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This is another sealed sample that I decided to crack open. I am sure I’ve tasted a Margaret’s Hope darjeeling before but I can’t find any evidence in my notes that I have. It would be so great to be able to do a keyword search on your own notes. Or even to be able to search for your own name for notes across Steepster, along with other keywords. I know I’ve suggested this before…

I’ve been noticing recently that darjeeling gets mentioned in the context of tea on television and in movies a fair amount. I wonder if it’s because the word darjeeling has a great sound and is sort of fun to say?

This one is pretty mellow. With all the darjeelings I’ve had recently I’ve remarked on the lack of sharp notes, which is sort of making me wonder whether I dreamed the sharp notes from years ago. I don’t think I did, because the memory is too strong. This one tastes a bit like a tea that could have had a sharp note that got filed off somehow.

There’s definitely a difference between the first flush of yesterday and this one. Part of it may be terroir, but I think the difference between the first and second flush tastes for me goes beyond that. Second flush tastes more like a standard tea; first flush has a fuller, rounder, more buttery flavor and a more filling body. I always feel full after drinking first flush darjeeling.

The tea’s color is clear orange-brown, coppery and crisply clear. The aroma has fruity notes and a bit of caramel and honey. The flavor has those notes, too. It approaches sharp but then backs away. It’s not filling, but it’s also not overly drying and it has a pleasant, fresh aftertaste.

Flavors: Caramel, Fruity, Honey

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 17 OZ / 500 ML
Indigobloom

Sometimes I google my steepster name,the tea name, and “steepster”. Depending on the tea, it’s about 60% effective, I find. Easier with the more unique tea names tho

__Morgana__

Yeah, I think I’ve done that in the past with varying degrees of luck, too.

Fjellrev

Yeah, it would be so convenient to be able to access prior notes with a quick search rather than also having to thumb through pages and pages on the review page in order to find yours.

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Indigobloom

Sometimes I google my steepster name,the tea name, and “steepster”. Depending on the tea, it’s about 60% effective, I find. Easier with the more unique tea names tho

__Morgana__

Yeah, I think I’ve done that in the past with varying degrees of luck, too.

Fjellrev

Yeah, it would be so convenient to be able to access prior notes with a quick search rather than also having to thumb through pages and pages on the review page in order to find yours.

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Bio

I got obsessed with tea in 2010 for a while, then other things intruded, then I cycled back to it. I seem to be continuing that in for a while, out for a while cycle. I have a short attention span, but no shortage of tea.

I’m a mom, writer, gamer, lawyer, reader, runner, traveler, and enjoyer of life, literature, art, music, thought and kindness, in no particular order. I write fantasy and science fiction under the name J. J. Roth.

Personal biases: I drink tea without additives. If a tea needs milk or sugar to improve its flavor, its unlikely I’ll rate it high. The exception is chai, which I drink with milk/sugar or substitute. Rooibos and honeybush were my gateway drugs, but as my tastes developed they became less appealing — I still enjoy nicely done blends. I do not mix well with tulsi or yerba mate, and savory teas are more often a miss than a hit with me. I used to hate hibiscus, but I’ve turned that corner. Licorice, not so much.

Since I find others’ rating legends helpful, I added my own. But I don’t really find myself hating most things I try.

I try to rate teas in relation to others of the same type, for example, Earl Greys against other Earl Greys. But if a tea rates very high with me, it’s a stand out against all other teas I’ve tried.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is

90-94 Excellent; first rate; top notch; really terrific; will definitely buy more

80-89 Very good; will likely buy more

70-79 Good; would enjoy again, might buy again

60-69 Okay; wouldn’t pass up if offered, but likely won’t buy again

Below 60 Meh, so-so, iffy, or ick. The lower the number, the closer to ick.

I don’t swap. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that I have way more tea than any one person needs and am not lacking for new things to try. Also, I have way too much going on already in daily life and the additional commitment to get packages to people adds to my already high stress level. (Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does.)

That said, I enjoy reading folks’ notes, talking about what I drink, and getting to “know” people virtually here on Steepster so I can get ideas of other things I might want to try if I can ever again justify buying more tea. I also like keeping track of what I drink and what I thought about it.

My current process for tea note generation is described in my note on this tea: https://steepster.com/teas/mariage-freres/6990-the-des-impressionnistes

Location

Bay Area, California

Website

http://www.jjroth.net

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