This was the third of the 2016 autumn flush Darjeelings I recently finished and I have to say that it was a tea I greatly enjoyed. This seemed to be the favorite of the folks at Teabox, and for me, it would come down to either this one or the tea from Gopaldhara if I had to pick a favorite. Truthfully, the teas from Gopaldhara, Jungpana, Goomtee, and Giddapahar were all so similar in terms of quality that I could probably make an argument for any of them being the best if I were to put my mind to it. What this one offered that was rather unique was a quirky, fascinating combination of aromas and flavors that highlighted a unique melon rind note.
I prepared this tea in the Western style. I steeped about 3 grams of loose leaf material in approximately 8 ounces of 194 F water for 5 minutes. No additional infusions were attempted.
Prior to infusion, I noted aromas of wood, herbs, raisins, tobacco, and roasted nuts coming from the dry leaf material. After infusion, I picked out new aromas of earth, tree bark, and malt. In the mouth, I initially found pleasant floral notes that gave way to a combination of malt, roasted almond, raisin, earth, wood, tree bark, herb, tobacco, and plum flavors. I could also detect slight vegetal tones that were accompanied by subtle hints of spiced pear, red apple, and watermelon rind. The finish saw the vegetal notes take more shape. They began to remind me of cooked green beans. Simultaneously, notes of wood, malt, watermelon rind, and flowers lingered after the other notes began to fade.
This was an incredibly interesting and complex black tea, yet it was also approachable and easy to drink. It was somewhat more challenging than the other autumn flush teas I have recently tried. I definitely found it to be a quality tea that rewarded patient, focused sipping. If you are looking for a unique autumn flush Darjeeling black tea suitable for afternoon and/or evening consumption, this would certainly be a tea to try.
Flavors: Almond, Bark, Earth, Floral, Green Beans, Herbs, Malt, Melon, Pear, Plum, Raisins, Red Apple, Tobacco, Wood
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Sounds good! I’m not a fan of FF Darjeeling, but I’ve been wanting to give autumn flush a try
tperez, the autumn flush teas I am finding to be very different. The three major flushes seem to move from grassy and herbal to toasty, spicy, and fruity and then to smooth, mellow, and subtle. If you like digging for flavor components like I do, they can be a lot of fun. I ended up trying a bunch of these because Teabox had marked several of them down and I had been meaning to try more autumn flush teas anyway. The last time I checked all five of the teas I recently tried were still in stock.
I am quite a fan of Autumn flush Darjeelings. Gopaldhara’s Autumn Thunder is one of my favorite teas. This one sounds superb as well – Love Jungpana! How is purchasing and shipping with Teabox? I am really tempted to order some of this.
Teatotaler, in my rather limited experience with Teabox shipping, I have found them to be hit or miss. Their rates are reasonable, but the service can be spotty. The first time I ordered from them, shipping was a nightmare. The delivery address got screwed up, and even after I tried to work with the delivery partner to give them an alternative, it got screwed up two more times before I got my package. First, the delivery partner (DHL Express) claimed they couldn’t deliver to a P.O. box (fyi, I live in a rural area in which UPS and Fedex do not deliver to homes), even though I had shipped with them before and there had never been an issue. Then, when DHL Express turned the package over to USPS for delivery (my post office is literally next door to my house), they had failed to update the delivery address and USPS ended up handing my package back over to DHL Express. After I threw a fit on Teabox’s customer service, the package mysteriously showed up the same day. I placed a second order with them at a slightly later date and had it shipped to my work address with no problem. I think the issue with the first order was mostly on the delivery partner and not them.
Thanks for the info, eastkyteaguy. I might just order some more Gopaldhara Autumn Thunder from What-Cha and play it safe. What-Cha’s shipping service is impeccable!
Teabox is an annual order for me, so much to explore, the oolongs quite did me in.
Sounds good! I’m not a fan of FF Darjeeling, but I’ve been wanting to give autumn flush a try
tperez, the autumn flush teas I am finding to be very different. The three major flushes seem to move from grassy and herbal to toasty, spicy, and fruity and then to smooth, mellow, and subtle. If you like digging for flavor components like I do, they can be a lot of fun. I ended up trying a bunch of these because Teabox had marked several of them down and I had been meaning to try more autumn flush teas anyway. The last time I checked all five of the teas I recently tried were still in stock.
I am quite a fan of Autumn flush Darjeelings. Gopaldhara’s Autumn Thunder is one of my favorite teas. This one sounds superb as well – Love Jungpana! How is purchasing and shipping with Teabox? I am really tempted to order some of this.
Teatotaler, in my rather limited experience with Teabox shipping, I have found them to be hit or miss. Their rates are reasonable, but the service can be spotty. The first time I ordered from them, shipping was a nightmare. The delivery address got screwed up, and even after I tried to work with the delivery partner to give them an alternative, it got screwed up two more times before I got my package. First, the delivery partner (DHL Express) claimed they couldn’t deliver to a P.O. box (fyi, I live in a rural area in which UPS and Fedex do not deliver to homes), even though I had shipped with them before and there had never been an issue. Then, when DHL Express turned the package over to USPS for delivery (my post office is literally next door to my house), they had failed to update the delivery address and USPS ended up handing my package back over to DHL Express. After I threw a fit on Teabox’s customer service, the package mysteriously showed up the same day. I placed a second order with them at a slightly later date and had it shipped to my work address with no problem. I think the issue with the first order was mostly on the delivery partner and not them.
Thanks for the info, eastkyteaguy. I might just order some more Gopaldhara Autumn Thunder from What-Cha and play it safe. What-Cha’s shipping service is impeccable!
Teabox is an annual order for me, so much to explore, the oolongs quite did me in.