Alright, it’s time for another back-of-the-tea cabinet discovery. I’ve been my working my way through this Darjeeling blend for the better part of the week. At the time of this writing, I only have one sachet left and will probably go ahead and finish it before I go to bed. Even with a little age, this blend holds up well.
I prepared this tea in the Western style. I steeped one sachet in approximately 8 ounces of 212 F water for 5 minutes. I attempted no subsequent infusions.
Prior to infusion, a whiff of the sachet revealed aromas of toast, wood, raisin, herbs, and spices. After infusion, I picked up refined aromas of herbs, toast, malt, wood, Muscatel, and butter. In the mouth, I found notes of wood, herbs, butter, toast, grass, straw, malt, lemon zest, roasted almond, and Muscatel underscored by subtle raisin and very mild nutmeg notes. The finish was smooth, yet fleeting. There were lingering touches of herbs, toast, roasted almond, and wood chased by a very faint fruitiness.
This was a fairly solid blend. I think it would be good for someone who just wants a predictable, consistent cup and is not all that interested in the world of single origin, single flush Darjeelings, though I could also see it being a good introduction to Darjeelings in general. While I’m glad I tried this, I doubt I would go out of my way to purchase it again. It played it a little too safe for my liking and didn’t surprise me in any way.
Flavors: Almond, Butter, Grass, Herbs, Lemon Zest, Malt, Muscatel, Nutmeg, Raisins, Straw, Toast, Wood
