In other short tea news, along with the Gopaldhara noted below I also obtained a Singbulli Estate 2006 1st flush Darjeeling from Chado. This tea was more affordable at $1.75/oz than the Gopaldhara, which was $8/oz.The leaves are closer to being fannings, with reddish-green-brown broken bits and pieces. I had planned on using this tea for seasoning a whimsical flowery Yixing that I got recently, specifically for Darjeeling. I purchased the pot from Kam of Fun Alliance in Hong Kong.This morning I decided to brew a bit of it for breakfast to see how it compares to the more expensive Gopaldhara and others I've tried. Surprisingly, it has only a faint 1st flush characteristics and it's closer to tasting like a red tea. Qimen Hung (Red Keemun) comes to mind. The liquor itself is red-brown in color. Slightly smoky, medium bodied, with a touch of citrus. Like the Gopaldhara, it's not biting with tannin. Is this really 1st flush, I wonder? Overall, a simple yet decent everyday tea.2 stars (moderately good) an inexpensive good tea with breakfast.
Inspired by Toki's tasting of the 2006 Gopaldhara Estate 1st flush Darjeeling, I went to Chado Tea Room yesterday afternoon to buy 2 ounces (@ $8/oz) of this tea to do a tasting comparison. I'm not sure if what I got was the same type and grade as the one Toki tasted. An estate usually produces more than one class of 1st flush Darjeeling hailing from different farms and altitudes.At the offline last weekend, the manager of Chado gave us a complimentary pot of this Darjeeling. I remember it to be charming, aromatic, tasty and smooth. While I thought the Makaibari 1st flush that I had a couple of months ago was more aromatic, this Gopaldhara was certainly much smoother and approachable.
Brewing method: 120ml gaiwan, 1/2 full dry leaves, boiling water, flash rinse, and then 8s, 10s, 10s, 15s, and 2m.
The dry leaves were considerably small, some with lots of white hair. Color ranges from green with red edges to brownish and black. It smelled of yellow fruits, sea breeze, dried flowers and a bit green. The heated (but dry) leaves in the gaiwan reminded me of Granny Smith apple (?), citrus, and apricot. The smell of the wet leaves was much mellower and fresh, however, than when it's dry: of muscat, honey, peach, plums, and a hint of straw green. Interesting!
The liquor is of medium amber color. The immediate effect of drinking this was a refreshing and relaxing feeling. It was fruity, floral and pleasantly grassy. It had a smooth and an almost creamy texture to it, and it finishes quite dry. In the end, it left a sweet aftertaste.
Brews well for only 3 rounds, after which the tea lacked the abovementioned aromas and taste.
4 stars (vg) a complex, layered, and tasty black tea.
In other short tea news, along with the Gopaldhara noted below I also obtained a Singbulli Estate 2006 1st flush Darjeeling from Chado. This tea was more affordable at $1.75/oz than the Gopaldhara, which was $8/oz.
