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The dried tea leaves were very dark—they appeared more like a smoked Lapsang Souchong tea than a pure Indian tea.

I brewed 5 grams of dried tea leaves in 12 ounces of near boiling water for 4 minutes. The tea liquor had a light brown color to it, lighter than I expected for a black tea.

This was an excellent Earl Grey tea. The bergamot oil was not too overpowering—it was flavorful but restrained. I also liked the additional citrus flavor within it—more of an orange flavor than lemon or grapefruit. The combination of the two was very pleasant. I didn’t notice any additional flavors beyond what was identified in the name. In general, one of the best Earl Grey-style teas I have had.

NOTE: The tea I used had a month of packaging date of August, 2016.

I have been traveling all weekend — Science Olympiad national tournament for the eldest child. I took this tea along for my mornings because I knew I’d need the caffeine and the familiarity of a tea I know well. This is the tea that I’ve been drinking for years and the tea that got me to change from coffee to tea in the mornings.

I used to never believe the quality of the water mattered when making tea. Sure, it would be nice to have good water with which to make tea but I didn’t think it would matter as much as people said it would.

I was very, very wrong.

Using the hard hotel water, the tea changed from its usual malty, toasty flavor to a burned caramel flavor. It was tolerable, but not the “friend” I wanted while traveling. It was good enough but not great. I am not rating the tea since it is the fault of the water and not the tea leaves. But I was disappointed to not have the tea I was expecting the past few days. :(

Another package found in the black tea sampler from Vahdam.

The first thing I noticed with this tea when I brought it out of the bag is that it is a mixture of orthodox, full-leaf tea and broken tea. Some stems, but not too many. But, a good percentage of this tea is broken leaf/fannings. The leaves are very dark with some golden tips mixed in.

I steeped the tea using 5 grams of dried leaves in 12 ounces of near boiling water for 4 minutes, 30 seconds.

The tea brewed into a dark brown liquor with a hint of redness. It is an attractive tea to look at.

The first aroma and flavor I noticed was cocoa/chocolate, both in smell and in taste. There is no question that this is the primary flavor and aroma to the tea. Behind the cocoa, though, I also notice aromas of wood, flowers, Muscat grapes, and wet rocks—hints of its nature as a second flush Darjeeling. I can find the muscatel and wet rock flavors when I drink it, but the floral aroma does not translate into the flavor. There is also some astringency to it.

Overall, I have to say I really liked this! It was exactly what I was expecting in a second flush Darjeeling, with the added bonus of the surprising cocoa/chocolate flavor. It has some body to it—more of a morning tea than a refreshing afternoon tea. I am glad that I didn’t finish off the sample with this steeping since I will want to have this one again. I see on the website that this is also fairly inexpensive, comparatively, so that is one more reason to love this tea! :)

NOTE: The tea I used had a month of picking listed as June, 2016.

The more I have this tea, the more I am appreciating it. I don’t know if I’d want it immediately in the morning, but I have been brewing it during my afternoons at work and am enjoying it more and more. It is just a light, fresh tea—perfect for the afternoon/early evening. I especially enjoy the wet rocks/muscatel flavor, which is particularly noticeable with this tea as compared to other second flush Darjeeling teas I’ve had. I know “wet rocks” doesn’t sound all that appealing, but it really is a fresh flavor—like rain.

Another of the samples I purchased in the black tea sampler set from Vahdam Teas.

Out of the bag, the dried leaves were a mixture of dark and light, but almost entirely full-leaf—very few broken leaves. The tea appears much lighter than I expected.

I steeped the tea using 4 grams of dried leaves in 12 ounces of near boiling water for slightly longer than 4 minutes.

This tea was a complete surprise to me! I have never had a winter flush black tea nor a tea from a Nilgiri estate so I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect, but I was nonetheless still thinking it would be a heavy, black tea—similar to a breakfast blend. There’s no reason for me to expect that, but that is what I had in mind when I saw the bag in my samples. What I got was something completely different!

The brewed tea started off with vegetal and floral notes in the aroma. It reminded me more of a Japanese green tea than a black tea. The freshly-brewed liquor had a light gold color, much like a light pilsner beer.

As I drank the tea throughout the morning, I was surprised at how the flavor, and the color, of the liquor changed! What started out as light golden in color changed to a slightly darker hue of yellowish-orange. The vegetal notes also lessened as the tea cooled, bringing forth flavors of apricot and even something like burned/melted table sugar. The floral notes stayed with the tea all morning, as did a slight astringency.

Overall, I think I would really enjoy this tea if I was in the mood for it. I wasn’t this morning, but I am not going to give the tea a bad rating because it wasn’t what I, in my ignorance to Nilgiri teas and/or winter flushes, expected. This would make a good afternoon tea or a tea for warm, summer days. I will definitely drink it again, knowing now what its character is, at a time when I am in the mood for it. It is a very refreshing drink—not something that beats you on the head like a hammer to wake you up first thing in the morning. Since the liquor began with the color of beer, I’ll will conclude with the summary that this tea is both “great taste and less filling.” ;)

NOTE: The sample I used showed a date of picking as 02 January 2017.

