Nepali Tea

Gong Fu Sipdown (621)!

So, I know that Indian/Nepalese teas are not often brewed Gong Fu but the sample I received of this tea from Sipsby a while back was the perfect size for a Gong Fu session and it is an oolong tea (which are great Gong Fu, as a general rule of thumb). So, I made an exception and brewed it up Gong Fu anyway…

To be completely honest, I didn’t really enjoy it at all. I steeped a grand total of four infusions and after that I simply had to call it quits because I was having a near miserable time. The taste was very much like a black tea to me, rather than an oolong. The same brisk, bold flavour and astringency that I’d associate with a Darjeeling black – right down to the muscatel undertones. Now, it’s not that I don’t enjoy a good Darjeeling tea or tea with a comparable profile – but this degree of astringency was just unbearably unpleasant. Also, the tea had a strong smoky note to it that was also kind of unpleasant.

I thought it might mellow out as I progressed with infusions, but not much luck there. I mean, a little luck but the decline of the taste was so gradual that I just couldn’t picture myself sitting there and waiting it out.

C’est la vie. You can’t love them all.