India Darjeeling 1st Flush Jungpana 'Clonal Spring Delight' Black Tea

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Darjeeling Tea
Flavors
Bread, Butter, Chocolate, Cocoa, Drying, Floral, Herbs, Smooth, Spicy
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Daylon R Thomas
Average preparation
Not available

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From What-Cha

A smooth Darjeeling with spicy and chocolate hints devoid of bitterness, produced from China bushes from the very first production of one of Darjeeling’s most famous gardens; Jungpana.

Tasting Notes:
- Floral aroma with chocolate hints
- Smooth spicy taste with chocolate hints and no bitterness

Harvest: First Flush, early March 2016
Invoice: EX-1
Altitude: 1,300m
Cultivar: China bushes
Origin: Jungpana Tea Estate, Darjeeling, India
Sourced: Specialist Indian tea wholesaler

Brewing Advice:
- Heat water to roughly 90°C/194°F
- Use 1-2 teaspoons per cup/small teapot
- Brew for 3-4 minutes

About What-Cha View company

Company description not available.

1 Tasting Note

95
1704 tasting notes

I was lucky enough to have a sample of this tea, and it is a fantastic Darjeeling. Or it is a fantastic first flush in my opinion because it exhibits some characteristics that I’m not used to.

As much as I enjoy Darjeelings, I find myself liking summer, autumn, or second flushes the most, especially if they have some spiciness, muscatel qualities, and the allusive cocoa-chocolate notes. First flushes for me are usually very grassy, almost like a herbal spice such as basil which is why I hesitate with them. Though they exhibit floral qualities like an oolong, they are usually more drying which is why I wait for highly recommended ones to come along before I purchase them.

I took the $39 budget as an opportunity to try this one, and unlike other first flushes, this tea has more of a bready, chocolate quality along with the more herby and spicy tones. Smelling the leaves gives me the impression of basil and butter smothered bread, with a few pieces of chocolate covered raisins waiting in the background to cleanse my palette. The taste produces a similar effect, but with a buttery smooth body of a mildly sweet dark chocolate with a heavy herby and spicy aftertaste for a tea sans astringency. That profile persists, and the tea is even better when you eat a chunk of 70% dark chocolate for company. The first time I tried this I did exactly that, and then finished off my decadent experience with a Tawny Port Wine. Yes, I’m a snob and enjoy the hell out of that fact.

I’m not sure that everyone would find the chocolate qualities, but drinking this tea straight would definitely find a sweet and savory profile dried up by the herb spiced aftertaste. It’s a black tea with a black teas sweet body but a first flushes green profile. I would highly recommend a try of this tea, though I think that people newer to tea might not get the same impressions that I do, and I am not sure how a Darjeeling connoisseur would think of it.

Flavors: Bread, Butter, Chocolate, Cocoa, Drying, Floral, Herbs, Smooth, Spicy

Teatotaler

As a Darjeeling fanatic I couldn’t agree with you more! In fact, I am sipping a cup of No.78 Jungpana Second Flush SFTGFOP1 from Bellocq Tea Atelier at this very moment. I’m adding India Darjeeling 1st Flush Jungpana to my must have list. Great review!

Rasseru

Not sure if you have tried some of the Nepalese teas from What-cha, but their closeness to Darjeeling (& methods?) give them similar characteristics which I enjoyed, also being a DJ fan.

Teatotaler

Oh yes! I recently acquired some No.70 Himalayan Rani Bhan Nepalese from Bellocq. It was indeed very similar to a wonderfully rich second flush Darjeeling. Loved it! It’s one of the best teas I’ve ever tasted! I definitely plan on further exploring teas from Nepal. I must check out What-cha’s Nepalese teas next. Thanks, Rasseru!

Daylon R Thomas

One thing I usually notice that the Nepalese teas are like tangerine leaning Darjeelings. I need to try some more from What-Cha, but there was one Nepal black I had that was like a great combo between a Yunnan and a Darjeeling.

Rasseru

Yeah, I just tried that one. Everything I have had from nepal has leaned towards FF darjeeling territory, or also white tea (the processing is pretty similar, just reading a little on the subject)

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