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Ok, I would never have picked this one out to try, but it was Harney’s “Tea of the Moment” yesterday, and who am I to refuse a sample of tea? I don’t think I’m that big on darjeelings, generally, but I haven’t had a ton of them. Anyway, I tried it and I actually really liked it, so I ended up coming home with a couple of ounces.

The dry leaf smells a lot like an Earl Grey with some warm added caramel notes. It’s an interesting departure from something like an Earl Grey cream. When I think of darjeelings I think of high, bright notes, and those seem to come through even in the dry leaf. Steeped, the darjeeling base comes through more, highlighting what must be a bergamot citrus note. It’s not quite the same character as a lemon note, so I can’t believe this is just lemon. Underlying all that is a warm, burnt-sugar caramel aroma.

Still tasty, and I’m glad I get to try it here in a more controlled setting. It’s a very bright tea, between the citrus and the darjeeling, but the caramel definitely adds a sweet, soothing note that keeps it grounded. It really is kind of like a darjeeling Earl Grey; the caramel almost functions like a malty, caramely black tea base you might get from a traditional Earl Grey, but there’s no mistaking the darjeeling. I’m still really enjoying it, though, and while it might not need to be a cabinet staple, I’m glad I bought some to sip through. Earlier this year I had teapig’s Darjeeling Earl Grey and enjoyed it, so maybe darjeelings are growing on me?