Tea Campaign

1.5 tsp in 300mL water @95C, steeped five minutes.

An excellent basic Darjeeling. Everything that’s good about Darjeeling — the clean astringence, the tending towards almost a green tea in body and taste, and that glorious muscatel — is all here. This is a blend from one grand, Pussimbing. I find it benefits from a slightly longer steep than I usually go for with a black tea, five minutes versus four or four and a half, and with the lower water temp of 95 vs 100. The price is more than reasonable — a bargain, I’d argue, with 250 grams costing only $18.00 — the leaf organic and tested for hundreds of different residues, and, best of all, Tea Campaign is committed to improving the lives of tea workers.

1.5 tsp for 300mL @95C, steeped 4 minutes 15 seconds.

This is Tea Campaign’s “budget” Darjeeling, and it’s a steal. Dry leaf smells of muscatel. Some twigs. Wet leaf is green and bronze and smells strongly of Darjeeling. Liquor tends to a darker bronze with some down. Bright and astringent, lots of first flush notes and a assertive muscatel finish. Light body. Smooth mouth-feel. A sweetness that reminds me of a true Dragonwell.

This is a blend, but it comes form the one garden: Pussimbing.

Just delicious.