I was contacted by Whittard of Chelsea and was asked if they could send me some teas to try and review. I usually say no to these types of requests, but I was absolutely delighted to accept some teas from this venerable tea merchant! On Saturday I got a “Knock! Knock! Knock! Delivery from the UK!” at my door — it was the tea! Thrilling! I tore open the package to find three beautiful full-sized loose teas.

I’m one of the few Darjeeling fans here on Steepster. I adore the muscatel flavor — so I was happy to see this tea in the package, and chose it as the first tea to try. I decided to take it with a little sugar “like the Germans.”

It’s delightful. Divine muscatel and a delicate but rich tea flavor. It’s a lighter tea — so perfect for the steamy day — but very flavorful. I drank it at work and had to pause for a moment to let the flavor wash over me. The wineyspicy muscatel, distinctive and delicious, was just so good. The sugar made it round and sweet without any of the astringency I usually find in a Darjeeling, but I took my second steep sans additions and there it was — a little piquant pucker. Love.

I was able to enjoy three steeps, the last one drank cool, which makes me think this would be a great fancy iced tea for a party (the color is a gorgeous amber – I could just picture it in a clear glass pitcher).

What a perfect introduction to Whittard of Chelsea — I am so, so pleased to meet you!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec
Fjellrev

That’s awesome that they made an offer like that!

ifjuly

Sounds lovely—I adore darjeeling too (and scratched my head a bit when I joined Steepster at how unloved it is here, ha). I like how lighter ones are indeed good on steamy days—what a nice way of putting that!

gmathis

I’ve never tried Darjeeling with sugar. Hmmm…that needs to be remedied.

JacquelineM

gmathis – I had gotten some Darjeeling at my local tea shop and the owner said “You should try it with some sugar — like the Germans!” and now every time I have some I hear her saying “like the Germans!” and I picture millions of Germans in lederhosen putting sugar in their Darjeeling and I just can’t help but put it in myself! Like the Germans!

gmathis

Well, I come from good solid German stock (on one side, at least; I’m a mutt on the other), so I’ll just have to get to it. (Suddenly I’m hearing a polka band soundtrack….)

JacquelineM

ifjuly — I wonder if it is because I’m a wine lover too. All I know is that I love them and will eagerly seek them out :)

inguna

I’m a huge Darjeeling fan and I also like muscatel flavor. I like it a lot actually.
Just purchased some really great Darjeelings from Butiki Teas. Any particular Darjeeling that is your favorite?

JacquelineM

inguna – Right now I’m loving Junpana FF Darjeeling from the Golden Moon Insider Tea Club. It’s a first flush but it tastes like a strange and delicious hybrid of a first and second flush to me — sweeter and less green but very vibrant.

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Comments

Fjellrev

That’s awesome that they made an offer like that!

ifjuly

Sounds lovely—I adore darjeeling too (and scratched my head a bit when I joined Steepster at how unloved it is here, ha). I like how lighter ones are indeed good on steamy days—what a nice way of putting that!

gmathis

I’ve never tried Darjeeling with sugar. Hmmm…that needs to be remedied.

JacquelineM

gmathis – I had gotten some Darjeeling at my local tea shop and the owner said “You should try it with some sugar — like the Germans!” and now every time I have some I hear her saying “like the Germans!” and I picture millions of Germans in lederhosen putting sugar in their Darjeeling and I just can’t help but put it in myself! Like the Germans!

gmathis

Well, I come from good solid German stock (on one side, at least; I’m a mutt on the other), so I’ll just have to get to it. (Suddenly I’m hearing a polka band soundtrack….)

JacquelineM

ifjuly — I wonder if it is because I’m a wine lover too. All I know is that I love them and will eagerly seek them out :)

inguna

I’m a huge Darjeeling fan and I also like muscatel flavor. I like it a lot actually.
Just purchased some really great Darjeelings from Butiki Teas. Any particular Darjeeling that is your favorite?

JacquelineM

inguna – Right now I’m loving Junpana FF Darjeeling from the Golden Moon Insider Tea Club. It’s a first flush but it tastes like a strange and delicious hybrid of a first and second flush to me — sweeter and less green but very vibrant.

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Profile

Bio

I love to cook, bake, read, paint, knit, do needlework, and garden. I need my coffee, but I LOVE my tea. I work at an Art School, and attend a large public university doing post-bac work (my BA is in English). I’m interested in the liminal spaces between art and craft, the academic and the practical, the individual and community, and the old and the new. I’m currently exploring these ideas through the disciplines of education, literature, history, and psychology.

I enjoy writing tasting notes, but have decided not to numerically rate teas as of 9/14/10. For an explanation, see my looooong tasting note about Mountain Malt from the Simple Leaf.

My favorites:
Chinese black teas
A good “milk and sugar” English style black
Earl Grey (classic, and in all variations!)
Vanilla teas (classic, and in all variations!)
Jasmine, Rose, Violet and other froofy, flowery teas!
An Occasional Oolong
Flavored Rooibos
Herbal Tisanes

Location

Collingswood, NJ

Website

http://jackiemania.wordpress....

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