Golden Nepal (Kanyam Estate)

Golden Nepal (Kanyam Estate) is my next review.

Upton Tea's web site gave this description for the tea:

From the high Himalayan mountains, this tea is somewhat reminiscent of a Darjeeling. Bright amber liquor.

I find this description very modest for this tea. Even thought I agree this tea is somewhat reminiscent of a Darjeeling Tea, I would also say it has a more traditional taste that most people are familiar with in tea. The quality is excellent, the leaf is very pleasing to look at, both before and after steeping and the taste is moderate to bold with a clean and almost nutty finish.

The label that describes the tea states that this tea is a second flush (second picking of the season), which I did not find in the description of the tea on Upton Tea's web site. Most teas are a second flush tea that is sold in the United States (from what I have been told), and I have a few first flush teas in my stash, but this second flush tea here almost reminds me of a first flush quality and should not be overlooked when choosing a tea to buy.

Season's Pick Risheehat Estate

Season's Pick Risheehat Estate is the first pot I steeped out of my new order listed below.

Upton Tea's web site gave this description for the tea:

This tea has a pronounced floral aroma, a well-balanced nutty flavor, and a warm, sweet-floral finish. An outstanding value for premium Darjeeling Tea.

My favorite teas are grown mostly in the Darjeeling region of India, and as you can tell from my order in the blog post just below this one that the teas I ordered have been grown in the Darjeeling region or close to the region (all grown at a high altitudes) for the similar characteristics that I enjoy.

The description that Upton Tea gave about this tea is very accurate except for the sweet-floral part. I am missing the muscatel notes that I really enjoy from Darjeeling Teas.

The main reason I ordered this particular tea was due to the lower cost of this tea and that I could order it in bulk (I drink more tea in any given day than water alone) to keep my supply here at my home up for a while. Tuesday night I almost had a fit when I realized that I had only three kinds of Black Tea left in my stash (the tins were hidden in between all of my White Teas and Green Teas), so I went to my computer and ordered six Black Teas real quick.

I'm glad I ordered this tea, although it will not be a favorite, but it will give me some more variety in my Black Teas to choose from everyday.

A New Order

I place an order from Upton Tea Imports on Tuesday night and I received the order today. Not bad! Upton Tea Imports received my order Tuesday night, then on Wednesday they processed my order and shipped it via USPS the same day and it arrived today (Friday). Now I wished more companies that you order products from online would process and ship/deliver in that kind of timely manner.

Well anyway, I ordered six teas:

• Season's Pick Dharamshala Estate TGFOP1
• Season's Pick Risheehat Estate
• Himalayan TGFOP1
• Golden Nepal (Kanyam Estate)
• Darjeeling FTGFOP Special Blend Organic
• Dunsandale Organic TGFOP EX/SPL

Season's Pick Dharamshala Estate TGFOP1
Description from Upton's web site:
Produced in Kangra Valley (Valley of the Gods), this well-made tea has uniform, dark green needle-like leaves. The cup has medium body with a pleasing, vegetal aroma and fine floral notes. The finish is robust, and the character is much like that of a Darjeeling.

Season's Pick Risheehat Estate
Description from Upton's web site:
This tea has a pronounced floral aroma, a well-balanced nutty flavor, and a warm, sweet-floral finish. An outstanding value for premium Darjeeling tea.

Himalayan TGFOP1
Description from Upton's web site:
Deep Darjeeling-like flavor notes reminiscent of the style of Sikkim teas. A 3 minute infusion produces an aromatic tea with golden liquor. Highly recommended.

Golden Nepal (Kanyam Estate)
Description from Upton's web site:
From the high Himalayan mountains, this tea is somewhat reminiscent of a Darjeeling. Bright amber liquor.

Darjeeling FTGFOP Special Blend Organic
Description from Upton's web site:
A blend of select lots of organic Darjeeling teas. The golden liquor has a delicate floral aroma and a mildly fruity flavor. The cup is smooth, and the finish is pleasingly pungent. We have a limited supply of this tea and offer it at a special price.

Dunsandale Organic TGFOP EX/SPL
Description from Upton's web site:
This full-bodied, fragrant tea produces a fruity cup with nuances of walnuts. The character is eminently fresh, with Darjeeling-like notes and a lingering aftertaste. A good selection for those who like a high-altitude Himalayan tea.

I just steeped my first pot from the order from above, next I'll give my review.

PDA Test

This is a test post from my PDA

Tea Plantation Laborers Find Life

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Tea Plantation Laborers Find Life

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

These tea garden laborers harvest a plantation owner’s crop.

WEST BENGAL, INDIA (ANS) -- A whole village of Dalit (“Untouchable”) laborers was impacted when students from a Gospel for Asia Bible college in West Bengal, India, started visiting them on weekends. This Dalit village is in an area with many tea plantations.

A river flowing from the Himalayas wraps itself around the Toorsa tea plantation, known for its beauty. But the people working in the plantation see a different picture.

Low-caste tribals and Nepalese immigrants make up a task force of low-paid plantation laborers. The desperate circumstances have driven many to alcoholism and drugs. Most of the laborers are illiterate and unable to hold anything but manual labor jobs—if they have a job at all.

But the people working in the plantation see a different picture. The desperate circumstances have driven many to alcoholism and drugs.

In January, GFA Bible college staff and students heard that no one in the village knew Christ, so they started conducting weekend outreaches. Through open-air meetings and door-to-door evangelism, five families received salvation, and now 25 people regularly come to worship services. Many more are also showing interest in the Gospel.

The students ask that you please pray for them and that many more people in this Dalit community would receive Jesus. Also pray that as more lives are transformed by the Gospel, the Lord will deliver the villagers from their addictions and provide for their futures.

-------

Learn more about West Bengal

Learn more about Bible colleges

-------

Gospel for Asia is a mission organization involved in evangelism and church planting in Asia's unreached regions. Currently Gospel for Asia supports more than 16,000 church planters in 10 countries.

Harney & Sons: Hot Cinnamon Spice Black Tea

I received this little beauty for a birthday gift just awhile back.

As I have stated before, I'm not much of one for flavored teas, there are only two or three that I can think of that I do like. This tea adds to my disliking of flavored teas. I do like a tea that has a cinnamon flavor to it sometimes. Sometimes I just add one stick of cinnamon to a cup of hot tea while it steeps for a bit. But sad to say in this tea I can not taste any tea at all! All I can taste is the cinnamon oil added to this tea plus with all of the broken cinnamon stick pieces added to the tea (maybe for looks).

Looking at the side of the tin there is a "PRODUCTION:" label (ingredients) that says that there is in the blended black tea three kinds of cinnamon (maybe the broken pieces of cinnamon stick and two kinds of cinnamon oils), orange peel and sweet cloves.

Now having taste buds of a master chef, I can honestly say that I don't taste any orange peel or sweet clove (both of which I use in making my holiday hams). And also sad to say that the after taste of this tea lasts for hours and is to overpowering for other things you may eat or drink in those hours later.

If you use any kind of YiXing teapot, DO NOT USE THIS TEA! You will ruin the pot forever!

But I must say a nice word or two about Harney & Sons' Teas, their selection of Black Teas are among some of the best you can buy, so I would not write off these people for good quality tea, but I have not tried their Green or White Teas as of yet.

More reviews coming soon.

Sorry for the absence.