Catching up on a tea which I drank on Sunday but didn’t have time to enter. Out of the bag, the dried leaves looked appealing—very few broken leaves or stems in the mix, and I see a few golden tips mixed in.

I steeped the tea using 5 grams of dried leaves in 12 ounces of near boiling water for 4 minutes.

This didn’t taste much like a typical second flush Darjeeling. I was expecting a muscatel flavor and aroma, but there wasn’t that at all. In fact, there really wasn’t a notable aroma or flavor at all, above and beyond typical black tea. I gave a cup to my mom (it was Mother’s Day, after all) and she told me “it tastes like Lipton.” I personally would not go that far, but it really didn’t have any hints of unique flavor or aromas—just a basic, orthodox black tea.

I was a disappointed that there wasn’t more to it but I still enjoyed it. I would drink it again, but would at least have a lowered expectation next time and hope to be surprised.

NOTE: The bag I used showed the date of packaging as July, 2016

Another of the samples I received in my black tea sampler ordered from Vahdam. This is a Darjeeling blend.

I steeped this tea for 4 minutes, using 6 grams of dried leaves in 18 ounces of water. The color of the brewed liquor came out looking like bourbon—medium brown.

The only aroma I found with the brewed tea was floral. It was definitely appealing. The floral aroma followed into the tea’s flavor—present, but not too overpowering. I also picked up flavors of muscatel grapes and wet rocks. It was slightly astringent as well, but that could be from over-steeping. I’d have to try a second steeping to find out. But, I can’t do that with this sample since I used the whole sample with this steeping. :(

Overall, this was another quality tea from Vahdam, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I have some of the others. That comment should not be taken as disparaging, as this was very good. I have been happy with Vahdam’s products so far—each Darjeeling has been similar enough to the others in the batch, yet unique in its own way. I am definitely enjoying these samples and getting some good ideas for future orders.

NOTE: The package was marked as packed in November, 2016.

I bought this tea last week but finally am getting around to having it today. I like the color of the dried leaves when I opened the tin—very dark and consistent with only a few tips. I know this means it isn’t a “tippy” tea, but that isn’t always a bad thing.

I steeped 9 grams of leaves in 20 ounces of near boiling water for 4 minutes. The brewed liquor came out very dark as well—brown, like the color of coffee. It looks appealing!

When I first smelled the tea’s liquor, I immediately picked up a woody scent, with a hint of cream or milk to it. I didn’t add anything to the tea so I was surprised by that. When I tasted it, I could also taste both the woody and creamy flavors I found in the aroma. Along with these, I also noticed very slight molasses and cherry flavors. The taste was very fresh and smooth. I did not taste any malt to it; since I normally drink Assam teas in the morning, I was mistakenly expecting it. This was a nice change from the normal for me.

Overall, I enjoyed it and will be glad to add this to my regular drinking routine. It has a flavor similar to other black teas, but different enough to make it unique. That really is all I hope for when I try new teas. :)

I love the color of this tea as I take it out of the bag. The dried leaves are much lighter than what I’d expect for an Assam tea. I know this is because it is entirely made of golden tips (picked that up from the name, ‘cause I’m smart like that!), but still—I was expecting the leaves to be somewhat darker since it is, after all, an Assam!

I brewed 4 grams in 12 ounces of nearly boiling water. I meant to steep the tea for 4 minutes but forgot to set my timer right away, so it ended up being about 4 minutes, 30 seconds. The finished liquor has a tone of straight bourbon—very pretty to look at.

Wow—this tea smells so good! A strong honey aroma, along with a malty tone—not unexpected for an Assam. I also am smelling sweet potatoes in the aroma. I like it!

The flavor is also excellent. There is almost no astringency to the tea at all. The flavors match the aroma—honey, malt, sweet potatoes, with a hint of wet grass in there as well. It’s also not as sweet as I’d expect from an Assam.

Overall, this was a delight to drink! Given the price, though, I don’t think this will be part of my regular tea rotation. I’ll savor the small amount of tea that I have left, enjoying it on days when it is needed to brighten my day a bit.

After seeing the generally positive reviews of Vahdam teas by eastkyteaguy, I decided to order a sample pack. This was the first tea I pulled out from the pack.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I brewed 4 grams in 12 ounces of near boiling water for just over four minutes. The first aromas I found in the brewing process were floral and nutty. I also tasted those flavors in the liquor, along with slight malt and honey flavors. Underlying these flavors was a nice woody base. The combination of all of these works very well together! I especially appreciate the slight bitterness of the floral essence, as that is what I was hoping for with a first flush Darjeeling. The nutty aroma/flavor was very unexpected!

The leaves brew into a deep gold liquor. It is a beautiful tea to look at as well as to taste.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this tea. I hope this is a good sign for the rest of the teas I received from Vahdam. I look forward to trying my next Vahdam sample from another Darjeeling estate!

NOTE: My packet is marked with a picking date of 17 March 2017.