Thurbo Estate FTGFOP1 Tippy/Cl First Flush (DJ-45) TD54

I would have to compare this tea to one of those hard rock ballads that start out slow and sweet and then build to an emotional crescendo (“Stairway to Heaven” would be the archetype). In the first flush of adolescence, at those high school dances, these songs struck the perfect balance—the slow dance at the beginning and the air guitar at the end. The honey and tropical fruit flavors explode in the back of the mouth. I can’t imagine a better first flush experience.

My house is empty tonight, with my husband on a 75 mile backpacking trip with one of our sons in the Carolina foothills. I did my own 2 hour urban hike with the Atlanta Outdoor Club today, and having been gone most of the day, I’m feeling that pull to the tea cabinet. I’ve been neglecting my Darjeeling teas lately, and had forgotten about the Upton Premium Darjeeling Sampler I had purchased. The company offers quite a few sampler sets which consist of 4 tins, each holding 35 gms. They also offer all of their teas in individual samples. Upton describes this as one of the finest from the 2011 first flush season, so my expectations are high. Right off the bat, before even tasting it, I enjoy the nice aroma of this golden amber cup. The delicate sweet liquor has an elegance about it with its layers of flavor and accents of tropical fruit. So very different from an Assam or a China Congou, yet amazingly, still a part of the black tea family. There is so much variety among all the different teas, even though they are all from the same plant. This Darjeeling is quite nice and one that I would recommend trying.

Have been doing thunderdome rounds between 2 Uptons at a time. Drank this yesterday afternoon when Steepster was down, comparing it to Upton’s other Thurbo 1st flush. And I was doing a darjeeling-a-thon the whole day; later I compared two Thurbo 2nd flushes and then moved on to the Margaret’s Hopes.

These are both very light and gentle, yet still with lots of beautiful, feminine, light-as-air flavor (bless darjeelings!). They both brew up a pretty burnt gold/blonde wood hue. Definitely would not drink either of these with milk or sugar.

This one’s more muscatel, more flowery, more refreshing. Pretty sure I like it slightly better, but they’re both good! A tad more astringent, but that is not saying much as these are both so delicate and gentle astringency isn’t an issue.

I’ve just found a sample in my fridge and looks like it’s been there for a while. Though I actually do like Thurbo Estate FF Darjeelings, this one I would pass on. I can’t taste any of the described tropical fruit sweetness. My sample on the contrary is astringent, with a bitter and dry aftertaste.