Thank you for this one, Cheri!
I had a good day day today, I am getting to take a free class and career counseling for the unemployed due to a program sponsored by the City of San Francisco. And, I may have a potential consulting gig coming up… anyway we shall see!
I don’t have any 2nd flush darjeelings in my stash currently so it’s definitely nice to get some samples. I was looking forward to purchasing one or two this year, but then heard it was a bad year for the 2nd flushes due to a drought. So maybe I need to look at the 2013 teas from Upton if I really want one.
Anyway… this smells very nutty/roasted, almost like a wuyi oolong. Interesting! I definitely get a fruity/grape note with this, a bit of spicy, with a bit of a pungent bite in the finish. Nothing too overwhelming, however. Overall this is a nice 2nd flush, well rounded and easy to sip on plain, though better with a tiny touch of organic coconut sugar. I’m glad I didn’t steep it for longer, I think 3 minutes was fine and at a slightly lower temp than boiling. Thanks again, Cheri!
Oh man, I loooooooooooove a good 2nd flush darjeeling. Disappointing that this year’s a bad vintage! Ho hum.
yeah, droughts all over the place, blah