Another package found in the black tea sampler from Vahdam.
The first thing I noticed with this tea when I brought it out of the bag is that it is a mixture of orthodox, full-leaf tea and broken tea. Some stems, but not too many. But, a good percentage of this tea is broken leaf/fannings. The leaves are very dark with some golden tips mixed in.
I steeped the tea using 5 grams of dried leaves in 12 ounces of near boiling water for 4 minutes, 30 seconds.
The tea brewed into a dark brown liquor with a hint of redness. It is an attractive tea to look at.
The first aroma and flavor I noticed was cocoa/chocolate, both in smell and in taste. There is no question that this is the primary flavor and aroma to the tea. Behind the cocoa, though, I also notice aromas of wood, flowers, Muscat grapes, and wet rocks—hints of its nature as a second flush Darjeeling. I can find the muscatel and wet rock flavors when I drink it, but the floral aroma does not translate into the flavor. There is also some astringency to it.
Overall, I have to say I really liked this! It was exactly what I was expecting in a second flush Darjeeling, with the added bonus of the surprising cocoa/chocolate flavor. It has some body to it—more of a morning tea than a refreshing afternoon tea. I am glad that I didn’t finish off the sample with this steeping since I will want to have this one again. I see on the website that this is also fairly inexpensive, comparatively, so that is one more reason to love this tea! :)
NOTE: The tea I used had a month of picking listed as June, 2016.
Flavors: Astringent, Chocolate, Cocoa, Floral, Muscatel, Wet Rocks, Wood
