Fortnum & Mason Advent Day 7
My first darjeeling made me think I hated darjeeling. I made it like any black tea. Much later I discovered that cooler water and shorter steeps made them drinkable for me. I know people who adore darjeeling, and I am probably in the minority not caring for it much. An exception is Sakura Premium from Lupicia, which has all the very best bits of darjeeling and is just arresting to drink, even though my heart still belongs to Chinese black tea.
I made this one at 185F for three minutes and it was just okay. Not offensive, it tasted like an inexpensive daily drinker that was nothing special. But Fortnum should be special, even if it is their lower grade.
I made another cup a little hotter with a slightly longer steep and got more of the classic darjeeling strength, briskness, and fruitiness. It is not as good as Lupicia’s but was better than some other darjeeling I have tried. I will drink it, but I won’t seek more. Went fine with breakfast!
