Simpson & Vail

Wine tea…need I say more? Well I did: http://sororiteasisters.com/2017/01/04/a-tea-for-cold-winter-months-spiced-mulled-wine-from-simpson-and-vail/

Here is another sipdown to log. I only had one ounce of this left and finished it up over the course of the last three days. This tea was a roller coaster experience for me. The first couple cups I made were good, but the last five or six were very bland. I don’t think that was the tea’s fault though. A weird thing happens to my nose and mouth whenever I drink Darjeelings or anything remotely similar-my palate just seems to go numb. If I drink a full cup, I will be able to smell and taste it fully, but if I have more than one cup over the course of a session, anything after that first cup just ends up smelling and tasting like hot mineral water. Also, the longer I spend working on a tea of this type, the more quickly my nose and palate shut down. With all of this in mind, it was a given that I would not be able to pick up much in the last couple of sessions. I think this phenomenon probably has something to do with my seasonal allergies and the constant sinus issues they cause.

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion process I favor for many non-Chinese black teas and black tea blends. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 3 minutes. At other times, I have tried longer infusions of around 4-5 minutes, but all of the infusions that I could actually smell and taste were pretty consistent across the board. This review will exclusively deal with the 3 minute infusion.

Prior to infusion, the dry leaves produced a mild, musty aroma with hints of herbs, nutmeg, and Muscat grapes. After infusion, the bright golden liquor produced a delicate aroma of roasted almonds, nutmeg, lemon balm, bee balm, and Muscat grape. In the mouth, I detected notes of toast, malt, cream, nutmeg, chestnut, and roasted almonds accompanied by impressions of Muscat grape, lemon balm, and bee balm, as well as hints of oak and minerality on the finish.

I could definitely see the comparison to orthodox Darjeelings with this tea. It particularly reminded me of some of the grassier and more herbal first flush Darjeelings I have tried in the past. Still, the pronounced herbal character and the strong nutmeg and roasted almond aromas and flavors reminded me that I was drinking a Nepalese tea (I seem to frequently pick up those aromas and flavors in Nepalese black teas). While I enjoyed this tea overall, one thing that I found a little difficult to get past was how dry it became for me in the mouth. Though this tea did not express itself as being particularly astringent, it got to a point where it kept completely drying my mouth out with each sip. Just for that, I have lowered my rating for this tea somewhat.

I am steadily making progress toward my goal of finishing at least one ounce of each of Simpson & Vail’s fifteen original blends before the end of the next calendar year. I have already plowed through the Aromatic Earl Grey, Extra Aromatic Earl Grey, Russian Caravan Tea, Green & Black Mixed Tea, and Special Orange Blend. This review marks the sipdown of original blend number six.

Before I start discussing this tea proper, I feel the need to ask what exactly qualifies this blend as an Irish blend? To me, this is nothing more than a blend of straight Indian black teas with a pinch of Earl Grey added for extra aroma and flavor. When I think of Irish tea blends, I think of robust, malty teas that will keep one going all day. I do not think of a flowery blend of Indian teas with a little citrus character.

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion process I tend to favor for many non-Chinese black teas and black tea blends. I steeped approximately 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 3 minutes. Additional infusions were not attempted. At one point, I also tried a 4 minute infusion. I did not feel that the results differed all that radically from the 3 minute infusion, thus I will be limiting this review solely to a discussion of the 3 minute infusion.

Prior to infusion, the dry leaves produced a bright, lemony bergamot aroma. After infusion, the bergamot aroma remained, though it was also joined by subtle scents of cream, malt, and toast. In the mouth, I picked up a heavier than expected note of bergamot balanced by a delicate blend of malt, cream, toast, nutmeg, toffee, and roasted almond flavors.

This was not even close to what I was expecting, but this was still a nice little blend. It was not particularly deep or complex, but it was approachable, easy to drink, and flavorful enough to be satisfying. I found that this worked best for me as an afternoon tea. In the end, I would say that if you are looking for something like an Irish Breakfast, look elsewhere, but if you do not mind the idea of a smooth, somewhat citrusy blend for all-purpose consumption, this may do it for you.

