This is a very mellow tea...aromatic and gentle, somewhat muted. Only a faint suggestion of the fresh herbaceous tones that some Darjeelings have. The aroma is floral and fairly complex, and the cup is light in color and quality, much more like an oolong than a typical black tea. Almost no bitterness, but some astringency (a little too much for me).

I was wondering if this would be similar to TM20, a broken-leaf blend from various Himalayan regions. It is surprisingly different...more similar to TS26, a single-estate Sikkim tea.

Upton recommends steeping 2 minutes or less...I think this is a bit short, I preferred 2 and a half the best. If you go too long however, this tea becomes unpleasantly astringent (although not bitter). I found this tea to have less crispness and bite than I prefer. It's reasonably priced but in almost every way I prefer TM20. That tea has more bitterness but less astringency, and a fresher aroma, although it is less floral.

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