Along with the couple of sample bags of Arya Emerald Darjeeling that I got from CTC, I also treated myself to two little bags of this. Given my absolute love affair with TGYs, so far, I failed to see why I wouldn’t really like this.
According to CTC’s website, the samples I ordered featured the Spring 2013 harvest – I dunno if this is true, or not, but (if it is) it will give me perspective on how well this tea ages (promising, given the quantity of it that I currently have stored at home :P). The bag containing a little too much for me to use up in one go, so I held back 1 tsp and used the rest in my Gaiwan.
After a brief rinse (it is over a year old after all!), I managed to get through around 4 infusions after dinner today – probably something like 10", 15", 30", 1’.
This tea was, much to my delight, delicious. But, I have to say, it was quite different to the Autumn ‘14 Tieguanyin of Verdant, that I’m so enamoured with. Without directly comparing them both (so going off my memory of the Verdant one), this TGY had a gentler, smoother flavour and was certainly more buttery.
Either way, I’m glad I bought two bags of this. At some point, this week, I’m gonna do a semi-blind taste test between the two and see what a direct comparison leads me to think of them both.
This TGY was a touch more expensive, I think, than the Verdant one, but will cost me a bunch less on shipping. I’m not sure if it will knock my current favourite from its very high perch, but it’s certainly nice to know that I have options :-)
Flavors: Butter, Floral, Orchid
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A semi-blind taste test sounds like so much fun! :D
It deffo should be! If I get someone else to put the tea into the Gaiwans, without telling me which is which and just leaving a note to check afterwards, it should mean that I can genuinely see if the notes I pick up in either tea are ‘real’ or just influenced by the company’s suggestions and descriptions hahaha!
A semi-blind taste test sounds like so much fun! :D
It deffo should be! If I get someone else to put the tea into the Gaiwans, without telling me which is which and just leaving a note to check afterwards, it should mean that I can genuinely see if the notes I pick up in either tea are ‘real’ or just influenced by the company’s suggestions and descriptions hahaha!