53

400ml of water at 195F
1 level tablespoon of tea
Steep for 4 minutes
1/4 teaspoon of highly refined sugar

As a Spring Flush tea, this Jungpana represents a difficult tea to judge. In 2011, the First Flush Jungpana was among my favorites, highlighting all the tastes a fine Spring Darjeeling has to offer. In 2012, the Jungpana lost some of its flavor and was a very light tasting Darjeeling.

This 2013 Spring Flush Darjeeling is more similar to a Summer Flush than a Spring Flush. It has the bold, brisk, astringent taste of a Summer Tea. It retains some if it’s fruity flavor of years past but this is all together different when mixed in the the astringency and the bold taste.

As a Spring Flush Tea, it fails to please. It has none of the complex, light tasting, multitude, of floral and fruity notes. The stringency is strong, harsh, overbearing and does not accentuate the overall taste. Gone is the very slight, not at all sour stringency which brings together and heightens the taste of all the complex flavors.

Hopefully all the other teas of my purchase, will live up to the gold standard of a Mariage Freres Spring Flush tea.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

People who liked this

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

I’ve always had an interest in tea and it became a passion when I moved to work and live in Japan. There was a Mariage Tea Salon just three subway stations away from where I lived.

I tried the Darjeeling Princeton blend. It was fabulous. In the course of twenty three years, I tried all sorts of teas from Lupicia, Marine de Bourbon, Fortnum and Mason, Shiseido Tea Salon, Brooke Bond Tea Salon and countless others. Now, I primarily order Premium Spring/First Flush Darjeelings direct from Mariage Frères, France. Others teas I drink are Oolong Teas from Taiwan, Green and Red Rooibos from South Africa, and the Japanese Green Teas my wife always brings back from Japan.

Location

Irvine, CA

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer