I still need my milk training wheels for Darjeeling teas. I hope to remove them, and grow a proper palate, by the time I finish all six of the Darjeelings in my cupboard. I’m not entirely optimistic I’ll succeed though.

This is Darjeeling No. 1 out of the way. I took a few sips without milk, felt unsteady on the dry woody terrain, and slammed those extra wheels right back on. Yeah, it was a humiliating show but I felt comfortable. That’s the important part, right?

The highlight of this tea is the sour fruity note in the finish and aftertaste. It’s tangy and grape-like, and makes me want to pull out the cheese and crackers. There’s also a curvy floral tone that’s kind of fancy, and fluffs things up.

This last cup is the best this tea has ever tasted for me. I don’t know if that’s due to me finally paying attention to how it properly or because I was more generous with the serving this time around, but it’s yummy today. Maybe working through the other five Darjeeling teas won’t be so much like a chore after all?

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 30 sec
TeaBrat

I usually don’t use boiling water when I make darjeeling tea, I find it sucks all the flavor right out of them!

Sil

Looking forward to our journey…I haven’t quite gotten there myself with darjeelings and I’m not sure why…

Sil

Our = your bah

gmathis

Curvy. Nice adjective. I like that!

Crowkettle

Aww, Sil! For a moment there you had my hopes up that I wouldn’t have to travel this long four ounce road alone.. if you ever change your mind I can send some out to you via Priority™! :P

Crowkettle

Thanks, gmathis! And I’ll keep that in mind, Amy oh :)

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Comments

TeaBrat

I usually don’t use boiling water when I make darjeeling tea, I find it sucks all the flavor right out of them!

Sil

Looking forward to our journey…I haven’t quite gotten there myself with darjeelings and I’m not sure why…

Sil

Our = your bah

gmathis

Curvy. Nice adjective. I like that!

Crowkettle

Aww, Sil! For a moment there you had my hopes up that I wouldn’t have to travel this long four ounce road alone.. if you ever change your mind I can send some out to you via Priority™! :P

Crowkettle

Thanks, gmathis! And I’ll keep that in mind, Amy oh :)

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Profile

Bio

I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.

My favourites are teas like Milk Oolong, Silver Needle,and Japanese Sencha/Gyokuro, or fruity and floral flavoured ones. However, I generally enjoy ALL the teas, including a good old cup of Earl Grey or Breakfast blend.

FAVOURITE INGREDIENTS/NOTES:

DESSERT FLAVOURS
Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Butterscotch, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan, Butter

FRUIT & BERRIES
Citrus Fruits, Passionfruit, Banana, Pineapple, Melons, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Elderberry, Persimmon, Rhubarb..

SPICES
Ginger, Turmeric, Clove-forward chai, Cardamom

AROMATIC & HERBACEOUS NOTES
Sandalwood, Frankincense, Juniper, Eucalyptus, Mints

FLORALS
Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac, Violet, etc.

VEGGIE/GRAIN NOTES
Spinach, Grass, Hay, Cucumber, Rice, Sweet Potato

Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
Stevia, Apple, Cocoa Nib, Almond, Licorice, Cinnamon-forward blends, Chinese Sencha

Subjective Rating System:
I don’t give a lot of low ratings out, since a) I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me, and b) I don’t have a lot of strong dislikes.

90-100: Favourites. The Desert Island Teas.
80-89: Loved teas. Possibly staple-worthy.
70-79: Good teas, but I’m less likely to repurchase. Minor quibbles.
60-69: Ok teas. Likely a few preference and/or quality issues.
50-59: Cup of meh. Will do in a pinch.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, an unholy abomination. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.

Location

BC, Canada

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