Description
The liquor produced by these leaves is a pale tan color, with barely discernible aroma and subtle flavors. Sip slowly and be pleasantly surprised by an unusual combination of “black tea” malty flavors as well as “green tea” astringency and brightness. Tones of lemon, flowers, wine and wheat dance elusively among the honey sweetness of this exceptional variety.
Darjeeling teas are prized throughout the world, due to fertile soils and generations of careful cultivation by the most experienced growers in India. These leaves originate from one of the oldest estates in the region – named after the founder’s daughter, who loved the plantation and was lost in a tragic sea voyage shortly after it was founded in the 1870’s.
Rare “first flush” teas harvested in early spring provide a unique treat! These leaves clearly show that the spectrum of different types of teas is fluid. Though its technically a “black” tea, the first thing you will notice is that the leaves are actually pale green and red! First flush leaves tend to be small, noticeably sweeter, but lighter in all other aspects, including bitterness and astringency. And so this batch was processed relatively quickly and not rolled, to protect the most delicate flavors.
Because of unusually light processing, we recommend that you treat this black tea more like an Oolong – steep a little cooler and shorter than a typical black tea, re-steep at least once to really get the most out of the experience, and avoid over-powering sugar or milk.
This special lot from a famous estate is being sold by others for some pretty shocking prices (up to $50 for 3 ounces!). We have found some great sources and use the same markup as our coffees, passing on the savings to you.
Steeping Time – 2 Minutes
Water Temp – 200 F
Delicate, lightly-processed first-flush leaves from a highly-respected Darjeeling estate.
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