Organic Darjeeling Estate - Organic
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Commercial Description
...chosen seasonally for its floral, sweet and lingering finish...
Ratings & Reviews
Page 1 of 1 page with 2 reviews
85 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5Tchuggin' Okie (418 reviews) on Apr. 8th, 2025
Finally, after trying several Darjeeling teas, I think I've finally found one that expresses how they're supposed to taste. Most of them, in my relatively limited experience so far, have been "off" in some way: flat, or metallic, or weak, or muddy, or "old" tasting, or just ordinary and nothing special (like a lot of motel food-service teas). Given their high repute, I was starting to wonder if Darjeeling-appreciation buds are simply missing from my tongue and this tea type won't work for me, or if I've been on a remarkable run of mediocrity to inferiority.
This fine specimen proves it is the latter. I obtained "Organic Darjeeling Estate" from a college-run motel, but based value off online pricing. As this turned out to be a remarkably high-quality bagged tea, but also quite expensive, I struck a balance on the scale and called it "reasonable."
The dry-bag aroma wafted out nicely: not particularly strong, but rich, inviting, somewhat floral or fruity, a little earthy. I'm not used to aromatic complexities obvious enough for my weather-beaten nostrils to detect in dry black tea, so this was a pleasant surprise. In-cup, the aroma was richer on the tea side, and lost the fruity/floral element. However, the flavor brought it back, but stronger, rather like a faintly jasmine-infused, somewhat citrusy package (some sips more lemon, most like grapefruit). It also has a definitive but not offputting astringency. The aftertaste leans more savory, and root-fruity (like beet or yam). Every one of those elements also seemed to vary in influence from sip to sip. The wet-bag aroma returned to more of a full-tea, earthy experience, in a good way.
If this is more of a standard bearer for Darjeelings, I'm now eager to try some of those regarded as superior, instead of hesitant on whether they're worth a gamble that may not be one after all.
83 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5Alex Zorach (1453 reviews) on Oct. 8th, 2015
This was my favorite Darjeeling from a tea bag yet.
The dry leaf of this tea, in the bag, smells amazing, even though it appears rather finely broken. There are sweet fruity notes, a hint of spice (caraway?) and some other qualities that I find distinctive but hard to describe.
Brews up a cup that is initially smooth, but with some edgy qualities underneath. Notes of wintergreen come out in the aroma. The cup is fruity, light, and fresh, and the finish is more astringent than I'd expect from the smoothness of the initial sip. As I sip more, the flavor becomes rather bittersweet, and herbaceous tones come out. There's a slight sourness at the end of the cup.
I find this tea quite delightful to drink; it has a complexity rarely found in tea bags, qualities associated with top-quality artisan teas.
Resteeps excellently. Like many high-quality Darjeelings, I found the second steep to be more oolong-like in character: less bitter, more rounded-tasting, but rich, and with floral and vegetal notes. Really enjoyable.
Pricey, but better value considering the high quality, and a better deal considering how each tea bag can be steeped at least twice.
Page 1 of 1 page with 2 reviews
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