Himalayan Day Dream - Nepal Organic SFTGFOP1

This is a really nice tea. I am really sad it is only sold in sample sizes. I used the whole packet, which looks like a lot for 5g. It brews up a happy golden brown liquor with nice malty bread notes as well as some grapes on the vine.

From the Lewis & Clark TTB from a while ago! I thought there was only a teaspoon left in the sample, but it was close to two. I used both teaspoons. I have no idea how to steep this one, but I wouldn’t recommend anyone trying two tsps. for a mug in the future… it’s a little too much. I love that even when a tea disappears from a tea shop’s own website, Steepster keeps some info to act as a guide. I think two teaspoons might have been too much for this one — the flavor is a little drying and bitter. But I love the orange color of the steep. The dry leaves look like a mixture — some even look like a herb of some kind. The flavor is difficult to decipher, especially as I probably ruined it with two teaspoons. I can’t piece out any of those great Darjeeling flavors. It’s kind of just bitter and dry. It’s a shame, but that’s why steeping instructions would help.
Steep #1 // 2 tsps. // 20 min after boiling // 2 min
Steep #2 // 20 min after boiling // 2 min

Finishing off this sample, finally. :) This is a really nice tea. I’ve been drinking a lot of Chinese black teas recently, so it’s interesting to go back to an Indian/Nepalese black and be reminded how different they are. This is quite floral for me today, smooth and medium-bodied, with a bit of grapey fruitiness on the finish. Just a tiny bit of acidity and astringency emerging as I get to the bottom of the mug.

Lewis & Clarke TTB

The name of this tea piqued my interest! The leaves definitely look similar to a Darjeeling, with a mix of green and grey colors. They are rather small in size and appear to be quite broken up. Dry scent is musty hay and raw grains – it definitely reminds me of white tea. Their steeping parameters call for a 5-8 minute steep at boiling, but that seemed excessive to me…

Once brewed, the aroma is quite sweet and fruity with a bit of floral mixed in. There’s also some bread with honey on top in there. Happily for me, the floral isn’t overly strong in the taste. The beginning and middle of the sip are heavily grainy or bready with honey notes and a touch of fruit, and the floral comes out near the end and in the aftertaste. I don’t know much about Darjeeling, but it may not be a genre I should pursue based on this – the floral aftertaste is quite strong and definitely soapy to me. The beginning of this tea reminds me of Yunnan, but the end is too floral. :(