Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Udyan Tea
Tea Description:
Jethikupi is a word from the Manipuri dialect (from the North-east Indian State of Manipur) and it means ‘jasmine flower.’ In the Nepali dialect the word ‘jethi’ means the eldest girl child, while ‘kupi’ is a funnel or cone shaped object. Hence this tea points out to the earliest first flush of the tea garden. Rohini Jethi Kupi Black Tea brews into a crisp, full bodied, deep yellow cup with a malty finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have enjoyed the different teas that I’ve received from Udyan Tea to review. But I – without realizing it – think I may have saved the very best for last because this Rohini Jethi Kupi Black Tea is absolutely DELIGHTFUL.
It has that crisp and clean flavor that you expect from a first flush Darjeeilng tea, but this is more full flavored. It has notes of malt! It has a richness to the flavor and it’s nicely round. It’s not “heavy” – it is crisp and light, but it’s not quite as light as a typical first flush Darjeeling. This has a more robust body to it and it’s SO wonderfully sweet!
It’s nice and smooth with very little astringency and absolutely no bitterness. It even has hints of muscatel to it – a note that I don’t usually expect in a first flush Darjeeling, but am always happy to find when I do find it.
This is exactly the tea I needed this afternoon. I’ve been a little stressed out lately (I’ve been SO busy!) and I needed some time to just sit back and have a tea that tastes so good that the stress melts away. This tea did exactly that for me. This is one of the best first flush Darjeeling teas I’ve tried this year. I highly recommend it!
Rohini AV2 Exotic Black Tea from Udyan Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Udyan Tea
Tea Description:
Rohini AV2 Exotic Black Tea is picked from AV2 bushes at high elevations. This First Flush Tea is plucked immediately after the long cold winter months and is bountiful with fresh flavour as the bushes are full of vigour. The infusion has a greenish leaf appearance and the tea tastes fresh and crisp. This tea is produced from the prime sections of the garden with the earliest production beginning from the 1st Week of March up to 15th April depending on the elevation. They brew into light mellow cups with excellent first flush character and floral ascents.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Rohini AV2 Exotic Black Tea from Udyan Tea doesn’t look like your typical black tea. It doesn’t taste quite like your typical black tea either. Therefore, you shouldn’t brew it quite the same way you’d steep a typical black tea.
I never use boiling water on a Darjeeling black tea because I learned through trial and error that when I do, I get a slightly bitter tasting tea that’s a wee bit too astringent for my liking. I find that if I lower the temperature to 195°F that a Darjeeling is much better tasting. Less astringent and not bitter! Win!
And this tea is SO LOVELY! It’s deliciously sweet with notes of flower and fruit. Hints of muscatel – not a strong muscatel note, but then this is the first flush, so a strong muscatel note isn’t expected.
The floral notes are the stars of this show. I like that they’re not sharp, instead, they’re beautifully sweet and they mingle with a honey-esque flavor. It’s wonderful and very spring-like!
Overall, the cup is a delightfully mellow tea that I’d recommend for afternoon sipping. This would make a lovely tea to serve to special guests. Truly a remarkable first flush Darjeeling.
Rohini Emerald Green Tea from Udyan Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Udyan Tea
Tea Description:
Rohini has been planted with special green tea clones which have very less *tannin content in them. The teas made from these bushes taste smooth and sweet, with pronounced vegetable flavour. They aren’t bitter unlike their counterparts from the district. Rohini Emerald Green Tea is made from single leaf and a bud.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Rohini Emerald Green Tea from Udyan Tea tastes a little different. When I took my first few sips of the tea, I thought maybe I didn’t steep it long enough or maybe the water wasn’t hot enough, but then I took a moment to read the above description. This tea is grown from clone plants that have less tannin content.
Still a green tea, of course, and still a really lovely tasting tea!