See my full review on Sororitea Sisters:
http://sororiteasisters.com/2016/11/15/apple-sage-from-simpson-vail/

See my full review, on Sororitea Sisters.
http://sororiteasisters.com/2016/12/09/holiday-tea-alert-snickerdoodle-from-simpson-and-vail/

Amazing Taste!!!

Amazing Taste!!!

I am not sure what it is, but when fall hits, I start craving robust black teas. Now, to be frank, there is hardly a time of year in which I do not crave some sort of black tea, but for some reason, fall equals Assam time for me. My Keemun and lapsang souchong consumption usually goes way up too. This year I managed to hold back a little longer than normal, but I have been hitting the Assam hard for the past week or so. I expect to finish the last of this Assam within the next 24 hours and finally was able to move myself to review it.

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion I normally use for non-Chinese black teas and many black tea blends. I steeped approximately 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 3 minutes. At other times, I have attempted longer infusions around the 5 minute mark and will briefly comment on the results of those as well.

Prior to infusion, I did not get as much of an aroma from the dry tea leaves as I was hoping. There was a little bit of a faint maltiness and a fleeting impression of mild cocoa, but that was all I got. Examining the leaves, I could see that this Assam was made up of mostly broken leaves. Some pieces were considerably smaller than others, but I was not particularly concerned. I have had some fine black teas made from broken pekoe grade leaves, so I was willing to give this one a fair chance. After infusion, I noticed aromas of malt, cream, leather, roasted nuts, cocoa, molasses, and toffee. In the mouth, the tea was slightly brisker and more astringent than I was expecting. It was also oddly sweeter than I was expecting as well. I picked up on robust notes of cocoa, cream, vanilla, toffee, molasses, leather, roasted nuts, nutmeg, toast, and malt. I also thought I picked up on a very faint hint of citrus, but it might have been my imagination. The finish provided a pleasantly soothing blend of cocoa, nutmeg, cream, vanilla, and malt flavors with a hint of molasses. The longer infusions were brisker and more astringent, with more pronounced toffee, nut, and molasses notes throughout.

Truthfully, I was not wowed by this Assam. I thought it was decent, but I have had far better. The combination of sweetness and astringency was off-putting for me, though I found the finish to be near exceptional. Of the Assams I have had from Simpson & Vail, this one was by far the most hit or miss for me. I am glad that I tried it, but I do not think I will purchase it again. Still, I could see some hardcore Assam drinkers liking this one. Personally, it just wasn’t my thing.

I’ve been looking for a good bergamot no caffeine option… probably for the cold winter nights. Something to brighten winter nights up a bit. This one is a winner! This is the strong, crisp, bright lemon bergamot that I love and prefer. Though for me, it could be a tiny bit stronger. But I like a ton of bergamot. That is a small complaint though, when I’m usually very picky with bergamot. The base is just the perfect rooibos — the deepest burgundy in the cup with a lovely flavor that supports that bergamot. The rooibos could be wonderful on its own without any flavor at all. I’m very happy I found this one! Great on the resteep, even if I save the teabag for the next night.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug// 10 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 5 minute steep

This blend is a mixture of green and black teas from China, India, and Taiwan. It is one of Simpson & Vail’s 15 original blends, going back to the early part of the twentieth century. Actually, these original blends predate Simpson & Vail in its current form by perhaps a decade or more. Simpson & Vail was originally a coffee seller operating under the name Augustus M. Walbridge, Inc. in New York. At some point in its early years, the business also started selling tea, and in 1929, the original owner, Augustus M. Walbridge, sold to his accountant and tea taster, and the current business was born. By this time, these original blends were already in existence.

I prepared this particular tea blend using the one step Western infusion I favor for so many black teas and tea blends. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose leaf material in 8 ounces of 190 F water for 3 minutes. As usual, I did not attempt additional infusions.

Prior to infusion, I noticed that the dry leaves produced a slightly smoky aroma. After infusion, I noticed a fairly strong aroma that was both vegetal and smoky with a hint of spice. In the mouth, I detected notes of pine, smoke, roasted vegetables, roasted barley, and spice. I also got a hint of salt, which provided a brothy note that was especially evident on the finish.

