Darjeeling Sungma Summer (#22)

Umm so this one is pretty similar tasting to the Tea Merchant’s Darjeeling I just logged. Right now I feel like just writing “yeah what she said”. But thinking on it actually I do feel this one starts off nicer, like the cooled off version of the second steep I liked. It has some cooler, smoother, sweeter notes from the get go and I like that. It may not have all the specific floral, muscatel, peppery and astringent notes Darjeeling connoisseurs may or may not be looking for but, I astringency is a personal turn off for me and this one suits me just fine. Will update if I observe more in subsequent steeps. Thank you Michelle!

This is my first true Darjeeling I’ve prepared for myself. I really love how Adagio’s samples are both large and very affordable. It gives you good opportunity to try a new tea in absolute peace, not having to worry that if you mess this one up there won’t be enough to try again.

I’m using 2.3g for 200ml boiling water, and steeps of 3 and 4 minutes.
1st steep: The dry leaves smell of yeast, freshly baked bread crusts and white grapes, maybe with a hint of vanilla. (I think I can smell that last one, but I have no idea if that’s supposed to be there or not. Are my nose and brain playing games with me?) The wet leaves have that same bread crust scent with some juiciness, but I am also surprised by a quick blast of sweet spices. I like that! In the cup (I wish I could have more than one way of saying that) it is a deep amber color and tastes very much as the scent of the wet leaves. The grape aspect has a sharpness to it, the way the acid plays with the sweetness when you bite through a grape, particularly if it has a thicker skin.
2nd steep: The color is a medium amber this time, and seems to tell the tale for this cup being weaker than the first. The astringency is the same, but the flavors are less this time to the point that the grape notes are hardly noticeable. I originally planned to steep this time for 5 minutes, but at the last decided to try just 4 minutes, only to find that I probably should have stuck to my first thought.

This is my first darjeeling from Adagio, and I have to say, I think Arbor Teas spoiled me. In comparison, this is a good tea. It gets the job done, and it’s very fresh-tasting and smooth, but the muscatel flavor is a little weaker than what I’m used to. It’s not as sharp and “green” tasting than what I tend to like with my darjeelings. There’s something in the aftertaste that’s supposed to remind me of white tea, and I’m not tasting it.

Still, this is not a bad tea by any means. I’ve just had better. I will certainly enjoy the rest of the sample, and I’ll be giving it a longer steep time as well.

This one is pretty good. It’s a bit mellower than some darjeeling but still very earthy-springy! It doesn’t leave that stereotypical darjeeling aftertaste…so that is a bit different, I guess. I’m keeping a small amount of this and sending the rest to Anne. The only reason I bought it was because I needed $3 to put towards my overall total on my Adagio Order…using my gift certificate points, mind you! I’m pleasantly surprised with this one tho! The more I sip the more I like!

I haven’t written a tasting note for this because my first impression was not good and yet darjeeling is one of my father’s favorites…

So I tried it again today and my impression is better than my first try so here we go. The nose is typical black tea with some additional forest moss smell, kind of musty but in a clean fresh way. In addition it has a faint nutty maybe smokey smell that lets me know this is going to be different than my typical morning black (Ceylon Sonata).

Its taste ends with some bitter and astringency, nothing overwhelming but it is there. If you wait even longer though it has an ever so slight ash-like taste in your first inhale/exhale after you swallow which I do not like. The taste begins with something like my morning Ceylon, but adds a hint of single-malt scotch. Almost a taste of something peat-like however while normally that could be a compliment, this isn’t… I can understand where this might appeal to some, but not me… All in all it has potential and I wouldn’t turn down a cup if someone brewed it for me. I do think there might be more darjeeling’s out there that might appeal more to me.

So… Ever had that moment where you buy a tea at random thinking “ahh, how bad could it possibly be” only to get it to your house, open and smell it and kinda flinch….

i’m sure most of you haven’t but to be fair i’m sure a good few of you had. And its exactly what happened when i opened this bag for the first time today…. scared the hell out of me too. I am used to either the flavored teas from teavana or the Yunnan Earthy, peppery, teaesque aroma. this was something different all together and it put me off for a couple of minutes. giving it the benefit of the doubt, i brewed it and took a couple sips…

Then everything was right in the world.

I feel like this is one of my favorites and it very different but that ok with me because i need change on occasion.

I feel like the description covers this tea very well because, i get the grape and the spice. I get the sugar and tang. I really like this one. this is the first Darjeeling that i have ever had and i am not disappointed in the slightest.

