I didn’t get much aroma from the dry tea, but the hot liquor greeted me with a sweet, flowery scent. Tasting happened immediately, because I grabbed the gravy ladle (which scoops and cools off a tbsp of tea very rapidly), blew, paused, and slurped. Yum! Brisk and piquant, without being outright bitter. And the astringency is mild, as well. There’s a toasty component alongside the muscatel brightness. This may be the first time I’ve drunk a first-flush Darj. The ones I’ve had were sometimes oversteeped, too (back when I thought all black tea needed to brew for 5 minutes). Whatever the cause, I’ve been leery of Darjeelings because bitterness puts me off rather quickly, and the only one I’ve really liked was a 2nd flush from Mim estate. This doesn’t have the maturity and complexity of that 2nd flush experience, but its lightness and clarity are really enjoyable, letting the fruitiness shine forth.
Namring Estate Darjeeling
Black Tea by Stash Tea Company
First flush. (FTGFOP) From the Selim Hill garden. Beautiful flavor with a delicate, flowery finish. Our Namring Estate Darjeeling is a light, bright tea, perfect for a refreshing morning cup. Some green flecks are visible on the smaller tea leaves, indicating the first flush of tea picked, or spring flush. Darjeeling teas are considered the rarest and most prestigious of black teas. We recommend that you drink it plain, without milk or sugar, to appreciate its flowery bouquet and distinctive mellowness. A small resort town located in northwest Bengal, Darjeeling is in the small neck of India that separates Nepal and Bhutan. Namring Estate is in Darjeeling and dates back to 1855 when the British first planted high quality Chinese tea bushes grown from seeds. Because of its elevation, Darjeeling was a hot weather retreat for the British government and a popular vacation spot. Namring Estate remains one of the largest and most productive tea estates in India. It is located at a high elevation, with the tea plants grown 3,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level.
