I had no idea what to expect from this Thurbo Winter Wonder Autumn Flush Darjeeling from Golden Tips, because the leaves look very different from most darjeelings. The color is mainly a sort of sienna brown, with some shades of brownish green dispersed as well, and the shapes are quite variegated, with many open, torn leaves, and fewer compactly twisted longer pieces.
I was a bit surprised, because I’ve been enjoying Margaret’s Hope Autumn Flush (see my mini blog for more on that: http://steepster.com/teas/norbu/47145-margarets-hope-darjeeling-autumn-flush-2012-ftgfop1), but the leaf form is completely different.
I used exactly the same brewing parameters: 3 grams; 10 ounces; 3 minutes at 81C, and to my surprise the liquor turned out bright yellowish orange—much brighter than most amber-colored darjeelings.
The good news is that the cup was delicious! The flavor is definitely different—less nutty than the Margaret’s Hope, but very smooth and enjoyable. Clearly I am a fan of autumn flush, though until recently that was unbeknownst to me. I suspect that many blends include some autumn flush mixed in, but I can now aver ex cathedra that there is nothing third-class about Third Flush Darjeeling! (Well at least not Thurbo or Margaret’s Hope.)