Giddapahar Classic Autumn Black Tea (2016)

This was the final autumn Darjeeling sample I finished. I found this to be the softest and arguably cleanest tea of the bunch. It was a very mild, mellow tea with extremely subtle aromas and flavors. In some ways, it was similar to the tea from the Goomtee Estate that I recently reviewed, but simultaneously displayed greater complexity and a gentler, subtler nature.

I prepared this tea in the Western style. I steeped about 3 grams of loose leaf material in approximately 8 ounces of 194 F water for 5 minutes. I did not attempt any additional infusions.

Prior to infusion, I was able to detect subtle woody, floral aromas from the dry leaf material. After infusion, I detected only slightly stronger impressions of flowers, wood, and malt on the nose. In the mouth, I noted delicate flavors of wood, malt, roasted almond, herbs, and some sort of flower (I could not identify it) on the entry that soon gave way to impressions of cream, raisins, grass, birch bark, Muscatel, and plums. The finish was gentle, offering vague, lingering notes of flowers, raisins, roasted almonds, and malt.

This was yet another really nice autumn flush Darjeeling. Like the others, it was subtle and easygoing, yet also had a lot to offer. I am definitely glad I tried this one.