I received this tea as a bonus sample in my order from Upton Tea last November. I have enjoyed several first and second flush Darjeelings from the Tindharia Estate over the years, and loved them all. I was glad to see a green Darjeeling tea from that estate, and decided to cup it today. :-)
The sample pack revealed small darkish green, tender leaves with a few spattered white tips, a “fresh Spring air” aroma, with definite gentle sweetness & creaminess. Steeping leaf exhibits fresh vegetal qualities, a gentle creamy nature, and a very light spinach note. Wet leaves (when hot) also have that very light spinach note, but I mostly get a sweetness, and a Spring fresh quality. Cup color is a light straw yellow, with a light vegetal cream character in the nose. Flavors are also light and smooth with no bitterness. It is only on the back of my tongue where I get that vegetal green quality, with light astringency.
For a second cup, I added dry leaves to the wet ones from the previous cup, hoping to deepen some of the flavors. Steeping Parameters: Eleven ounce cup (9 oz water), roughly 3 grams of dry leaf added, steeped for 3 minutes at 180 degrees. Similar but deeper aromas appeared in the dry/wet leaves, and in the steeping leaves. Was that a very light straw aroma in the dry leaf? Such a mild and elusive tea. Cup color was a slightly darker straw yellow, with similar and slightly deeper sniffed aromas. A gently deeper flavor profile: smooth, creamy and vegetal. Swishing and swirling the tea liquor in my mouth—was that corn on the back of my tongue? Yes, if only for a second or two! Very light corn nuances on the back of my palate….how elusive…there and gone! Mild green tea “pucker”, and still light, unoffensive astringency greets my throat.
Finishing the sample with a single third (removed leaves) and fourth cup; 4 grams dry leaf, steeped for 3 minutes (4th cup 3:15 minutes) at 180 degrees. Dry leaves: Fresh “Spring air” aroma, sweet, creamy, light straw notes. Steeping & wet leaves: fresh vegetal qualities, a gentle creamy nature, and a very light spinach note. Medium yellow cup color & slightly stronger vegetal, sweet cream aromas. Smooth, creamy & vegetal flavor, but astringency (& even bitterness—especially in 4th cup with longer steep) overwhelms my palate at times. Despite this, even the vegetal creamy aspects later return and are not forgotten.
Overall, this is a very nice green tea from the Tindharia Estate, even with the pronounced astringency in the fourth cup. Somewhat mild in the earlier steeps (lower temps & steep times), with a decent vegetal, creamy mouthfeel. I am glad I received a sample of this tea to try. A green tea that green tea lovers would enjoy, and a nice tea for those beginning their green tea journey. :-)
Cupped: Thursday-Friday, February 9-10, 2017. Reviewed: Friday, February 10, 2017.