As odd as it sounds, this blend kind of worked for me. It was not particularly complex, but it was both filling and pleasant. I imagine that many contemporary tea blenders would not produce a similar product. This type of blend is very much a product of its era. I found myself thinking of it as “old lady tea” because it just seems like the kind of tea that older women or older people in general would have been drinking in the middle years of the twentieth century. Now that there is so much more variety on the market, blends like this seem to have fallen by the wayside, but I still found some simple pleasures here. I would recommend this blend to those looking for something approachable and filling and/or those looking to get an idea of what vendors were producing in the early years of the previous century.

Plenty of goodies in this blend, so I went with two teaspoons! What a lovely autumn blend during this miserable weather: apple, cinnamon, orange blossoms, and a unique toasty flavor I haven’t tasted with any other tea…. that must be the coffeecake flavor. The ingredients in the blend play nice, but how could they not? Apples and cinnamon are the classic combination. The black tea used here enhances the fruitiness of the apple, yet adds dark layers to the cinnamon and coffeecake flavor. The orange blossoms don’t add much to the flavor, as far as I can tell. The toasty flavor is actually stronger than the cinnamon. Without the toastiness, it might be an ordinary tea, but the toasty flavor brings something unique to this blend! It’s definitely an autumn blend, but I could drink this all year. This was a sample in the dessert box sampler, but I would definitely stock up on this. I stole an apple cube from the infuser and it was delicious. :D
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for a full mug// 10 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 5 minute steep

I’m on a mission to try all of Simpson & Vail’s original blends before the end of 2017. There are only 15, so I think I can do it. I’ve already had their Russian Caravan Tea and their Aromatic Earl Grey. After I finish the last of this particular blend, I hope to start on either their China Restaurant or Irish Blend.

I prepared this tea using the merchant’s suggested brewing method. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose leaf material in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 3 minutes. I did not attempt additional infusions. I have also tried slightly longer infusions around 4-5 minutes. I found the 3 minute infusion to be less astringent so I will focus my commentary on that specific preparation.

Prior to infusion, I noticed that the dry leaves did not emit much of an aroma. After infusion, the golden amber liquor produced surprisingly mild aromas of bergamot, toast, honey, cream, almonds, and orange. In the mouth, I detected mild, integrated notes of honey, cream, malt, toast, nutmeg, roasted almonds, bergamot, and orange. The finish was mostly smooth, creamy, and toasty, though it did also offer an interesting ghostly impression of bergamot and orange peel on the back of the throat.

I know this is an old, established blend from a reputable vendor, but I, personally, did not care all that much for this stuff. I know a lot of people like it, and that is perfectly fine, but it just didn’t appeal to me. I’ve noticed that Simpson & Vail’s blends tend to be all about subtlety, but I found this to be too subtle and smooth. It was sort of bland. If the orange and bergamot had a greater presence in this blend and the base of Indian teas were slightly more flavorful, I think I may have liked this one more. As is, however, I would pass on it.

Lately, it seems that I have been opening up to Ceylonese teas a little more. This has been my go to morning and afternoon tea for the last couple of days. I should finish the last of it either this evening or tomorrow morning. At this point, I can say that this is one of the more enjoyable Ceylonese teas that I have tried.

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion I tend to prefer for many non-Chinese black teas. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 3 minutes. I have also tried longer infusions around 4-5 minutes. All have been pretty consistent.

After infusion, the clear amber liquor produced an aroma reminiscent of a combination of toast, malt, roasted almonds, honey, caramel, and toffee. In the mouth, I detected notes of toast, malt, roasted almonds, honey, caramel, and toffee underscored by cream and orange. The finish was very smooth, imparting lingering sensations of citrus, almonds, toast, and caramel.

This was a very approachable Ceylonese tea. The integration of aromas and flavors was nice. I could definitely see myself returning to this one in the near future and would have no problem recommending it to fans of Ceylonese teas.

