After steeping, the leaves give off a tropical fruit aroma, like guava or passion fruit, along with a pronounced spring honey smell. In the cup, the tropical fruit notes are less assertive, as well as less sweet. Again though, with other teas from the region, we can appreciate the dry briskness, puckering our mouths back into a smile which as the Indians say, is how you can tell a good cup of tea!
This tea actually comes from Nepal, so while it is not technically a Darjeeling, it is made in the Darjeeling style, with a hard wither, thorough rolling, limited oxidation and a mild firing process. Darjeeling teas are made right on the border separating India from Nepal, so its only natural that tea cultivation and the processing style has migrated over the border.
