India Darjeeling 1st Flush Gopaldhara 'Maharani' Black Tea

Nice first flush. I did not expect it to be as fruity as it was, making me think of lychee the entire way through. It was definitely muscatel in some ways, but it had the dryness of a few white wines. Darjeeling is the champagne of teas after all, and to think of it, a lot of the “tasting notes” for whites tend to be the ones I get for oolong and white teas, and some reds for Darjeeling blacks. It reminded me more of an oolong than a black in a lot of ways, but it had the woody character that I associate with teas from this region and that I associate with blacks. I got 4 solid brews western starting at about a minute and a half the first time in 5 oz of water.

I was fairly impressed. If my budget were flowing, then I would probably get another 20 grams of this. It definitely was worth the price considering I’m luke warm about most first flushes, never mind I’ve pretty much enjoyed every first flush from this company so far and I like the Gopaldhara Estate. I would recommend this tea for anyone wanting to try a good first flush, or if your in the mood to be refined for a little bit.

My first Darjeeling experience. The leaf is small, broken reddish pieces with some silvery steaks. Smells like white tea florals and musk. The tea steeps up a light amber with notes of wood bark, balm, cinnamon spice, and little bite in the finish that hits the back of your throat. I was struck by how similar in flavor this was to Oriental Beauty. Recommend steeping at lower temperatures, around 180 – 185 F to bring out the subtle flavors as too hot water just makes it taste like a ceylon.

I did a side-by-side taste comparison with a 2nd flush darjeeling. Both were good though I lean slightly towards the 2nd flush for its robust and fruitier flavor. However, the smooth and delicate flavors of this one make it a wonderful tea in its own right.