Name: Darjeeling Phuguri Second Flush FTGFOP1
Brand: TeaGschwendner (Chicago-based tea retailer)
Type: Black tea, Darjeeling
Form: Loose leaf
Cost: 50 grams for $21.95, quantity discounts available
Review: I love the beautiful, multicolored leaves in this tea. Some are almost red, some dark brown, some silver and green. There is almost no scent to the dry leaf, but when infused to a medium honey-amber, a decided fruitiness ("muscatel") emerges in the nose.
I heartily encourage drinkers of this tea to let it cool a bit before sipping: You can't taste the nuances when the tea is scalding hot. The tea is medium-bodied, slightly sweet, and I taste just a touch of a tobacco backnote.
Where Darjeeling Phuguri Second Flush FTGFOP1 really shines, though, is in the finish. Darjeelings usually offer a bit of astringency at the end, but the astringency in this tea is remarkable. Whereas a lesser tea might offer the sensation of being scalded with nailpolish remover, this tea's astringency more resembles a cluster of shooting stars. The champagne of teas indeed!
Preparation Tip: TeaGschwendner recommends using 3 grams of leaf to 8 ounces of water to prepare this tea. I've found that using a little more leaf, maybe 4-5 grams, results in a richer brew and a more decided "sparkle" in the finish.
Sample provided by retailer?: Yes
Comments
Ah, Darjeeling. A good quality Darjeeling is like bliss in a cup. It's a tea you have to hold in your mouth and savor before you swallow. My most recent Darjeeling was The Tea Spot's New Moon, a lovely, fragrant whole leaf tea. I could have made potpourri from the leaves.
Recently I had Dilmah's high estate Ceylon tea, Lover's Leap. It's f=grown at over 5,000 feet and actually tastes more like a Darjeeling than a Ceylon. I found that really fascinating.
I have a green Darjeeling from Kusmi right now that I hope to review soon. I'm eager to see what a green Darjeeling is like, but I'm saving it for now.
I'm going to have to try the Darjeeling Phugun. Wouldn't it be lovely to have a whole row of different Darjeelings lined up to sample?
Oh, Lainie, that sounds like a wonderful tea and Darjeeling 2nd flushes are among my favorites
Ladies: This tea is really good. It is one of those teas that can spoil you for "lesser" teas in the future!
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