The Tea Rap

Epic.

(Thank you Shaunna for enlightening me.)

Boudoir

This time I tried the Boudoir blend, the second tea provided to me by my Steepster tea exchange. According to the website from which it was purchased (Maison Francaise de The: Caravanserai) this is a blend of Ceylan, Assam, and Darjeeling teas.

The tea leaves smelled very similar to many Earl Grey teas I've tried (particularly Twinings Earl Grey); the scent was extremely pungent. It was a pleasant smell, but I was concerned the tea would be extremely strong, and potentially bitter.

The brew time was recommended at 5 minutes, so I tried that. However, the brew seemed a little lighter than I wanted, so I let it steep for closer to 6 or 7 minutes after a small sip verified my concerns. I might have needed to use more leaves; again, I was being cautious since the smell of the leaves were so strong. Still without a temperature-specific kettle, boiling water was used.

I was clearly mistaken in thinking the scent would be anything like the flavor. It is actually very soft in flavor, with a slightly acidic undertone reminiscent of citrus. A spot of sugar and a lemon would do well in this tea. I also believe it would be very good iced, and possibly blended with a fruity herbal tea.

All in all, this tea was very good, but probably not as impressive as the Darjeeling from last night. The Boudoir doesn't quite hold itself as well alone as the Darjeeling did.

Darjeeling, 2nd... what?

Yep. Flush. When I first read this, I thought it was a silly nickname for the blend (or an unfortunate reference to toilets.) Upon further research, it's actually referring to the region and time the leaves were picked! Flushes seem to be a term only applied to Darjeeling teas (which are usually black teas.)

Darjeeling first flush means that the leaves were harvested in Spring (March to mid-April), from the Darjeeling region of India. The flavor tends to be floral and earthy.

Second flush means that the leaves were harvested during the summer, or second growing season. The flavor actually should have a sort of muscat (grape-like) flavor, along with the normal earthy tones. I can't say my tasting yesterday had any significant "grape" flavors that I noticed, but I am also new to this whole process!

Now that I have tried the latter, I really want to try the former. From pictures and descriptions, it seems the color is less rich and the flavor lighter, maybe even dryer.

Thank you About and the Tao of Tea for enlightening me!

Darjeeling, 2nd Flush

So my package arrived from the Valentine's Day tea exchange that was sponsored by Steepster. My mystery gift giver was actually located in Mexico, but she sent me some fantastic quality leaves from Maison Francaise de Thé: Caravanserai. Granted, I don't speak Spanish, but I was able to infer most of the information provided on the bag and website. The bag was actually super helpful, with comprehensive charts with recommend leaf amounts per 300 mL water, steep time, and water temperature. The bag contained two pouches of loose tea, one a blend called Boudoir, and the other a Darjeeling. (There was also a little perfumed linen print provided with a sweet note on the back. Gracias, Val!)

So, being the terrible novice tea person I am, I had lost my old infuser. After picking up my package from the post office, I had to immediately stop by the grocery store and grab a teaball infuser. I filled it up with the delicious smelling leaves of the Darjeeling 2nd flush. The leaves smell slightly sweet and earthy. Strangely, the scent reminds me of walking into a local furniture store (don't ask.)

I followed the instructions as recommended on the bag. One teaspoon per cup, and 5 minutes brewing time. Unfortunately, I don't have a temperature-specific kettle (yet! it's on my wishlist!) so I had to make do with boiling water for brewing.

The given instructions were spot on for this tea. The flavor was neither bitter nor watery. The color was absolutely gorgeous - the picture doesn't do it justice. It has a deep color reminiscent of honey or a fine scotch. I generally take my tea with a splash of milk and lump of sugar, but I figured for a proper taste test, I'd try it au natural first. The flavor was earthy, flowery, confident in its flavor but not overbearing. For a lack of a better description, it was happy. This is definitely the best Darjeeling I've had to date.

I would, without a doubt, have this tea again. Even though I'm drinking it late in the evening, I'd say it is best suited for the morning, or with a snack. I'm not sure the intensity is strong enough to go with a full meal like lunch or dinner.

Again, thank you Val! This tea was such a wonderful choice, and I can't wait to give the Boudoir blend a try.