Puttabong 1st Flush Darjeeling

This tasting note is for the 2012 version of this tea.

And I’ve gone a bit FF darjeeling mad recently but it’s all been worth it, hee hee.

The dry leaf smells very fresh and floral in the tin. When you steep this up you can see how green the leaves still are! I’m not sure of my exact temp. since I don’t have my thermometer here but it was definitely below boiling.

When I steeped this up, it’s a medium yellow with a slight flowery aroma. I was hoping for a slightly more floral aroma but the flavor of this is outstanding. I might try steeping for a longer period next time. I’m picking up nuances of tropical fruit with a slight spice and a bit of rich nuttiness. I’m finding this to be sweet and mellow with only a slight astringency in the finish. A bit pricey but definitely a good purchase I am not going to regret … :)

This is a sample that was sent to me by Russel Allyn of Harney and Sons. What an amazing and generous box of goodness he chose for me! Thank you!

This is the third time I have made this tea today because that is what it took for me to be able to review it. My first steep this morning was intended for review, but oops! I had rescheduled a student who missed their lesson last week for this morning, and I had forgotten. I sipped the tea while teaching but didn’t get to do it justice. I made a resteep, but honestly this was so different from what I expected that I really felt I had to make another fresh batch to review.

First let me say that I used to maintain that Assams and Darjeelings are (were) my least favorite types of tea, though I do like some of them well enough. Most of that is my fault. My first Darjeeling was not a high quality one and as a newbie I made it badly indeed, treating it like any standard black tea. Wow, was it ever astringent! When I pulled back a little on temp and a lot on time, it was much better. Then I tried a really good Margaret’s Hope second flush that was quite good, but still a little astringent for my tastes.

My daughter brought a Darjeeling home from Budapest and I liked it a lot, but it is earthy, earthy, earthy. So when I tried this one, I said, “Whaaaaaaaat….?” it was so different!

The picture does not do justice to the leaf appearance. These leaves are much greener in person, highlighted with some beautiful leaves that are such a pale green they are nearly white.

The liquor is yellow, while the Luis one is brown. This is…..a bit buttery, a bit floral, a bit nutty, and a little astringent. Yet the muscat grape flavor is there, but hiding, then peeking. The Luis tea is dark, fruity, and very earthy. I am amazed at how different these Darjeelings are! I even had to brew a cup of the Luis tea to see if my memory was playing tricks on me. No, it is brown and earthy!

I see that Amy Oh noted a slight astringency at two minutes, while I did a four minute steep. I am not usually a fan of astringency, having once believed it to be undesirable and needing to be smoothed with milk and/ or sugar. Now that I have had a few of the Chinese palate-clearing greens I have begun to appreciate a little astringency.

The second steep still has a lot of flavor. I did try my tiny two ounce cup with about an eighth of a teaspoon of White Gold Raw Clover Honey and it was very nice. This is in interesting and complex tea. I just might get lured into stocking my cupboard with lots of Darjeelings after all.

First, thank you to Amy oh for this sample!

Maybe I’m nuts, because I haven’t seen others note this, but to me, this has a very buttery smell when steeped. A little spinachy. No butter in the taste, though.

Light golden in color, a bit floral but not very much to my taste. To me, this seems a lot like a green with somewhat less vegetal impression. Somewhat astringent and dry mouth feel. Lighter than the seconds and autumnals that I’m used to drinking.

I like this, but I don’t know that I’m going to be a huge fan of first flushes. A bit too light overall for me for this to be a favorite.

Sample swap provided by @Amy Oh

I haven’t had a FF Darjeeling since last year, so this was refreshing to drink.
Unfortunately I do not have a lot of experience with darjeeling black teas, so I can’t comment too much on this one experience as to it’s quality. Overall, it tasted like an enjoyable darjeeling and none of the characteristics were off-putting.

Thanks for the sample Amy!

So as Amy Oh said, I too am getting a little first flush Darjeeling bonkers these past few months. I have always been a bit fan of the astringent and bright quality of Darjeeling teas but never had an unblended, tea-bag version. Harney’s Puttabong was not my first, and is not my favorite (Harney’s previous Singbulli was absolutely terrific, review forthcoming), but I do have to say, the complexity of this release is really quite wonderful.

First, the leaves, as with most of Harney’s teas, are beautiful. Such a wonderful blend of colors in these rolled leaves, the first view doesn’t really give the impression of a black tea. The smell of the dry leaves is quite floral, yet slight (I get zucchini blossoms, vegetable + flowers).

I decided to do a full temp, and a moderate black tea steep (~200F @ 4 minutes). I typically like a strong cup but decided to go with the traditional style. I poured the tea and smelled the steeped leaves, which greeted me with a very earthy, deep tones, which mellowed as they cooled. By the smell of the leaves, I was concerned, but my fears were quickly abated with the first sip. It brewed up with a light golden yellow liquor and I drank it without any milk or sweetener of any kind. The tea has more body than I expected, coupled with a nice astringency. The aroma is very nice, and less floral than others, which may be a benefit to many of you. I actually like the citrus and flower quality that many Darjeelings possess, but the subtlety in the combination of numerous qualities, without an overwhelming character, make this tea very round and pleasant.

After a busy day at work, learning of new things I must accomplish, this was a wonderful way to unwind and begin my evening homework. I am currently listening to a bit of Sia and Imogen Heap, which paired delightfully with this brew. Again, I am a bit more partial to the floral and fragrant quality in the Singbulli first flush previously released by Harney, but this is finding its way in my cupboard as a terrific replacement. If for nothing else, I am being more and more encouraged that this may be my favorite style of tea, hoping to fill out my collection with a few more.

I really like this 1st flush. I particularly like it in the late afternoon straight with nothing added. It is light, but with a wonderful floral aroma and that unmistakable Darjeeling flavor. My cup is empty before I know it.

This may be my favorite tea, behind some rich select Keemun Mao Fengs. It is light and floral with that signature bite, slight pucker and vibrant nose that is a classic Darjeeling. Slight hints of pineapple and a little bit of muscatel blend together for a special sensory experience. Call me crazy but also I sometimes get a hint of lavender or gardenia. It finishes off smooth and has a nice amount amount of caffeine to get you moving. Unfortunately I am running low on this one and it was last year’s crop. Hopefully more like this will come around.

Very nice.

Light, buttery, vegital. Very nice.