Darjeeling Castleton Second Flush 2017/Grey’s Tea. . . .

If you know me at all, you know that black teas are my jam! I love them! Adore them and downright devour them! So when my fellow Sister, CuppaGeek told me about this tea that she really enjoyed, I knew this tea was one I had to instantly brew up when the tea arrived at my door.

Fellow tea enthusiasts-let me tell you, THIS TEA IS FABULOUS! And honestly, I will declare this tea the Tea of the Week for me!

Right from the start, you can tell this quality tea is going to be amazing.  The tea leaves are described as having a dark umber leaf and that is exactly what you get.

The directions from the sample package we were sent says “One teaspoon per cup plus one for the pot with freshly drawn, boiling water for four minutes”.  And that is exactly what I did, give or take a moment or two.

This tea hits all of the points on the description and more. Smooth- Check! Rich- Check! Delicious-Check! Check!

Like CuppaGeek said in her review of this tea, this tea delivers on all points and would one that I would happily drink as an everyday tea to start off my day or as a cuppa after lunch to get myself over that lunch wall I sometimes hit.

All in all -if you are a fan of darjeelings like myself, do yourself a favor and check this tea! You’ll be so happy you did!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy: Grey’s Tea
Description
  • Darjeeling Castleton Second Flush
  • From the Castleton garden in the foothills between Darjeeling and Siliguri.
  • Established by Dr Charles Graham in 1885.
  • In 1996 it was awarded the ISO 9002 certificate of quality.
  • This renown new season Darjeeling Castleton Second flush has a dark leaf.
  • It is smooth, rich and has a distinct muscatel character and a long finish.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Uper Fagu Darjeeling Oolong from The Tea Shelf

Hello Tea Friends.

Darjeeling, one of the most famous tea growing regions in the world. Did you know tea produced in Darjeeling accounts for 7% of India’s total tea export? I love to read and learn about tea, there are some great facts on Wikipedia.

The Tea Shelf specialise in Indian teas from source and offer worldwide shipping. A new company to me but they offer worldwide shipping and have a wonderful selection on their site.

The tea I will be reviewing is Uper Fagu Darjeeling Oolong. Upper Fagu is a tea garden in Gorubathan, Darjeeling. This particular sample was picked in 2015 and is second flush with a silver tip grade. I did my best to try and break it down and explain where this tea comes from and what it is. The packet contains a lot of this information which is always useful to buyers.

Opening the packet and scooping some leaves into my hands I see long, thin leaves with a natural curl in a mixture of earthy green and brown colours with plenty of silver tips. The tips also have downy hairs. They bare a dry and floral scent with a touch of fruit.

Steeping Parameters: 1 teaspoon of leaf, 95C water. 3 minute steep.

Once steeped the tea soup is golden and light in colour with a sweet floral and fruit scent, very similar to it’s raw form.

The first few sips reveal a clean, peony base with a nutty, dry aftertaste. Further sips reveal a crisp citrus with honeyed tones. It becomes thicker in strength as it cools slightly.

Overall it’s delicate but very refined. A very nice example of a Darjeeling Oolong. Very nice tea and a company I will certainly be looking at in the future if this is the calibre of what they have to offer.

Happy Steeping!

 

 


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Tea Shelf
Description: One of the finest oolongs of Darjeeling, the aroma of dark chocolate envelopes your senses, reminiscent of a cold wintry day! The leaves are springy with a moss like mosaic of silver and copper. The infusion shows another surprise with individual leaves clearly visible with bright colours of copper and mauve. The chocolate experience continues but now coupled with citrus and fruity notes. The steeped leaves give way to a gorgeous sunset yellow cup, which is very brisk on the palate with notes of jasmine and citrus, which linger on.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!