Temi Sikkim

I’ve had this in my cupboard for a couple of years now. Can’t believe I’ve yet to log a tasting note for it!

When I was first exploring darjeelings, this was something I picked up along with a cart load of other H&S teas. I found that I liked this as a darjeeling even though it isn’t technically one. The dry leaves are lovely and the steeped leaves are the multi-colored small to medium leaves I expect from a darjeeling kind of tea.

This has a medium body with a lightly sweet smell. Dryness in the background is what reminds me most strongly of darjeelings. I oversteeped this cup by a few minutes and while it got a little bitter, it isn’t undrinkable. I don’t get honey but I do taste the woody.

The short, twisty, multi-colored leaves have the same sweet, biscuit fragrance I’ve been getting from a lot of H&S teas. This one is dead-on for a Lorna Doone cookie.

The dark copper colored tea has a clean tea fragrance that’s sweet but also has a slight burnt paper quality. The flavor is very mild; it’s light in body and has little to no astringency. There’s a subtle lingering sweetness.

I had this first thing in the morning but I need something bolder to kick me into gear. This would, however, make for an excellent afternoon tea.

The dry leaves of this lovely Darjeeling-style tea range from deep brown curls to fuzzy silver tips. The light spicy notes reveal the Darjeeling influence, while the rich and smooth honey body sets this tea apart from its lemony neighbors. This tea endures well in the mouth, with the rich tea body outlasting the spicy notes. My preference is to drink this tea in the early afternoon and think of distant mountains.
-RA

Just getting into Darjeelings. I sampled this at the H & S tasting room in NYC, then brought some home. I do like it, a lot… it’s on the light, mild side, and is perfect for late morning/early afternoon… plus, I think, better without milk than with. Very pretty pale amber color! And the leaves do have a slightly sweet smell, which is pleasing. It’s really different from the Assams I’ve been drinking (and which I have lots of trouble telling apart… though maybe I will get better at this over time…)—it IS mild, but has a subtle bite (tannic taste?) that the Assams don’t.

Meh. It was okay. Not great.