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Spicy Chai Mokalbari Assam Tea Margaret's Hope Darjeeling Second Flush
Spicy Chai
Our Price: $6.50
Mokalbari Assam Tea
Our Price: $7.00

One of the classics, chai is a staple in South Asia. While the best chai are those that are made from scratch, sometimes its nice to have all the ingredients blended together before hand!

This chai has quite the bite to it, with extra ginger and aniseed, along with the classics of cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, and chicory roots. All on a strong Indian black tea base. Chai is traditionally served with milk and sugar. Perfect for the autumn and winter; or iced in the summer!

 		Assams give us the traditional, full-bodied brews many of us associate with tea.  This black tea has a rich malty taste, with a caramel-like sweetness. An excellent cup of tea!

Assam teas are low grown and come from a local indigenous tea variety, Camellia Sinensis Assamica.  Assamica is cousin to the Chinese variety grown around the world, and has much bigger, broader leaves.  Assams are not usually associated with harvesting seasons like Darjeelings, but we can tell you this tea was picked in the late summer from the east side of the garden. Mokalbari Tea Estate was started in 1917, and has expanded rapidly from its initial 42 acres.  We favor the orthodox tea as it gives a sweeter brew.  

Handles milk and sugar well, or delicious on its own.

This second flush from the Margaret's Hope estate is a classic example of a Darjeeling. Darjeelings are recognized for their distinctive muscatel taste and aroma unique to the region. Margaret's Hope reached acclaim in the 1930's when it set the highest quality and price of Darjeeling teas <1>. Second flushes are the second harvest in the region, starting in May each year. They are also the most popular of the flushes, as the tell tale muscatel taste is at its peak.

While much has changed since the 1930's, Margaret's Hope remains a staple standard of Darjeeling teas. To many, with its delicious fruit notes and mild astringency, Margaret's Hope is what a Darjeeling should taste like.

<1> Banerjee, Gangadhar, and Srijeet Banerjee. Darjeeling Tea The Golden Brew. Lucknow: International Book Distributing Co., 2007. Print.
Marybong Darjeeling First Flush Orangajuli Assam FF Gopaldhara Darjeeling First Flush Black Tea
Orangajuli Assam FF
Our Price: $8.50
Darjeelings, by their very nature, are defined by choices. The first comes with the picking season, determining whether the tea is a first flush or a second flush. Another choice occurs during the preparation of first flush teas. Marybong estate creates a more oxidized version, while others, like Gopaldhara, favor a lighter fermentation, this darker oxidation period results in a more peppery and zesty brew. Located in the “Golden Valley” of Darjeeling, the Marybong estate has gardens up to 1970m in altitude and has about 700 acres in production. This is one of a growing number of organic Darjeeling teas This first flush Darjeeling is flavorful with a mild astringency, boasting traces of freshly cut green peppers and tart cherries. This tea is truly unique, and as such does require a special brewing method: it is best to not use boiling water, but rather boiled water that has cooled for about 1-2 minutes.

**We are proud to source this tea; it was one of the reasons I fell in love with Darjeelings!
 		Traditionally Assam teas give us a full-bodied, malty brew, which many of us associate with that classic tea flavor. True to character, this black tea has a rich malty taste, with a caramel-like sweetness. However it has a spiced cacao notes that give added complexity. First flush teas are less common, representing a small fraction of the teas that will be produced in a growing season. A first flush from the assam growing region is rare. Reminiscent of a fine picked Keemun.

The Orangajuli Tea Estate is predominatly grown with the P126A cultivar. It is located in Mangaldai District just south of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Gopaldhara continues to impress us, while this processed as a black tea, it is a lighter oxidized black. Complex vegetal and fruit notes emerge in this 'premier cru' of the champagne of teas.

Gopaldhara tea estate is located 7000 ft above sea level, and while technically the estate is 172 ha, only a fraction of this is farmed. This first flush Darjeeling is flavorful with a mild astringency, boasting traces of mango, stone-fruit jammy notes, and a subtle rose like sweentess (think a less sweet Turkish delight finish). This tea is truly unique, and as such does require a special brewing method, it is best to not use boiling water, but rather boiled water that has cooled for about 1-2 minutes (we used water ranging from 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit). Freshly boiled water will burn the tea leaves!
Coonoor Estate Nilgiri Singbulli Oolong Darjeeling Organic Gopaldhara White Tea Darjeeling First Flush 2019
Coonoor Estate Nilgiri
Our Price: $12.00
Nilgiri black teas are predominately known for a delicate flavor. For this reason, they are often used as the base in flavored teas. This tea from the Coonoor Tea Estate is a delicious exception. This tea has the most complex flavors we have tasted from south India , and are proud to support this unique estate in their efforts.

Beautifully hand-rolled long leggy tea leaves that unfurl as they are brewed. Produces a brew that tastes of delicious brambly jam and stone fruits. An almost buttery aroma with a faint malt, reminded us of freshly baked bread. Follows through with a light pinewood edge at the end. A delicate tea that is still robust and brings the terroir of the soil. 		While the Darjeeling province is renowned for their black teas, this unique oolong shows the level of diversity these fine estates can muster.  To make this oolong, smaller batches are prepared and processed in a unique manner, creating a darker oxidized brew. Smaller batches ensure a high quality and taste, while the partial oxidization gives a unique nutty taste along with a muscatel aroma.  Tightly twisted and rolled leaves create the tea's bronze-color, with a high number of tips.

Singbulli is an organic tea estate established in 1924.  It has recently applied for Fair Trade certification, and is committed to maintaining a high level of quality in tea. 		Gopaldhara is a tea estate that we keep coming back to. They provide exotic and unique twists on classic Darjeeling teas. This 2019 White tea is another prime example of their innovations. The complex tropical fruit notes that we admire in their other teas shine bright and true in this light and refreshing white tea.

When you open your packet of tea, your nose should be hit with an aroma of muscatel sweetness and dried hay. As you brew your tea, rich floral notes of rose and frangipani are underneath the classic muscatel notes typical of the Himalayan grown teas. The brew itself has a rich tropical fruit medley of mango, lychee, and passionfruits. This is not your typical white tea!

This tea is the first 2019 harvest we procure this year. Though with its complex aroma we can see this being a white tea that can age well in proper storage.

Balasun Darjeeling Second Flush

This second flush from the Balasun estate is a classic example of a Darjeeling. Darjeelings are recognized for their distinctive muscatel taste and aroma unique to the region. The Balasun estate is named after the Balasun river, and was founded in 1871. Second flushes are the second harvest in the region, starting in May each year. They are also the most popular of the flushes, as the tell tale muscatel taste is at its peak. With 450 acres in production, Balasun is planted with a majority of original cultivar/sub-species Camellia Sinensis sinensis. Ranging in altitude from the bottom of the river, to a height of 1375 meters, this estate covers a wide diverse growing clime.

Balasun currently has the best muscatel taste we have found in current Darjeelings and second best of all the Darjeelings we have ever tried. That being said, it is also the most temperamental. We do not suggest this tea for beginners due to the price. While we are reluctant to post brewing instructions, our advice is to brew around 5-6 grams in .5 litres of water at a temperature of around 205-210. Timing on this tea is critical, but around 3-4 minutes of brewing. When we are brewing this tea for ourselves; we suggest watching and smelling the tea to try and pin-point the perfect moment. Again this tea is very temperamental, but the reward is an amazing muscatel brew better than some wines. Do not overbrew, as will become very astringent. One of our 'grand cru' teas!