Namring Estate FTGFOP1 Second Flush

I bought this Darjeeling Tea as part of a sampler package from Uptown Tea Importers. 

Here is an image of the tea from the website:

Namring Estate FTGFOP1 Second Flush

I find this tea a strong cup with a lingering finish. I've always loved strong teas, and this Darjeeling ranks about medium strong in its taste. Most Darjeeling Teas are not this strong, but you can tell it is an Darjeeling Tea, but you may mistake is for an Assam Tea due to it's hints of cocoa you may taste.

I am enjoying a cup of this tea right now, but when I finish the order I doubt I'll reorder this particular tea.

Giddapahar Estate SFTGFOP1

This tea from Upton Tea Imports that I bought in my last shipment from them last week called Giddapahar Estate SFTGFOP1 happens to be one of the most complex Darjeeling Teas I have ever tasted. The Upton Tea Imports sites claims the taste of this tea has an "aroma is of tropical fruit/banana with a hint of flowers and asparagus. The flavor has notes of green banana with a hint of tobacco and a sharp, clean finish." I happen to detect the banana like flavor, but everything else is to mixed up to really get a hand upon.

Here is a picture from the site:












I like the colors of these leaves, and they brew a medium dark liquor and the clean finish really is not there,

Sadly I must say that this is the first Darjeeling Tea that I'm disappointed with, ever.

My recommendation is to try other Darjeeling Teas, for no other has disappointed me before.

Turzum Estate SFTGFOP1 Cl. Second Flush

Hi,

I'm back!

I just received this tea from my favorite tea importers, Upton Tea Importers. The tea is Turzum Estate SFTGFOP1 Cl. Second Flush.

Here is a picture from the site:

 

 

As you may as well know, I love Darjeeling Teas, and this second flush tea from the Turzum Estate is surprisingly strong with a lingering finish. The site said that this tea is a "...dark, rich cup with toasty flavor notes and hints of ripe grapes. The finish has a light sweetness, balanced by a hint of mace."

Maybe the "mace" is what is keeping the flavor lingering, but don't get me wrong, it is very enjoyable to sip on this tea because I can savor this cup for a long time.

I will enjoy this tea indeed for the next few weeks, and hopefully Upton will have more instock when I reorder.

And remember that Upton personalizes your tea labels. :-)

Until next time, and hopefully much sooner, like in a day or two.

Here is the new tea lover in my life:

Phuguri Estate FTGFOP1S Cl. Tips First Flush

Full Leaf

Close Up

Another great gem from Upton Tea where I buy about 90% of my tea.
Thia Phuguri Estate FTGFOP1S Cl. Tips First Flush's aroma hit me first when I opened up my new tin and I told myself that this tea needs to be served in my Yixing Teapot. No mistake there! This tea is just exquisite in aroma before and after being steeped. The aroma is kind of fruity but quickly shadowed by the quality freshness in this first flush (spring time harvesting) grade.

After steeping a pot, the taste is slightly astringent with a clean finish. The notes of fruitiness is in every sip, and very pleasing to the palate.

As I said earlier in this blog, I broke out my Yixing Teapot, and only select Darjeeling Teas ever go into my Yixing Teapot, I'm glad to say this Darjeeling Tea will grace my Yixing Teapot with every steeping.

My Trip To Teavana Today.

Samurai Chai Mate Tea

White Ayurvedic Chai Tea

Today I was walking around the Altamonte Mall with my son, and I walked by a Teavana and they had some samples of fresh brewed tea to taste.


Today one of the samples we a blend of two teas, a Maté and a White Tea, both infused with Chai spices. The two mixed together into this well and robust Chai that was so good!

A "Maté" is truly not a real Tea, but rather a species of holly with a caffeine content that will put coffee to shame!

The White Tea is almost caffeine free, to the 50-50 blend of these two teas cuts the caffeine in just about half.

I'm enjoying a cup right now straight up, and later cups I'll try with milk and or honey.

This is a great find for Chai loves like me!

Long Jing

When I went to the Asian Supermarket the other day, I also picked up this "Long Jing" Green Tea.

I bought 8oz of this green tea for $5.59, so yet another great price for a good loose tea. The Green tea is a typical Chinese green tea, slight grassy flavor but a good round cup good for everyday drinking.

Read the first blog on shopping at your local Asian Market here.

$1.25

A resource most people may not be aware of is your local Asian Market.
Yesterday I was visiting one of my local Asian Markets with my girlfriend and I naturally shot straight to to the Tea Isle! Behold, tea from all over the Orient was right in front of me. I bought three teas from China, one White Tea and two Green Teas.

The tea pictured on the right was one of the cheapest teas there, a Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea, and this box of 250 grams was only $1.25.

I've already had cups from the other two teas I bought and I'll post them here shortly, but I'm drinking a cup of this Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea right now and I'm shocked at the great taste of the tea from the price I paid for the tea. Grant it that this tea does not have the quality of the single estate teas I regularly enjoy, but for this price and good quality of this tea makes it a very good tea to keep on hand to just drink when you can't sit back and relax and enjoy a good cup of tea.

