Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Happy Earth Tea
Tea Description:
Black tea is the most consumed type of tea around the world. Black tea (or red tea in China) is tea made by complete oxidation of the green tea leaf during the manufacturing process. The flavors generally described in Black tea are: aromatic, astringent, biscuity, bold, brisk, crisp, floral, fruity, malty, nutty, smoky, spicy and sweet. Our line of black tea includes some of the best harvests from Organic tea gardens of Darjeeling, Nepal and China besides our own house blends.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Even though Darjeeling Sungma First Flush 2014 from Happy Earth Tea is no longer listed on their website that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a mention. This Darjeeling tea from Happy Earth Tea is top notch! They have some of the best Darjeelings I have had and this one certainly followed suit. It’s not shocking that they’ve sold out of their Darjeeling Sungma First Flush 2014.
This Darjeeling Sungma First Flush 2014 from Happy Earth Tea has a leafy-earthy type taste to it brought to you by fresh multi-colored green, grey, frosted toned leaves. The strong flavor lingers in your mouth long after the sip. The aftertaste is reminiscent of strong herbs and green beans.
If you enjoy Darjeeling teas that offer taste with multiple infusions this Darjeeling Sungma First Flush 2014 from Happy Earth Tea is one of those teas. Just because this tea is no longer offered on their site doesn’t mean you can’t try one of their many other Darjeelings. Take a look at their site and find something that makes you do a double-take. I bet you find at least one! I found several I was interested in trying!
Organic Sungma Darjeeling Black Tea First Flush 2014 from Happy Earth Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Happy Earth Tea
Tea Description:
An enchanting Darjeeling first flush with a highly refined floral bouquet and well rounded flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was so excited to receive a selection of the fresh, spring harvested teas from Happy Earth Tea! This Organic Sungma Darjeeling Black Tea First Flush is the first that I’ve tried from their 2014 teas.
Ahh! It is crisp and invigorating when it washes over the palate. If your tea repertoire tends to be of the “usual” teas like blacks and greens, you really should incorporate a Darjeeling tea in there every once in a while. It really wakes up the palate!
And the flavor is smooth and sweet with notes of flower and fruit. I don’t get a strong “muscatel” from this Darjeeling, then again, it is a first flush and you can expect more muscatel from the second flush than the first. But this does have some wine-like notes that are muscatel-ish and make this fan of Darjeeling happy.
It has a nicely round flavor and less astringency than I would have expected from a Darjeeling. A really nice sweetness comes from the fruit notes. A sweet aftertaste. I find this to be more fruity and less woodsy than a typical Darjeeling.
Overall, this is one of the nicest first flush Darjeeling teas that I’ve tasted in a while. I love that it’s so fresh, I love that it’s Organic, and I love that it’s a Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance tea. I love Happy Earth’s dedication to our planet! Everything about this tea – rocks!
Organic Sungma FTGFOP-1 Black Tea from Kally Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tea Description:
Sungma – This is one of the most respected tea estates in Darjeeling. This black Darjeeling tea offering produces a wonderfully balanced liquor. This is what you come to expect from top tea estates in taste and aroma.
This grade of tea “FTGFOP-1” stands for “Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe #1”. This tea is hand processed, with one quarter of it consisting of tips.
A joke among tea aficionados is that “FTGFOP” stands for “Far Too Good For Ordinary People” so try this tea and welcome to the ranks of the privileged.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Of the information that is provided for this tea, the one thing that is missing is which flush Organic Sungma FTGFOP-1 Black Tea from Kally Tea was harvested. But the flavor suggests to me that this is most likely a first flush. In my experience, the second flush Darjeeling teas tend to possess more of that “muscatel” taste while the first flush tends to be a little more woodsy.
And this tea does have more of that woodsy kind of flavor to it. In the dry leaf aroma, that’s the first thing I picked up on was a woodsy kind of fragrance, reminding me of the scent one might experience while walking through a heavily wooded forest just after it rained, when the scent of the trees is really prolific. The brewed tea has some of this fragrance as well, but it isn’t as pronounced as it is in the dry leaf.
The flavor – as I’ve already mentioned – is also woodsy. It also does have some delightful floral notes in the distance, and some sweet fruity notes that seem to emerge as the tea cools slightly. The first couple of sips that I tasted, I didn’t really notice a lot of fruit or flower to this cup, but now that it’s had a few minutes to cool to a drinkable temperature, I notice more of the fruity tones and floral notes.
But mostly what I notice here is an earthy, woodsy tone. It is crisp and focused. The mouthfeel is pleasant, and the flavor is uplifting. The fruit notes provide more of a sweetness than a real distinct, identifiable fruit flavor, and it isn’t exactly a muscatel-ish note. This has some astringency toward the finish, but it isn’t as dry as some Darjeeling teas that I’ve tasted. It’s really quite enjoyable – a very good afternoon tea.
I don’t know that I’d say it’s Far Too Good For Ordinary People – mostly because I’m not in to arrogance like that – but it is certainly good, and I do appreciate that it’s part of Kally Tea’s organic line of teas, and it’s a good one to try if you’re looking for a good quality Darjeeling.
Organic Sungma First Flush Darjeeling Tea from Happy Earth Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Happy Earth Tea
Tea Description:
This is a classic First Flush (spring harvest) Darjeeling with layers of subtle flavors. It has a mellow floral bouquet, with a good balance of sweet notes and a dry briskness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The above photo might suggest that the dry leaf of this tea is a bit greener than the leaves appeared to me. There are some green leaves there, but overall, I found the tea to be more of a medium brown color with varying shades of tan and grey, with some green leaves and green tips. The aroma of the dry leaf is much more like what the picture suggests to me: earthy and “green” (vegetative). Not so much like a green tea vegetative tone – it doesn’t smell grassy, really, or like steamed vegetables or kelp. It just smells … kind of leafy and floral. There are also delicious hints of fruit.
The flavor is a classic first flush Darjeeling taste. Crisp! Invigorating and yet light and clean on the palate. When I sip a Darjeeling like this Organic Sungma First Flush Darjeeling Tea from Happy Earth Tea, I find myself understanding why Darjeeling tea is called the “champagne of tea.” It seems to sparkle on the palate. It isn’t literally “effervescent” but, it seems to be bubbly and crisp as I sip it, evoking thoughts of sipping champagne.
It is a very uplifting kind of tea. The flavors are slightly earthy and vegetative, just as the fragrance of the dry leaf suggested, with notes of fruit weaving their way throughout the sip. It isn’t so much a “grape-y” muscatel kind of taste (this kind of flavor you are more likely to find in a second flush Darjeeling). Instead, I taste just a subtle, indistinct fruity note that melds with overtones of flower and woodsy tones. There is a nuttiness to this cup as well as a lovely malty tone that I’m really enjoying.
Overall, the tea is sweet and crisp, with a charming complexity that keeps me sipping. A very enjoyable example of a first flush Darjeeling, and I’m loving that it’s an organic tea!