This is the base tea that Adagio uses in their Casablanca Twist Tea, so I wanted to try it without the peppermint. Casablanca Twist is a favorite of mine from Adagio, but I do usually prefer spearmint to peppermint (this tea caused me to rethink that, or at least give peppermint more credit). It is confusing though, because Adagio classifies this tea (Darjeeling Sungma Summer) as a black tea, but Casablanca Twist as a green… but it’s not a green, is it? : )

Anyway, I added a tsp. or so of honey to this, since that’s how I drink Casablanca, and honestly many other teas too. First sip, I am happy. There is no bitterness at all to this tea (a worry of mine with blacks). There is a sweetness to it, but is that the honey or the tea? Probably both, since I didn’t add much. Trying hard to pick up the muscatel and spice flavors this is supposed to have, but alas I can’t … that’s not to say they aren’t there however. Very mild and pleasant black tea. I think I’m making progress in my journey : )

Will be curious to see how this turns out mixed with spearmint leaves (you should see how much of those I’ve accumulated, because I do like to drink spearmint plain …well steeped long, with honey).

This came as part of my tea of the month club order from Adagio this January. Darjeelings aren’t my favourite but I like them alright. Still waiting for this one to cool down for a taste that doesn’t burn my tongue. I did add milk and sugar, as I do with most black teas.

This tastes pretty good, with a smooth feel and a sweetness above the sugar I added. I’m still not sure what ‘muscatel’ means exactly in terms of tea, but this tastes like the other darjeelings I’ve tried, with hardly any astringency or bitterness.

Wonderful sweet Darjeeling flavor, which comes out even more as it cools down to a warm temperature. No bitterness or astringency that I notice. It is like Twinings, but more intense and rich.

UPDATE: I made a second steeping of this tea, and it was somewhat weaker, but still tasty. I steeped the bag for six minutes.

Mmm, this isn’t bad. I love the complexity this tea adds to a blend, so I decided to try it out on its own. It’s pretty good, but I think I’ll stick with blending it; it’s just not robust enough on its own for me. It’s certainly interesting and different from a lot of other blacks, and I can appreciate the light fruity notes, but personally I’m just partial to stronger, darker blacks that can stand alongside my breakfast.

I suppose since it’s Easter I should go find some sort of spring-y tea to drink or something!

This is my first tea that is not a flavored tea. I almost didn’t want to try it because the smell in the bag was a little bitter. The reason I decided to try darjeeling tea was because of the moscat tones I read about when trying Moscato wine. I was so afraid this tea would be bitter, but with the smallest amount of sweetner I was surprised at the sweetness of the tea and how the warm smell really did have moscat tones. This is a nice relaxing evening tea for me.

Sometimes I think I might be turning into a darjeeling snob, because as a darjeeling this tea is…okayish to me. But removing it from that scope and it’s pretty tasty. It’s a delicate black that brews up a lovely copper brown color and tastes of flowers and grapes. There’s very little astringency or bitterness. It’s so much I like in a tea, but the resteep, however, seems to lose a lot of the characteristics I liked in the first and that’s where this tea fails me. :/

This was pretty good. Im extremely partial to Darjeeling teas. This one does not disappoint. I wish it was a bit stronger though as i’m used to more robust style Darjeeling but this is a good change up from that.

Though a little mellow its still very good and i would buy this again although i may not drink it as much as some other Darjeelings.

This is my second acquaintance with this tea, and I’m beginning to rather like it. I bought this as a sample with my last Adagio order, having only previously tried Mighty Leaf’s Organic Darjeeling Estate.

I find this a pleasant, light, refreshing tea. It doesn’t have as strong a muscatel flavour as I’d like, so my search needs to continue in that regard, but I am enjoying it. My steep time so far has been about three minutes, which I think I might extend a little next time. I’m interested to see what that does for the flavour.

In the cup, this tea has an earthy, nutty, slightly metallic aroma. This translates a little into the flavour of the tea, which tastes slightly musty and mossy. It reminds me a lot of a forest after a rain shower! The dry leaves smell slightly bitter, but, thankfully, this does not translate to the tea. In colour, they’re a mixture of green and brown-black, so I can see where some of the flavours in this tea that I associate more with green tea come from. My overall impression is of a smooth, delicate tea — perfect for a summer evening!

I’m a beginner to fine loose-leaf teas. This tea was gifted me in March with a variety of teas in an attempt to seduce me into loving tea—and it succeeded. At this point I’ve tried 22 different varieties of such teas—and this is topped only by another Darjeeling sold by TeaSource (Selim Hill.) So no, I’m by no means a connoisseur, but this is one tea that sold me on making tea a habit. Has a brisk sweet muscatel flavor. Good hot or iced, alone or with milk. I’m only leaving room at the end of this rating because who knows what teas I’ll try I’ll love more? But for now, very much a favorite.

Another one from the Raja sampler set. Slightly orangey at first sniff, then kind of composty. I think this tastes like a weaker, greener Xingyang Nuggets 2008 Shu (a pu’er from Verdant which I somehow forgot to leave a note for..). In short, it’s a like an overinfused sencha — but composty.

Starting to think Darjeeling simply isn’t for me. Either that or my taste buds are schizo — plenty left to find out!