfect Tea Maker/Gravity Steeper with 3 tsp leaf and 190 degree water for 3 minutes.