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The end of August saw me and my family on a 12-day trip to England and Ireland. I had to stop at a few tea shops, natch, including Fortnum & Mason in London, where I got this lovely 2nd flush darjeeling. I wanted to buy out the shop, but with budget and suitcase space in mind, I had to limit my selections. So glad I got this one though. The dry note is so floral and rich that I just want to keep sniffing it even without making the tea. The wet leaves are less floral, but still rich and chewy, more like wet wood (oak?). The taste has a surprising touch of honey and is overall warm and deep. I know that first flushes are a connoisseur’s delight – kind of the Beaujolais nouveau of the tea world – but this kind of flavor is why I lean more toward the second flush teas. I have enough of this to last me a little while, but if anyone is going to London, I recommend picking up a couple ounces of this.

Flavors: Floral, Honey, Oak, Wet Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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Bio

I grew up drinking Lipton with lots of sugar and lemon. It’s only over the last few years that I’ve come to discover and appreciate real tea. Now I’m on a mission to expose as many of my friends as possible to the delights of Camellia sinensis. I dream of opening a tea shop someday where people can sit, slow down, and enjoy a proper cup properly steeped. I have so much to learn to make that happen, so I’m eager to chat, meet, and sip with those who know more than I.

I can’t say that I’ve discovered a favorite tea yet. I lean toward the bolder black teas (I don’t think I’ve tried a keemun I didn’t like), but those with lots of golden tips spark my taste buds too (Golden Monkey, dubbed “Monkey Butt” by my then-teenage son, is always popular in my house).

I love the pu-ehrs I’ve tried, but I know that that is a whole world of flavors that could take me years to explore. I keep sampling subtler white, green, and yellow teas, and I’m learning as I go. Let’s face it, I’m sampling everything I can and having a ball doing it.

Speaking of sampling, I’m eager to swap, so feel free to peruse my cupboard (I’m making a concerted effort to record what I have) and ask me for any of it.

When I’m not steeping, I write, bike, raise kids, love my wife, and cook fine vegetarian fare.

That picture is of me at a rest stop on a long bike ride. I’m still working on how to combine long-distance cycling with tea drinking. Hmmm . . .

Location

Newton, Massachusetts

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