Darjeeling 1st Flush 2014 Jogmaya White Tea from What-Cha Tea

DarjeelingJogmayaWhiteTea Information:

Leaf Type:  White (Darjeeling)

Where to Buy:  What-Cha Tea

Tea Description:

A brilliant white tea composed of whole leaves with a silky texture, combined with a gentle grass taste and wonderfully light finish with hints of spice.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I have enjoyed many different types of white teas in my years as a tea reviewer.  And while I do enjoy the many different types of white teas that I’ve tasted, I think I’m finally comfortable saying that my favorite white teas are Darjeeling white teas.

And this Darjeeling Jogmaya White Tea from What-Cha Tea is absolutely stunning!  It’s so good!  The dry leaves have a distinct grassy aroma with a soft floral note.  I can smell a light, fruity sweetness in the background.

To brew this tea, I decided to reach for my Kati Brewing System.  I measured 1 1/2 bamboo scoops into the basket of the Kati tumbler (I usually use a little more leaf when it comes to white teas because the leaves are considerably “bulkier”.  I heat freshly filtered water to 170°F and poured the water into the tumbler and let the leaves steep for 3 minutes.  DarjeelingJogmayaWhite1

Sweet and delicious!  As with other white teas, the overall cup is delicate, but I generally find that Darjeeling white teas are a little less subtle in the flavor department than most other teas and that is the case with this Jogmaya White tea.  Perhaps that’s why I enjoy them so much!

Or it could be the amazing spice notes of a Darjeeling white.  This tea has a warm, zesty spice note.  Think white pepper.  Maybe not exactly white pepper, but think of the first time you tasted white pepper and how you noticed the gentler pepper note.  It still tasted of pepper but it was definitely more subdued.  That’s what I taste now, a soft, subtle spice note that is a little warm and zesty.  Perhaps not as abundantly “spiced” as I might experience in say a Yunnan black tea, but there is absolutely some zippy spices that are capturing my taste buds’ attention.

This has a nice body to it, it’s silky and smooth.  Notes of sweet grass and whispers of flower.  I can taste notes of fruit as well.  Melon and a crisp apple note.   As I continue to sip, I start to pick up on a slight grape-y flavor.

This is a very refreshing white Darjeeling.  The sip starts with grassy notes and almost immediately after I experience those notes, I start to pick up on the aforementioned gentle spice notes.  As the sip progresses toward mid-sip, I taste the medley of fruit notes:  melon, apple, and a touch of grape.  As I reach the end of the sip, I taste a slight floral note that melds with the fruit.  The sip ends with a slight dryness and the aftertaste is clean and slightly sweet.

A really enjoyable cup.  What-Cha Tea delivers … again!