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Jade drank Darjeeling The First Flush by Lupicia

60 tasting notes

I brewed this Western Style. Surprisingly, this tea is not as good as the Lupicia Darjeeling Second Flush.

First attempt: 1st infusion: 208F @ 2.5 minutes — Bitter! I’m unsure if it’s because it’s the last of the bag from a friend or the water is too hot.

Second attempt: First infusion: 2 minutes @ 195F. The aroma is slightly sweet, smokey, with a touch of astringency to it. In tasting, it has a bitterness & astringency without any real flavor.

Second infusion; 2.5 minutes @ 195F. The 2nd infusion was much better than the first one. The astringency is not as noticeable in taste, and more of the traditional Darjeeling flavors are coming into play.

3rd infusion: 4 minutes @ 195F: Okay, NOW I am tasting a traditional Darjeeling flavor. The astringency has declined.

Overall, this tea is much better the more you infuse it. Or if you just want something hot and tea-like to drink as you run out the door.

Flavors: Astringent, Bitter

Preparation

195 °F / 90 °C

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General: A crafty geek girl who has a love for tea, cats, writing, books, as well as learning a multitude of post-apocalyptic skills…just in case.

Tea: I’ve been drinking tea all my life. My grandfather was half-Chinese, but I was always too lazy to brew anything other than Western style. In the past 5 years I’ve been changing that; trying to develop my tea-tasting chops and still a lot to learn! I prefer oolongs, blacks, and greens (in that order), and I’m trying to expand my knowledge of tea from all over the world (and not just China & Japan). I do tend to stay away from herbal tisanes or overly flavored teas as I find them much too sweet and overpowering.

My ratings explained.
90-100: Exceptional tea. The tea I want with me on that desert island. It is the tea I’ll take time to relish and enjoy.

80-89: Very Good Tea. It fits my flavor profile and I enjoy drinking it.

70-79: Good. I like it, but might not be one I reach for on a regular basis..

60-69: Solid. Better than average, and something I’ll grab when I need to “run-out-the-door” and can’t take time to really appreciate the tea I’m drinking.

50-59: Decent/Average. Not my preferred flavor profile or something I won’t purposefully go out to buy. It might lack that “Something” in its aroma/flavor/mouthfeel/finish.

40-49: Below average. I don’t really care for this tea and likely won’t have it again.

39 and lower: Gross. Didn’t finish it or refused to drink anymore.