Okayti Muscatel Darjeeling Second Flush 2014

This is the first ever darjeeling i will have tried, and it comes in a package of 16, yes, 16 darjeeling that i recently received from Marzipan. This will be quite an experience :D

The leaves are small, wiry, and black, or exceedingly dark brown. They smell like clean fall leaves mixed with clean hay.

I started out with one tsp in my 4 oz gaiwan and brewed for 4 min, and it was a little weak to me, so i added another tsp and brewed for another 4 min. This was better.

The color of the liquor to me is quite soft for a black. It is a nice amber, and quite clear.
The smell is that of fall leaves. The taste, for me, was a little underwhelming, sadly. It was pretty much one note, that of fall leaves, and fairly astringent. sadface
Ooh well, there are 15 more samples to try :D and hey, now i have tea to drink again :)

In appearance this Darjeeling consists of: small and dark, curly leaves which range from dark brown, to red brown, to green to white.

It has a sweet yet earthy scent of wood and flowers. Also a touch of malt and dry musk .

Flavour is rich and dark with a hint of sour astringency. It’s very wooden and musky which lingers in the mouth beautifully. Also reminds me of dry, mixed flowers.

As it cools the wood becomes more like malt and the astringency develops an air of light smoke.

Overall: This was a beautiful Darjeeling that bared heavy muscatel tones and offered the warmth of the Indian sun. A great example of what a second flush Darjeeling should be.

On the grand scale of things this Darjeeling was very nice but not perfect, it was missing the nutty and creamy qualities that I admire. Please keep in mind that it is down to personal preference.

For pictures and more information please view my blog.
http://www.kittylovestea.co.uk/2015/01/22/discover-indian-tea-with-golden-tips/

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!

This tea was just picked in June. Isn’t that neat? I really like being able to see the date of picking on the package.

I am having a Darjeeling revelation. I think I might love them! This one is delicious. Round and fruity (I think I am starting to identify the “Muscatel” quality). Slightly astringent but not unpleasantly so.