Malabar Estate Java OP Clonal

I still have several super old tea packets from Meowster’s cupboard de-stash that I need to drink through! Thank you, Meowster!

So I steeped up this Indonesian tea to take to work with me this morning. The aroma of the tea is quite fruity… I’m getting the typical black-tea-malt-smell, but also a scent like stewed/warm cherries.

I can tell sipping this that the tea has gone a bit flat/is way past its prime (I received it in 2018 but have no idea how old it may have already been at that point). It’s hard to describe that flatness on the taste, but it’s there. If I look past it, I taste a pretty sharp malty black tea with a bit of astringency after the sip, edging a bit more bitter than I prefer for a black tea. There is an underlying fruitiness that I think would be more apparent with fresher leaves; as is, it is coming out a bit muted, but I do taste sort of a muscatel/raisin note and, more faintly, cherry and a non-descript florality.

Mostly, though, it’s just strong-and-dark black tea now.

I may play around with steeping parameters to see if I can smooth some of the edges out or revive some of the flavors. I think my next thermos will have a dollop of honey to see if that tames the bitterness and makes the fruit and floral pop more.

Thanks very much, Meowster!  For a Darjeeling, I would never guess this is a Darjeeling by the flavor profile.  It tastes much more like a straight-forward black tea.  I like the “gold and silver tips” in the description – I agree! The dry blend has very small leaves but the resulting flavor is mostly sweet and fruity quality while still having that brisk black tea characteristic.  Like rye bread, but on the lighter side. One teaspoon is enough! It’s a good tea but not a tea that really fits a Darj craving. Wish I had more to say! But this is an enjoyable black tea if I’m not expecting a Darj profile.
Steep #1  // 1 teaspoon for full mug // 20 minutes after boiling  // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2  // 5 minutes after boiling //  3 min steep

WAIT a minute… why the heck was I expecting Darjeeling from anything about this? Now I’m confused. It’s not in the name or description… sigh. This is possibly not a Darjeeling at all then… which explains LOTS.

Sipdown (623)!

Acquired this one from Starfevre a little while back; finishing it off now as a larger Western pot of tea. I’m about halfway through the pot now, and it’s been nice but not really much of a wow factor here either. Top of the sip is pretty malty, but it moves into a sweeter and more fruity body flavour – definitely muscatel/raisin notes but also some stonefruit/more plum like elements too. Finish is a little bit tannic, but only slightly so. Reminds me a little bit, on the whole, of Easter Bread – you know, sweet pastry with mixed in candied fruits and raisins. Also a little bit of cinnamon, but I’m not really getting a whole lot of spice with the tea…

Biggest thing is just that it feels very thin, in terms of mouthfeel, and also a little watery. There’s just no body to the tea, even though the taste is pretty nice. I’m enjoying it more as it cools, though.

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMUbmiXlHww&index=6&list=LL1M1wDjmJD4SJr_CwzXAGuQ

I wasn’t planning to review this one right now, but I was saying to myself how annoying it is when teas are… just so broken up so I decided to do it. Does that make sense? Ah, I don’t need your confirmation anyways.

So uh this one’s all broken up! into bits! and it’s annoying me >:(! Anyways.. I mean it actually tastes good, like hot apple cider. nice cinnamon notes, and a dark richness to it, with some grape and sour cherry notes, orange zest is quite strong as well.
It doesn’t actually have a very nice mouthfeel, it’s uncomfortably astringent, and not very thick. I’ve never had Indonesian tea and I’d actually be really excited to try higher quality Indonesian tea based on this one, and on a mostly unrelated note, it’s making realize I need to revisit Indian tea.

Orange. Very barely almost not there bit of floral with green underneath. Astringent but only mildly and it’s around the top of the back of the throat.

Blues and greens with a leek tone. Dark green vegetables like leeks, raw kale, but no taste at all of broccoli or Brussels sprouts. Not like those.

Finish becomes astringency behind the front teeth and lightly back of tongue, between there is none.

Fruit comes to mind but maybe apple. Apple that is not sweet, a dryer, blander apple taste..

It’s not bad but I’m not impressed. It’s a mid-level taste.

2.25g/6oz

This tea brought back memories of the time I asked a fellow of Irish descent which teas are used in Irish breakfast blend. His reply? Black tea.

Very standard black tea profile, as in: Lipton, Red Rose, Tetley, if that’s what you’re after (and many prople are), then you may as well just head on down to the grocery store. Nothing wrong with a stout and economical midafternoon caffeine jolt, of course!

Perhaps the Irish fellow thought that I assumed that everything Irish somehow had to be green?

Well, a second tea from the Steepster Select that I haven’t been impressed with. I love the idea of Select, but I think I’m going to wait a little longer until it gets teas more to my taste.

Now on to this tea, I got the mahogany taste, but that was about it, smokey, paprika, leather, almost like the burnt ends from BBQ. Really not what I think of for a single estate tea. I haven’t really had many Indonesian teas that ‘wow’ me, and this is no exception.

(1st steep; 3.5 min) This tea has an aroma that I have come to associate with black tea. I wish I had a better description, but that the only description I have arrived at. The first flavor that I detect from this tea is a slightly sweet fruitiness like that of a melon. This is quickly replaced by wood and copper. I am curious to see how it changes in additional steepings. There is a drying sensation that quickly removes any lingering flavors once the tea has been swallowed. While a solid black tea, nothing about it stands out for me.

(2nd steep; 4 min) In the second steeping, the aroma is closer to tobacco. Some of that tobacco flavor comes through in the flavor of the tea. There is less of the sweet fruit (melon) flavor than in the first steeping. The wood is still very forward with the tobacco finishing out the layers of flavor. The tobacco seems to have replaced the copper in the first steeping. There is still the drying at the end which is nice which clears away the flavors. I am enjoying the second steep more than the first.

(3rd steep; 4.5 min) The aroma from the final steeping presents a heavier tobacco than the previous steepings. The fruit flavor is now closer to a grape than a melon. There is almost no wood flavor, but the tobacco is present and central. Also, there is a notable lack of the drying in this steeping. That is not to say that this steeping is mellow. I have enjoyed how this tea has changed during the each steeping.

I clearly don’t have the delicate palate that the below reviewers have. I don’t taste the notes others do…never have, never will. My palate is pedestrian. But what I do have to say about this tea is this: It’s a lovely black tea. It doesn’t have any bitter notes. It has a certain clarity to its flavor while still being full-bodied and complex. It continues to taste good, even when it cools.

First taste of caramel dissolves quickly into bold tannins. At first I could barely taste anything but tannins, but as it cools I am able to find traces of citrus and a teeny bitfof spice. Not terribly jazzed about this one; it’s fine if you’re liking for a warm, full-bodied tea, but it was lacking some complexity and depth of flavor for me. 6.5/10