I like Darjeeling teas – the natural sweetness, the dried fruit notes. However ever since I heard the word “muscatel” applied to the flavor of these teas, it’s hard for me not to think of dried currants and raisins whenever I smell or drink this tea. That’s not a bad thing, because I like those, but it does feel a little like I may be limiting my ability to tease out other flavors.
In any case, the smell when I opened the packet was the typical Darjeeling, so no surprises there. A handsome looking tea too, light and curly twists of leaves, darker and lighter brown. Four minutes at just under boiling – I often have my Darjeelings spend five minutes in the bath, but we’ll be easy on this newcomer to see how it stands up.
It’s a tasty and typical tea of this variety. The notes are in all the right places, including the aforementioned muscatel. No standout, exceptional surprises here; I’d drink it again but wouldn’t seek it out above others. With cream and sugar it’s also very drinkable.
