Wow, wow, wow.. Glad I saved this one to end my Happy Earth Tea samples on a positive note!
The dried leaves smell heavenly! I was in the Steepster chat when brewing this and I commented that the leaves “smell like lemon hay” (that’s not a bad thing :P). I had never had a darjeeling before, so thanks to Marzipan and Corvuslunar for the steeping instructions :)
I used 1tsp per 8oz (I made a whole 32oz pot!) and steeped it at 185 degrees for 2.5 minutes. The taste is different to me, since I wasn’t sure what to expect with a darjeeling, but it’s beautifully complex. The subtle peachy and grassy flavors bring me back for multiple cups, contemplating this tea. It’s not a “brute force” tea, but there’s something about it that makes me want to keep drinking.. The flavors don’t say “Here I am!” but rather they are warm and inviting, luring you into the liquor.
I steeped for a second round (3 minute infusion this time) and the tea definitely has a sweet note to it now, almost like a caramel without the overpowering sweetness of the actual candy. The peach flavor still lingers in the background, calmingly. It’s strange through, because I even wrote in my bio that I don’t like peach flavored tea, but.. yeah, it’s good here! All in all, a great way to end my day yesterday and finish off my Happy Earth Tea samples. Thank you Niraj! :)
Flavors: Earth, Grass, Peach, Sweet