Here’s one for the fans of dessert teas and green rooibos! I’m trying to envision the three elements here as I’m smelling the dry leaves and tasting the tea. Caramel. walnut. shortbread. (Sounds like a delicious combo as is!) It’s definitely caramely in both scent and flavor. Spot on caramel all around. There are hints to the fragrance and the flavor of something else… possibly walnut and shortbread. It is slightly nutty and buttery, but the sweet caramel takes over. But the caramel makes it a dessert tea on its own! It works pretty well considering it is only green rooibos, flowers and flavoring. The second steep the next night was just as flavorful. It doesn’t hurt I was sipping it while eating Keebler’s “shortbread” elf cookies. :D Another lovely dessert tea from S&V!
Steep #1 // 1 teaspoon for a full mug// 10 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 minute steep

This tea smelled delicious; however the flavor was a bit odd. The initial flavor was of heavy rose, then mellowed into a softer floral, then left you with a bold, dark cherry finish. Because of the heavy rose/floral notes, it needed something to make it more refreshing. I ended up adding a splash or two of apple cider to give it that little bit of brightness I thought it needed. I did cold brew this and feel it would be warming and bold if served hot.

This tea has an initial buttery flavor then transitions into a heavy dried peach flavor. This combination was not refreshing and made it hard to stomach; after a few sips, I dumped it out. The flavor was quite raw and I felt could use some spices to mellow it out. I did cold brew it, but feel it would be evenmore intense as a hot tea.

I was disappointed as I do like other Simpson & Vail flavored teas.

Prior to going to work, I managed to squeeze in a sipdown this morning. I had been wanting to finish the last of this for the better part of the last two days and finally got around to doing it. Normally, I like Simpson & Vail’s Earl Greys, but this one did not move me all that much. Still, it wasn’t bad.

I prepared this one using a one step Western infusion. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 3 minutes. I also tried longer infusions of 4 and 5 minutes at various points. They were not all that different from the 3 minute infusion, but I will still comment on them briefly.

Prior to infusion, I noticed that I did not get much of an aroma from this Earl Grey. I was just barely able to pick up on a subtle creaminess and that was about it. After infusion, I noted a mild creamy, citrusy aroma from the amber liquor. In the mouth, the cream dominates without coming off as overly artificial or out of place. Beneath the cream, I was still able to pick up soft, mild notes of toast, bergamot, and caramel. The finish emphasized a smooth creaminess without much of an intrusion from any other flavor component. Like most of the other Earl Greys from Simpson & Vail that I have tried, this was very mild and mellow. I also noted that the cream imparted a very smooth, milky texture in the mouth that was pleasant. The longer infusions were similarly smooth and creamy with a slightly pronounced toastiness.

If you have tried any of the other Earl Greys offered by Simpson & Vail, then I doubt this one will surprise you. It is a very smooth, straight-forward blend that should appeal to fans of basic, traditional takes on Earl Grey since the cream is not overpowering. I basically found this to be an inoffensive, drinkable Earl Grey. I also found it to be a tad bland. I like the other Earl Greys from Simpson & Vail that I have tried, but this one I would not go out of the way to purchase again. It isn’t bad in any way, it just isn’t really my thing.

My latest foray into Simpson & Vail’s portfolio of Ceylonese teas, this organic black tea comes to us from the Uva region. The estate that produces this particular tea is part of the Idulgashinna Organic Tea Gardens and may be one of the most progressive tea estates in the region. Seriously, check out some of the things they do for their employees. I have a feeling that many other estates do not offer the same services or level of support to their workers.

I prepared this tea using my familiar one step Western infusion. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 3 minutes. Obviously, I did not attempt additional infusions, though I think one may be able to get at least one more infusion out of this tea. I have also tried slightly longer infusion times of 4 and 5 minutes with this tea. The results were similar to the 3 minute infusion, so I am wholly concerning myself with that one in this review.

The infused liquor showed a dark orange in the cup. I detected distinct aromas of orange, caramel, toast, malt, cream, and almonds on the nose. In the mouth, I noted balanced notes of cream, toast, malt, almond, dried flowers, and orange underscored by a faint trace of caramel. The finish was smooth and rich, offering lingering impressions of toast, malt, cream, and almond.

I have finally found another Ceylon tea that I really adore. What I found so appealing here was the smooth integration of flavors in the mouth. There were no metallic or off-putting flavors. There was no bitterness. There was no astringency. I do not feel like I can say much else other than I recommend this tea very highly.

Back to the grind of reviews on this Tuesday evening, we come to Simpson & Vail’s Smoky Siberian Blend. This blend is a mixture of black teas from multiple countries highlighted by the smokiness of lapsang souchong. Compared to Simpson & Vail’s Russian Caravan Tea, which, in truth, is actually more of a Russian Earl Grey, this blend is more of a traditional Russian caravan blend.

