I found this tea last year with a slight hole in the bag which I taped closed, and have been drinking occasionally. After checking my old Thunderbolt Tea orders, I’m pretty sure this is the correct tea. I cannot be 100% positive because the label is missing from the bag.
Dry leaf has almost no distinctive aroma. Wet leaves have a nice green/brown hue which surprisingly still exhibit a somewhat refreshing, somewhat minty, vegetal, and wood-like aroma. Cup color is medium orange, with a refreshing, even (about 50/50) mint/wood-like aroma. Surprisingly still holds a decent Darjeeling flavor: crisp mint, lightly vegetal (maybe asparagus), with woody qualities in the background. Typical Darjeeling bite that I find enjoyable—stays on my palate. :-)
This holds quite a bit of good flavor despite being old. It is from the 2009 or 2010 Darjeeling First Flush season, which occurs in the Spring—April/May. While flavor is still quite good, this tea is old & stale, and only a decent shadow of its former self. I am saving the rest for iced tea, and will review this tea in a future iced tea, Cold Brew Review. :-)
Cupped: Tuesday, February 7, 2017. Reviewed: Wednesday, February 8, 2017.
