Darjeeling Makaibari
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Ratings & Reviews
Page 1 of 1 page with 2 reviews
73 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5Brytta Sóþword (334 reviews) on Aug. 7th, 2014
My first Darjeeling, and quite good! I can't detect much (if any) of the bitterness I associate with black teas. It tastes like a *good quality* version of the tea used for sweet iced tea (and unsweetened tea) in the southern U.S. If I wanted to serve tea at a summer social gathering, I could imagine brewing up a strong batch of this tea, blending some sugar, and then icing it. I think it would impress people used to that traditional southern fare.
Though I personally enjoy fruit teas, flavored rooibos, and certain green teas a bit more, this certainly has a clean, familiar flavor that I think many would enjoy.
Initially I thought I detected a little spiciness that created a pleasant complexity, but I was eating spicy food with it so I can't say for sure that it was the tea. Regardless, it goes very nicely with food.
83 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5Alex Zorach (1453 reviews) on Jul. 4th, 2014
A classic Darjeeling, a typical but great-quality example of this region's tea. Rich-colored but light-bodied and mild for a black tea, with a aroma that somehow manages to be both strong and delicate.
Initially sampled at the Tea Lab storefront in Lakewood, Ohio. I then purchased some (for a very reasonable price) and brewed it up several times at home.
I love Makaibari estate and I've now tried its teas from many different retailers. This batch, mixed flush, broken-leaf orthodox tea, reminded me most of the stuff sold by Hampstead tea.
Aroma is complex, with nuances of grape, sweet rice, autumn leaves, spice, and flowers. The dominant note in the aroma is the fruity mucatel grape quality that Darjeelings are famous for.
The broken leaf nature of this tea makes it infuse a little on the fast side...if you want to make a second steeping I recommend making the first cup short (no more than 3 minutes, fewer is probably better) or else the second cup will be bland.
Smooth flavor, exceptionally smooth I'd say for a tea in this price range. There's just a slight astringency, less than I usually expect for Darjeeling. Flavor is subdued, only slightly bitter. I actually might prefer more bitterness and astringency because it would make a more full-bodied cup.
Very pleasant to drink, and great price, I think it was around $3 an ounce and, unlike Teavana, they sell this sizes as small as 1 ounce.
Page 1 of 1 page with 2 reviews
