Now here’s a darjeeling which I would easily identify as a darjeeling in a blind line-up! This second flush tea from Okayti (by way of Golden Tips) looks, smells, and brews up just like the darjeelings familiar to me. The leaves are of variegated shapes and colors, but on the whole they are veering dark matte chocolate brown and look like a lighter black tea.
The liquor is amber, pure and simple. A perfect example of the color of amber. Not red, not orange, not green, but amber. The taste is slightly astringent and grassy but with real depth and complexity as well.
I drank the first half of this batch while eating fresh raspberries sprinkled with sugar then frozen before drizzling half & half on top. This skewed my tasting a bit, since the berries were very tart and my tongue had to readjust to process the flavor of the tea.
By the second glass (when the raspberries were all gone), I recognized the smooth yumminess of this darjeeling. It may be that, at heart, I’m a second-flush kind of gal. Only time will tell, but by the end of this year I should know for sure!
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I do love SF. Did you resteep it or made fresh 2nd cup? I almost never resteep Darj, I’m happy if it’s good 1st time.
Sherapop…not sure if you knew and are uninterested…there are a few of us having a boston meet up. Just figured I would throw it out there. If you are interested you can pm me…and I will give the details…Have a great night anyway :)
boychik: I had a glass pot which was the equivalent of two glasses. I have only tried re-steeping darjeeling once—per the Steepster sample instructions. What a joke: it tasted like dishwater. Well, how I imagine dishwater tastes. ;-0
Thanks, christeana1! I saw a posting a while back, but haven’t noticed it lately. I’ll send you a pm.
boychik: I should add that I use Bodum double-walled glasses, so usually the second glass is still hot enough to drink by the time I get to it. If not, I zap it a bit.
You know I love resteeping , but not Darj or Assam,or Ceylon. Just doesn’t work. But Chinese and Taiwanese are awesome even if it’s western, at least 2-3. My friend has double walled glasses. It was fun drink out of them. They look gorgeous and easy to hold.
I do love SF. Did you resteep it or made fresh 2nd cup? I almost never resteep Darj, I’m happy if it’s good 1st time.
Sherapop…not sure if you knew and are uninterested…there are a few of us having a boston meet up. Just figured I would throw it out there. If you are interested you can pm me…and I will give the details…Have a great night anyway :)
boychik: I had a glass pot which was the equivalent of two glasses. I have only tried re-steeping darjeeling once—per the Steepster sample instructions. What a joke: it tasted like dishwater. Well, how I imagine dishwater tastes. ;-0
Thanks, christeana1! I saw a posting a while back, but haven’t noticed it lately. I’ll send you a pm.
boychik: I should add that I use Bodum double-walled glasses, so usually the second glass is still hot enough to drink by the time I get to it. If not, I zap it a bit.
You know I love resteeping , but not Darj or Assam,or Ceylon. Just doesn’t work. But Chinese and Taiwanese are awesome even if it’s western, at least 2-3. My friend has double walled glasses. It was fun drink out of them. They look gorgeous and easy to hold.