It’s really smooth and pleasantly sweet. The flavor is more delicate than the average green tea and since the tannin content is lower, you can go ahead and steep it a little longer to enhance the flavor if you’d like to. I went ahead and steeped the tea for 2 1/2 minutes in 180°F water and I’m quite satisfied with the result. It’s still delicate, but not quite as delicate as my first cup of this tea, which I steeped at 1 1/2 minutes which is my usual go-to for a pure green. The extra minute intensified the flavor a little, but the tea is still not bitter or astringent.
There is a pleasant vegetative taste to this that reminds me a bit of corn with just a hint of a grassy note. There is a very light creamy/buttery taste to it and a soft, silky texture. It’s quite refreshing to drink, even as a hot beverage. I found that I preferred this one hot, because as the tea cooled some of the flavor softened and because this tea is on the delicate side anyway, you’re going to get the most flavor out of it if you drink it hot.
This is one I’d recommend checking out. And while you’re perusing the Udyan Tea website, keep in mind that the default setting for the pricing is in Indian Rupees. You can adjust the currency setting at the top of the screen in the center.
Rohini Supreme Breakfast First Flush Tea from Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Darjeeling Tea Lovers
Tea Description:
This Breakfast Tea comes from ROHINI – The Youngest Tea Garden of Darjeeling. This is the only estate which claims to be 100% Clonal.
This tea has a woodsy kind of flavour to it which can be felt in the dry leaves also. The liquor along with woodsy flavour has prominent floral tone which becomes more prominent as the tea cools. The tea has a pleasant mouth feel and the flavour is uplifting.
Learn more about Darjeeling Tea Lovers here.
Taster’s Review:
This Rohini Supreme Breakfast First Flush Tea isn’t yet available this year from Darjeeling Tea Lovers. I was privileged enough to get some from last year’s harvest. I had written this review some months ago, when this tea was still available on the Darjeeling Tea Lovers website, but my review was somehow misplaced. Hopefully this tea will be available again this year and perhaps my review of last year’s harvest will convince you that you should try this year’s harvest!
My apologies to Darjeeling Tea Lovers for the delay in getting this review posted!
When I opened the pouch of this “Breakfast Tea,” I noticed the green leaves. This is not uncommon with a Darjeeling “black” as Darjeeling teas generally undergo less oxidation than other black tea leaves.
I brewed this tea in my Breville One-Touch, measuring 2 bamboo scoops of the tea into the basket and adding 500ml of freshly filtered water into the kettle. Then I set the timer for 2 1/2 minutes and the temperature for 195°F.
The tea brewed up to a very light amber-coppery color. It has a pleasant fragrance that is somewhat floral with hints of fruit.
The flavor is LOVELY. While the tea is still quite hot, I picked up on very light floral notes with prominent woodsy notes and notes of fruit. As the tea cooled, the floral notes began to develop. Usually with a Darjeeling, I notice grape-like flavors. This is particularly true of a second flush Darjeeling. This is a first flush so I wasn’t expecting a strong grape-y presence, but, I was a little surprised when the fruit I was tasting was more like melon. This flavor morphs into more of a grape-like flavor as I continue to sip, but those first few sips were quite honeydew-ish!
When it comes to the layers of flavor in teas, “woodsy” is not one of those flavors that I often celebrate. It’s more or less one of those flavor profiles that I can take or leave. It’s not something I usually get excited about. I’m not usually like “Wow! I love the woodsy flavors of this tea!” Then again, I’m not usually like “Gah, I really don’t like that woodsy note.” For me it’s something that I don’t really mind one way or another if it’s there or not.
But, I really am enjoying the woodsy tones of this. It’s not a bitter wood or sour wood note. It’s smooth and beautiful. It melds beautifully with the fruit and the flower. It’s a warm, slightly earthy note that is quite appealing.
Since I typically think of a breakfast tea as something that I might add milk and honey to, I don’t know that I’d consider this a breakfast tea. It’s a brisk, bright flavored tea so I can understand why Darjeeling Tea Lovers might call this a breakfast blend – but I wouldn’t advise adding milk and/or sweetener to this. It would really overwhelm the beautiful balance of flavors!
Instead, enjoy the gently nuanced flavors of the cup as they are.