This is from the second group of TeaFrog samples. I discovered I actually still have a few more from the first sample group. I have my teas in boxes according to color (well, sort of… I sometimes find that I haven’t been very strict about the enforcement of this sorting mechanism) and I discovered I have a green and a couple of whites that I’d forgotten about. In any case, I think I like darjeeling, but I’m still pretty new to them. So I’m interested to try this one. Especially since it is Far Too Good For Ordinary People ;-).
It’s leaves are variegated in color, mostly various shades of brown upwards toward the paler tips, but there were a few bright green leaves that were somewhat surprising. I don’t know whether something is off with my smeller, but the last few samples from TeaFrog I have had difficulty smelling in the sample bag. The sample bags seem to have taken on a smell of their own. Perhaps they take on the smell of the most aromatic thing in the shipping box. Not sure. But everything smells a sort of berry-like fruity smell to me. I poured this one out into a dish to try to get a better sense, but in the dish I wasn’t getting much of anything. I think the subtleties of aroma were beyond me at that point since I had the fruity smell in my nose already.
The tea smells buttery and surprisingly green! They weren’t kidding about the golden infusion, either. The liquor isn’t dark and “tea colored” like that of some other darjeelings I’ve had. It’s a tawny gold, very pretty.
It took a fair amount of sipping for this to start tasting like a darjeeling to me. Even when I start to get some of the taste characteristics, it’s still pretty different. It isn’t as brisk and perky as some darjeelings. It’s mild, and it has a buttery taste and feel. It isn’t overly grapey and doesn’t have that characteristic darjeelingness that I believe is described as muscatel (though I have yet to determine whether I think is muscatel is in fact muscatel), except very slightly. To me, it’s reminiscent of an oolong.
It’s tasty and different, and, as it describes itself, mellow. I like it. I’m not sure exactly where it would fit in the scheme of things as far as my tea cabinet goes, but I’m happy to think on it.
