52 Tasting Notes
I like this tea, but not as much as the French Breakfast tea from Marriage Freres. It is a lower price point, which makes it easier to drink more often, but it doesn’t have the rich, full taste that the French Breakfast tea exhibits.
Preparation
I really liked this tea. I can’t describe whether it has carmel or malty flavors, but I really enjoyed it. The dryness (astringency) is noticable but not pronounced. I steeped it for three minutes – I don’t think I’d want to go longer and am confident I’ll be able to go with a shorter time, too.
Preparation
I liked this again today. It had more flavor than the last time, possibly because I used two teaspoons of tea per cup of water in the Breville. The first infusion, I limited the time to 3 minutes. The second was 4 minutes and quite good, too.
Preparation
I tried this tea again last week. I enjoyed it much more than the first time I tried it – I think cleaning the Breville helped a lot. I tried different temperatures ranging from 195 to 212, but tended to like the below boiling temps better. I got several (4-6?) infusions from this and enjoyed all but the last one. I’d increase this rating from my previous 77, but still wouldn’t put it as high as my most favorit teas.
Preparation
i’ve brewed this tea at home using water heated in the microwave, so it is not the same quality brew as using the Breville. I used hotter water for the first cup and used a three minute steep – that tea was very astringent to the point I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I might. The darjeeling green tea is much different than the Japanese and Chinese green teas I’ve tried, so I find this an interesting cup. The second infusion was probably closer to 180 and I steeped it for only two and a half minutes. I enjoyed this cup much more than the first. The color was not the normal green tea color, but more like a light oolong tea color. The third infusion was still quite good with some astringency on the tip of my tongue.
Preparation
I tried this tea yesterday by brewing it in a tisaniere. It was good, but not great. Today, I fired up the Breville and really liked it. The instructions on the package directed me to use two tablespoons of the tea and to brew it at 180. I think the increased amount of tea helped quite a bit from yesterday’s approach, as did the slightly higher temperature than the hot valve on the water container in the office.
I like the viscous feel as I drink the tea. It is a pale yellow color; the flavor and fragrance is delicate and light. I’m getting some of the astringency that I associate with black teas, but not nearly so much. I’m guessing this is even less than some of the oolongs I’ve had.
Today, I like this tea enough that I’d add it to my regular cabinet.