I prepared this tea using my familiar one step Western infusion. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 3 minutes. I also tried slightly longer infusions of 4 and 5 minutes, and of course, I will comment on those briefly. No additional infusions were attempted.

At first glance, the dry leaf blend appears to comprise mostly broken leaves, though I also noted the presence of a not inconsiderable amount of crushed leaves (dust and fannings). Clearly this is the type of tea one may wish to strain prior to serving. I don’t mind sediment though. A quick sniff of the leaves revealed a mild smokiness and woodiness. After infusion, the liquor showed a dark, rich copper in the cup. Mild, integrated aromas of smoke, pine, toast, cream, and malt were present on the nose. In the mouth, I easily detected a somewhat smoother than expected blend of smoke, pine, toast, cream, malt, caramel, and almond flavors underscored by a faint citrus fruitiness. The finish was mild, offering a lingering and effective juxtaposition of smoky/woody and sweet/fruity flavors. The slightly longer infusions produced a maltier, nuttier liquor with a more pronounced citrus character and a somewhat subtler smokiness.

This blend is a little better than I expected it to be. Oddly, the presence of crushed leaf did not really impart much in the way of bitterness or astringency to this blend. Instead, this is an approachable, layered blend in which the lapsang souchong is not overpowering. While I tend to prefer Russian caravan blends that have a more upfront lapsang smokiness, the easy drinking affability displayed by this one is still pretty admirable. I think this would be a solid introduction to Russian caravan teas or a good Russian-style blend for those squeamish about lapsang souchong.

I had my doubts about this one actually tasting like creme brulee but when does S&V NOT deliver on their flavors?!? I would say S&V has some of the most consistently accurate tea flavors. I must have steeped this one perfectly on the first steep because this one tasted so much like creme brulee! The second steep was too hot and steeped too long, therefore ruining the flavor. But the first steep was marvelous! It mostly has that flavor of slightly torched caramel with hints of custard. I think it should have more of a custard flavor but I certainly didn’t expect a sweet burnt sugar/caramel flavor. The black tea base is perfect at a teaspoon and a half. Not too weak of a brew and not astringent. It’s also a solid black tea for showcasing so many of S&V’s great flavors. I will definitely try to steep the remainder of my sample like the first steep.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug// 10 minutes after boiling // 2 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // few minutes after boiling // 4 minute steep

We have another sample sipdown here. For some reason, the people at Simpson & Vail always send a sample of a flavored tea when I order from them. I normally end up stashing them at the back of my tea cabinet and it seems to take me forever to work through them. I think I had this one for at least 3-4 months before I drank it. I’m glad I was in no rush to try this tea. To this point, it is my least favorite tea from Simpson & Vail.

I prepared this tea using a one step Western infusion. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 3 minutes. I did not attempt additional infusions. I really did not see the point.

After infusion, the liquor showed a clear amber in the cup. I noted muddled aromas of caramel, toast, cream, malt, coconut, butter, and raspberry. In the mouth, I got a muddy rush of caramel, toast, cream, malt, coconut, butter, floral, and raspberry notes. There really was not anything else to this tea.

I’ll be blunt. I did not like this blend in the least. I did not feel that the flavors on display in this tea worked together at all.

You know, I didn’t realize this until very recently, but I have always unconsciously limited myself when it comes to white teas. In the past, I mostly stuck with silver needle and moonlight white teas, or teas that were very similar to them. Oddly, I never bothered to try white peony, which is especially strange considering that it is one of the more popular and readily available white teas. Recently, I decided that I really needed to try some pai-mu-tan, so I ended up with a 1 ounce sample of this tea. Simpson & Vail seems to not be offering this tea at the time of this review, though they are still selling an organic version of this tea. I bought this one solely because it was cheaper. I figured that if I liked this one, I could always purchase a sample of the organic version in the future and compare the two.

I prepared this tea using a one step Western infusion. I steeped 2 full teaspoons of this tea in 8 ounces of 175 F water for 5 minutes. I also tried a single 4 minute infusion with this tea, as well as multi-step Western infusions and a short gongfu session. This review primarily concerns the 5 minute preparation, though I will briefly comment on the others.

