Temi SFTGFOP Second Flush

Monday morning? Is that you? How did you get here so soon?

I chose this to drink this morning, was somehow in the mood for it and not exactly sure why. Today I added a smidge of raw cane sugar. I like this tea! (see previous notes). Today it seems softer and even fruitier than I remember — I might have steeped it for longer before. See previous notes if interested.

The first thing that I noticed when I brewed this tea was the aroma. I don’t know how I didn’t notice it last time, but this tea smells almost exactly like my Da Hong Pao. I also was rather generous with the amount of leaves I used, so the plum flavors were overshadowed by darker flavors, for lack of a better word. It actually did taste like an Oolong (not that I’m complaining), but I suspect that the plum and caramel flavors will develop during the next infusion.

The second infusion is noted by the development of the plum flavors, as well as a general sweetening of the tea. That being said, the still is still remarkably similar to a Oolong, just fruitier.

The third (and final) infusion was very sweet, with the plum flavors really starting to assert themselves. It’s a shame that I started brewing this tea so late in the day, as I probably could have gotten two more infusions out of it. The tea had just finally started to develop complex flavors, and it’s really a shame to waste it…

Regardless, I’ seriously considering getting more of this tea after I work through some more of my current stash. The intense flavor is very attractive, and the natural sweetness of the tea makes it very appealing for a weekend tea, where I can dedicate hours of time to drinking it.

I received this as a free sample with my last RtR order. I was excited to get a tea from Sikkim as I am new to teas from that area. However, I was a little concerned when I realized how close it was to Darjeeling considering I haven’t enjoyed Darjeelings as much as I thought I would.

The dry leaves smell fragrant and fruity. I wonder if they are picking up a little of the aroma of the orange trees grown on the estate? They are short-medium in length and tightly rolled. About half are chocolate brown and the other half a medium brown like chestnut.

The brewed leaves have a bit of that muscatel type odor that is associated with 2nd flush Darjeelings. There is no baked bread aroma like RtR promises. (I may not be the greatest at determining all the complex flavors in a tea, but I know what fresh baked bread smells like, and this does not smell like fresh bread). The liquor is reddish copper.

1st steep-The flavor is very fruity and sweet and I don’t really notice the muscatel in the flavor-which is very good, in my opinion. I enjoyed this cup.

2nd steep-I don’t taste much fruit anymore-just some of the muscatel flavor that I don’t care for. It’s not as strong as in a 2nd flush darjeeling, but it’s there and it’s the only discernible flavor here. Not my thing.

3rd steep-liquor is a pale amber now. Muscatel flavor is mostly gone, but I am not tasting a lot of anything else.

Verdict-If you like 2nd flush Darjeeling, you might enjoy this. I probably wouldn’t buy this, as for me, it’s only tasty for one steep. My rating number is based on just that 1st steep.

So far, my experience with RTR’s teas has been great. They’ve almost all been delicious, above average (as far as I know, which isn’t a lot), and their descriptions are really accurate. They don’t go over the top in telling you the 50 different flavors you’ll find in a tea, and yet, none of their teas are one-dimensional, either.

I had to order a sample of the 2nd flush of the Temi, since I ordered the 1st flush, so that I could compare the two.

I’m not sure I can pull out the baked sweet-bread aroma, but as soon as I decanted, the teapot smelled richly of caramel, and even a bit of chocolate!
The taste of dried plum is also present (zwetschge schokolade gefaellt mir sehr), and ‘layered’ is a great way to explain it, as the notes of caramel and plum appear and disappear throughout the sip. I wouldn’t call it sweet, but somehow, it is clearly caramel.
The 2nd steeping seems to be bringing out the chocolate aroma, as well.

Between this tea, Thurbo 1st flush, and Tumsong 2nd flush, I have three great Darjeelings I’d enjoying having around. To my surprise, two of my favorites are from the ‘lowest’ quality harvests! It’s fun to discover something new.