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“I went on a small Mahamosa spree recently (I LOVE their EG Cream), and I decided to try some teas of nationalities with which I was not familiar. I got a Russian tea, a Kenyan tea, and this...” Read full tasting note
rom the Antu Valley Tea Estate in Antu Ridge part of Nepal. Antu Ridge is nestled in the foothills of the snow covered Himalayan Range and grows some of the finest tea in the world. The original Darjeeling grant of 1828 from the Raja of Sikkim was a hilly tract lying between the Mahananda and Balasan rivers. In 1838, Dr. Campbell resolved the long pending issue of the boundary between Sikkim and Nepal and the hilly tract between the Mechi and Balasan rivers was added to the Darjeeling grant. Thus the Antu Ridge – beyond the Mechi River, remained a part of Nepal. Antu Ridge is located in the geographical extension, contiguous to both Nepal and Darjeeling part of India. Situated at an altitude of 1600 feet, Antu, at times wrongly spelt Oontoo Ridge is a breath taking sight. The pristine purity of the environment, the natural beauty of the lower area of the Singalila range of the eastern Himalayas has proved to be highly favourable to the cultivation of the High grown ‘Bio-Clonal Teas’. Present Ilam teas of Nepal are grown on these ridges, which face the beautiful Kanchanjunga Peaks. Antu Valley produces high grown Orthodox Ilam (Nepal) Teas, which are the finest in the world. The pollution free surroundings, the cool and moist climate, the soil, the rainfall and the sloping terrain all combine to give Antu teas unique flavour and distinctive bouquet. The young clonal bushes and the ‘Silver Tips’ help make – Antu teas unique. Being a relatively small producer in terms of quantity, the Antu Valley Tea Estate is able to maintain strict quality control during every stage of manufacturing process, done under hygienic conditions in a near dust and bacteria free environment. Biological cultivation of clonal tea add the extra edge over any other brand of Tea. To learn more about the Antu Valley Tea Estate visit the following link: http://tea-affair.com/antu%20valley.htm.
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I went on a small Mahamosa spree recently (I LOVE their EG Cream), and I decided to try some teas of nationalities with which I was not familiar. I got a Russian tea, a Kenyan tea, and this Nepalese tea.
I prepared this in the gaiwan tonight. I started reading a guidebook-type thing to tea yesterday, and it makes me want to be more precise and refined with my tea brewing.
So of course I completely did not measure the amount of time on the first steep at all. It’s somewhere between 30-45 s.
The dry leaves are mostly small and dark brown-black with some lighter flecks. There are longer leaves among the short ones. Wet leaves lighten in color, and have a fairly full-bodied wood/mud aroma. Liquor is on the lighter side of amber.
The word that comes to mind when tasting it is “mulch.” I’m not sure why. It’s almost a woodsy flavor, but it’s just on this side of earthy-astringent. It’s actually fairly brisk.
The flavor grows another angle on the second steep. It’s a flavor whose angle goes “down,” goes deeper. It’s a flavor that I’d normally find kind of weird in other things, but here it’s just part of the experience. It’s hard to describe, but I keep wanting to say mud? There’s something almost mossy about it. An edge of something resembling sweetness.
On the third steep, the highs and lows of the tea have evened out, but the woodsiness is more defined. Now I really imagine gnawing on mulch, or even wood products. It’s a pleasantly rounded flavor.
Had I not taken the time to do the very involved tasting with this – complete with gaiwan and slurps – I would have probably drank it and thought, “Eh, that’s alright.” Honestly, it doesn’t jump out and grab me, but I find it enjoyable, especially during this third sip in which the woodsiness comes out.
