I continue this journey through the teas of India courtesy of Golden Tips Tea Company. Several teas were covered in Part One; it took me a few more weeks to get through the rest of the samples. It’s a tough job having to try so many Darjeeling teas, but somebody’s gotta do it.
Gopaldhara Gold
The aroma of this Darjeeling is sweet flowery, grapey, citrusy and piney (yes, all those things). It is golden amber in color with a medium body and smooth finish. The flavor seems to linger on the palate.
Giddapahar Muscatel
Another day, another Darjeeling tea. This one, as its name suggests, has the usual muscatel quality although a bit more subtly so than other Darjeelings. The fruity and earthy aroma is followed by a mostly smooth finish with a slight tannic bite.
Thurbo Moonlight Darjeeling White
Pale yellow in color with a sweet, flowery, berry aroma, this light bodied white Darjeeling finishes smoothly with a slight astringency. Great tea!
India’s Original Masala Chai
A little break from all the Darjeeling sipping of late, I prepared this chai the traditional way: on the stove-top. Bring the water to a boil and place the tea in just before boiling. Reduce the heat to simmer and slowly add milk and sweetener.
All the usual spices (cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, long pepper, dry ginger and clove) are represented in this Assam-based blend. It’s an easy-to-make chai treat.
Mankota Exotic Assam
A sweet, chocolaty, malty aroma paired with a surprisingly smooth finish (only some bitterness even when brewed with boiling water) make this a rare Assam in my book. Very drinkable by itself but also good with a splash of milk.
Arya Ruby Darjeeling
This golden colored brew has a sweet, flowery and honey-like aroma. The flavor is smooth with no lingering bitterness. It reminds me of a Nepal tea I once tried.
