I remember trying this tea many years ago and not having a favourable impression. However, I like Doke’s commitment to sustainability and hope that they may have refined their processing (or my preferences may have changed). I steeped 2.5 g of leaf in 150 ml of 195F water for 2, 1.5, and 3 minutes, plus a couple uncounted steeps.
The dry aroma is of honey, grapes, nuts, florals, and hay. Brewed this way, the tea is very delicate. I get notes of honey, chamomile, muscat grapes, hay, nuts, meadow flowers, and herbs. The tea has a dryness in the mouth that isn’t totally in keeping with all of these nuanced flavours. The sweetness builds as I drink the tea, with the grapes and honey becoming more prominent. The next steep features grapes, honey, lemon, oats, chamomile, and herbs, with some noticeable astringency. Steep three has notes of herbs, grass, and honey, but is getting vegetal and kind of metallic. I understand why the vendor advises calling off the session here. My final two steeps retained the honey sweetness but were not as polished.
I enjoyed this tea a lot more this time, possibly due to the steeping parameters. Its honey sweetness and fruitiness remind me more of a very high-quality first flush Darjeeling than a Fujian silver needle. I wonder if the lurking astringency is due to this tea being made from Assam leaves. I admire Rajiv Lochan and the Doke estate for their innovation in Indian tea making, and they’ve produced an interesting take on white tea that I enjoyed revisiting.
Flavors: Astringent, Chamomile, Drying, Floral, Grapes, Grass, Hay, Herbaceous, Honey, Lemon, Meadow, Muscatel, Nutty, Oats, Sweet, Vegetal
