In my previous review for a Williamson brew I wasn’t entirely positive about the resulting beverage so I came to the Darjeeling with little expectation.
I was pleasantly suprised!
First is the dry leaf which is a beautiful array of colours with dark greens, rust reds and golden tips. It should be noted that this is a blend of Nagri and Moondakote harvested during the second flush.
I spent some moments sifting the leaves with the spoon before brewing my tea just to take in the array of colours and the beatiful fresh smell. Now the smell was your usual clean, crisp Darjeeling but with a hint of…something…flowery.
I brewed the first cup using my new tea strainer for about 3 + 1/2 minutes and went without milk and sugar. I’ve found some Darjeelings go well with milk – maybe to hide their dullness – but this tea doesn’t need anything adding to it.
The taste had a very definite flowery twang that verged on the sweetness of Jasmine. This fresh flower taste persisted long after finishing the cup giving a pleasant fresh-mouth feel with no tannin dryness.
This is one of the best Darjeelings I’ve had and will become my regular evening drink form now on. Williamson’s Assam didn’t quite hit the spot but their Darjeeling is fantastic.
4.5/5
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darjeeling, review
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As part of a new series I plan on doing here at the WoT blog I’ll be introducing teas from around the world and giving a short history, introduction and brewing guide. For my first of this new venture it’ll be the champagne of the black teas: Darjeeling.
What is It?
A light and refreshing black tea from India. As true Champagne can only come from Champagne in France the true Darjeeling tea can only come from Darjeeling’s surrounding provinces in India.
Origin
As with many teas the Darjeeling variety gets its name from the place it was born – Darjeeling, India. It was first cultivated in West Bengal in the town of Darjeeling around 1841 by a Dr Campbell. The Darjeeling seeds were originally sourced from China being part of tea planatation experimentation common at the time in which many teas were established and cultivated.
Counterfeiting
As with anything so sought after Darjeeling suffers its fair share of counterfeit produce. With an estimated 40,000 tonnes sold worldwide every year that far outstrips the actual 10,000 tonnes produced by the small Indian region around Darjeeling. The Tea Board of India have released a certification and mark to ensure those wanting true Darjeeling can be sure they’ve got it.
The Perfect Brew
Darjeeling is a light tea so this is one brew you’ll not want to add any sundries to such as sugar, milk, honey, etc. Simply boil fresh water and pour onto a teaspoonful of tea leaves. Allow to steep for 3 to 4 minutes before straining then drink. Although being a black tea it may seem a better idea to allow a longer brewing time Darjeeling is meant to be a light taste and so too long and it is quick to spoil through bitterness.
As this is my first in the Introducing Tea series I’d be more than happy to answer any questions or add sections or other information for future posts.
facts, history
darjeeling, varieties
Whittard Darjeeling
Whittards teas have been established since 1886 and I’ve always been a fan of their Lapsang Souchong for a number of years. Its one of the biggest tea and coffee supply chains in the UK and was originally set up by a Walter Whittard on Fleet Street at the height of the UK tea industry.
Imports from India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and other parts of the old empire were plentiful and demand was high.
Today its stores number in the undreds across the country and I recently decided I’d go for a browse and restock on a few of my dwindling supplies (I have approx. 16 varieties at any one time). So I got myself some Badamtam First Flush Darjeeling and it comes as loose leaf. Its not one I’d tried before and I expected great things considering the price.
However, I was to be disappointed. Darjeeling teas are traditionally a delicate flavour with no bitter aftertaste – this one was different. There was a sharp sting in the tale of this tea and when drinking it you felt positively cheated. Although better than your average supermarket teas it was still seriously lacking in quality kick with a low quality bitterness you’d more often find in dry and poorly kept teas.
Whittards have let themselves down with this line, which is a shame because I’ve always been a fan of their other teas and I will still continue to buy their Lapsangs and green teas but this Darjeeling didn’t pass muster unfortunately.
2/5
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darjeeling, merchants, review
