This was a free sample provided by Upton with my last tea order. Steeped 2 heaping tsp. in 500 ml. water in the Breville.
First off, I am soooo glad that I decided to follow Upton’s steep parameters on this (which is about 1 minute shorter than what I normally would do). Although when it was piping hot the flavor was thin and watery, as it cooled a stronger, more astringent taste came out that would have been too tannic with an extra minute of steepage.
This is bolder and heavier than the other Darjeeling I tried from Upton – it’s reminiscent of an Assam, definitely. The texture is perfect for a black tea, and there is a pronounced astringency that is characteristic of Assams that I didn’t get with either Ceylons or that one Darjeeling (I really need to try more of them!).
I like it, and I liked being able to try a second flush. It’s fun learning about all of these flavor nuances!