I did not hold out much hope for this tea at first. I noticed that when I was first pouring the water into the glass, the leaves emitted a powerful odor that reminded me of egg yolk. I hate the smell, flavor, and texture of eggs-I literally become nauseated just at the thought of eating an egg or the sight of someone cooking and/or eating eggs. It was an instant turnoff for me, but I decided to persevere. After the prescribed 5 minutes had elapsed, I gave the infused liquor another sniff, and the egg aroma had vanished. I noted delicate aromas of peony, cream, butter, herbs, straw, toast, and honey. In the mouth, I picked up on pronounced herb, straw, butter, cream, toast, peony, and honey flavors. I also noted a very slight spiciness somewhat reminiscent of cinnamon. The 4 minute infusion produced similar results. The multi-step infusion incorporated steep times of 3, 5, and 7 minutes. For this session, I noted powerful herbal, straw, and floral aromas and flavors on the first infusion, creamier and more balanced impressions on the second infusion, and an increase in straw, herb, and spice notes on the final infusion that were accompanied by a subtle mineral presence. For the gongfu session, I utilized approximately 5-6 grams of leaf in 4 ounces of water (I used the same water temperature for each session). The initial infusion was 10 seconds. I increased the steep time by 5 seconds for each additional infusion (15, 20, 25, and 30 seconds). I noted that the tea held its aroma and flavor well through each of these infusions, moving from more pronounced cream, butter, and floral characters to mineral, spice, straw, and herb characters. I also thought I detected a hint of lemon zest that I did not get with any other method.

This tea is hard for me to rate because this is the first time I have tried this type of tea. It was extremely difficult for me to come up with an overall rating for it. I couldn’t compare it to any other white peony tea, so take my rating with a huge grain of salt. I can safely say that I rather enjoyed this tea, though I would probably not choose to drink a tea like this on a regular basis. Still, I am interested in trying other pai-mu-tans from other vendors. As an introduction to this type of white tea, I think this is admirable. I really liked the aromas and flavors this tea displayed, and though I did not fully explore its potential in a longer session, this tea did seem like it could maybe hold its own without embarrassing itself.

Lately, I have gotten away from oolongs and gone on a Darjeeling kick. It’s not that I got sick of drinking oolongs or anything. I just wanted to clean out some of the Darjeelings I have acquired in recent months. This particular Darjeeling is a first flush tea from the Mim Estate. Normally, I am excited by the Darjeelings offered by Simpson & Vail, but quite frankly, this one did not do anything for me.

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion I tend to use for non-Chinese black teas. Again, I know it’s getting popular in some circles, but I just have not reached a point where I feel the need to resteep Darjeelings on a regular basis. With regard to this one, I just didn’t see the need. Anyway, I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 190 F water for 3 minutes. I also tried preparing this tea a couple of other ways. I tried longer infusion times ( 4 and 5 minutes) and increasing the amount of loose tea used from 1 teaspoon to 1 heaping teaspoon, but I did not feel that changing things up like this helped much. To be clear, this review concerns the preparation outlined in full above.

In the glass, the infused liquor looked like every other first flush Darjeeling I have had to this point. It showed a clear, pale gold. I immediately noticed that the nose was weaker than I normally like. It took a couple seconds, but I picked up on very mild aromas of cream, malt, toast, lemon zest, Muscat grape, grass, straw, and herbs. In the mouth, I noticed that this tea offers smooth, integrated notes of lemon zest, grass, herbs, straw, malt, cream, toast, and Muscat grape that are much milder than one would expect. The finish was very clipped, offering lingering impressions of grass, straw, herbs, and Muscat grape underscored by a slight minerality that I was not expecting at all.

As far as first flush Darjeelings go, this one is very mild; actually, I will go a step further and say this one is downright bland. I know it’s not stale because I haven’t had it all that long, and I have had stale Darjeeling in the past, so I have experienced that horror. There just isn’t much to this tea. It is very simple and very light-bodied to the point of being almost watery in the mouth. On the nose and in the mouth it comes off as being too timid for its own good. To be honest, I have no clue what I am trying to say here. This tea just seems so “blah” to me that I am having trouble summoning the energy to review it properly. I’ll give it one thing, it’s very smooth, but I don’t feel there is enough here to satisfy me. I don’t think I will repurchase this one.