So, don't neglect your resources at hand, there is a gold mind of teas in your own neighborhood... explore and experiment and you may be truly surprised!

Tindharia Estate FOP First Flush (EX-1) Organic

I just received this nice organic Darjeeling Tea from Upton Tea Imports  the other day, and just like most single estate Darjeeling Teas I'm very happy with this tea. I love broad leaf teas because they steep longer to gain the best flavor that is not overpowering. The finished tea is very clear and has a medium to medium-dark appearance. The aroma is very traditional and light. The taste is also light and smooth with a slight fruity after taste that finishes clean.

This Tindharia Estate Tea good to place in my favorites to order again.

Decaf Tea

I've been drinking decaf tea for over a week now and it is so sickening!

Neglect!

I think I've neglected this blog. Ugh!

I'll be back. :-)

First Review from Just4Tea

Last night during the Florida Gator and Miami Hurricane Football game I tried the sample of Jasmine Bloom from Just4Tea.

I noticed that this tea was a white tea (my weakness) and was very neat to see a "art tea" for the first time personally. As I watched it infuse with the water heated just below boiling, I saw the leaves open up and seeing the Jasmine bloom in the center of the tea ball was really cool to watch (and it was halftime by the way, I would not have my eyes off the Gators destroying an oponent for one moment). Because of the single serving glass infuser I was using it was covered so I could not smell the aroma as the tea was steaping, but after four or five minutes when the tea was finished I opened the top and I smelled the aroma and it was very pleasing. I mainly drink unflavered teas but the jasmione in this white tea was not overpowering like in some green teas and did not hurt the flavor of the white tea at all.

All in all I really enjoyed the tea, and I will buy some more real soon.

The taste was not as nutty as a white tea, but just a noticable on the first sip that the tea is a white tea. I kind of think it could be compaired to most "silver" white teas, and the jasmine was just a hint in the glass to the taste, but was noticable in the aroma. Plus a very clean finish.

Thank you Just4Tea that sample you sent me was very refreshing and I will try the other maybe after work tomorrow.

I got my sample tea today

Back on July 21, 2008 I ordered some free tea samples from Just4Tea and I received them today.

I received a sample of Jasmine Bloom and Dragon Well (I assume it's the ones linked here).

I'm glad tomorrow is a Saturday, and I'll be home all day upgrading a computer for my son so I'll steep these and give them the good old taste test. I can't wait.

Politics and Tea?

From a post here at Tea Guy Speaks, Mr. William I. Lengeman III could not pass up the chance to support his messiah, Barack Hussein Obama, with articles from the Daily Kos, and other very left wing (and uncreditable) sources buy using tea as a soure for making a post.

Shameful.

I asked him to remove my links from his blog.

Arya FTGFOP1

Here is one from Upton's Tea called Arya FTGFOP1. The discription on Upton's site states:

Description:
The rich amber liquor has a robust flavor, with a characteristic Darjeeling pungency. The flavor has intriguing nutty notes, with nuances of ripe apples and red grapes.

As a Darjeeling Tea lover all I have is praises for this single estate tea. This tea is also organically grown which is something I am coming to like more and more of and search for the organic label on the teas I purchase for I can tell in the taste if there were any foreign substances used in the growing of the tea or not.

The pungency of this tea is very classic in Darjeeling style, and has a clean finish.

So I'm off to steep another pot.

I found a new tea seller...

And I requested a sample that they offered for tea blogers, so I am looking forward to the samples from http://www.just4tea.com/

Tindharia Estate FTGFOP Second Flush Blend

Can I say, "Yummy, yummy, yummy"?

Now this tea I just bought last week and to tell you the truth, wow! Tindharia Estate FTGFOP Second Flush Blend really is a good tea for the cost that I paid for this. I'm not much on "blended" teas because I prefer single estate teas, but this is well "thought out" in it's blending to create a taste that has the Darjeeling characteristic that I love so well.

From the Upton Tea web site the comment for this tea is as follows:

Description:
We are pleased to offer this value blend from one of our preferred gardens. The well-made leaves produce a smooth and flavorful cup. The aroma has sweet, fruity hints which complement silky smooth liquor.

Yes, I agree with this comment, and would like to add the clean finish and the brightness of the liquid that is produced.

Just say NO!

Lipton Tea is better than this junk!

Season's Pick Dharamshala Estate TGFOP1

Here is my review for Season's Pick Dharamshala Estate TGFOP1, from Upton Tea.

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

Description:
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.

This tea happen to be a great buy for me. This buy happened to be in the Upton's Tea "Season's Pick" line which offers to the public teas that are normally reserved for their wholesale customers and the Food Service industry.

I bought a 250 gram package of this tea for $6.80, and because of the price and the bulk amount I got it for everyday drinking. I was really surprised on how good the quality of this tea was.

The description above is very accurate and I can not add to the description but to say that I'm going to check out the other teas in the "Season's Pick" line at Upton Tea's web site.

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.