02.28.07
T Ching Online Tasting: Darjeeling Oolongs
posted by Phyll | 26 comments
This past week I tasted five Darjeeling oolong teas from five different producers. Three of these teas are the main subjects of our online tasting activity at hand. Suffice to say that I am impressed by the unique taste and individuality of each tea, considering that all of them sprang from the same region.
Thank you to the Lochans of the Lochan Tea Limited in Darjeeling, India for providing the tea samples.
Without further ado, I am honored to commence T Ching's first online tasting event. My esteemed friends in tea please post your opinions below.
TEAS BEING TASTED
- Castleton Moonlight Oolong, Darjeeling
- Glenburn Snow Oolong, Darjeeling
- Hillton Nutty Oolong, Darjeeling
PROFILES OF THE ESTATES
CASTLETON
Kurseong, in Darjeeling, is a quiet, unassuming town, much loved by the solitude seeker. On the Darjeeling Toy Train route, this charming little town is affectionately called Land of the White Orchid. And among the lush tea plantations that lie across these hills is the Castleton Tea Estate. Owned by the Goodricke Group, is also the first garden to receive the ISO 9002 certification. With a planted area of over 170 hectars, Castleton produces 30,545 kgs of tea. As one of the top producers in Darjeeling, Castleton recently surpassed its own previous world records by fetching Rs. 15,000 (around US $360) per kg (2.2 lbs).
GLENBURN
Started by a Scottish tea company in 1860, Glenburn tea estate is located at Darjeeling and has 1600 acres of tea planted with breathtaking views of Kanchenjunga mountain range, stretching from an elevation of 3700 ft. all the way down to two rivers and a valley, two leaves and a bud…..Acre upon acre of rolling tea bush and forest….A house on a hill, a Himalayan sunrise and a tea garden that still marches to a century-old beat. Famous for its delicate, flowery nose, and clear liquor, Glenburn teas have been long prized in the west for their unique characteristics.
HILLTON
Ambiok is located on the way between Kalimpong Town and Sombaray Bazar in Gurubathan. It lies about 80 kilometers South-East of Kalimpong Town also called Teesta Valley of Darjeeling at an altitude ranging from 600 mts to 1770 mts.. It has a planted area of 375 acres and produces 170,000 kilos of tea.
February 28th, 2007 at 5:20 am
Castleton Moonlight
Parameter: Porcelain teapot; Crystal Geyser spring bottled water; 1 heaped teaspoon; 240ml / 8oz; temp 95-100 º C; steeped for 3 minutes
Small-sized, thinly rolled length-wise, many leaves covered in white fur. Plenty of diced leaves. Colors range from white to gray to dark brown and black. Dry leaves smells sweet, which reminds me of an Edelweiss flower smell, accompanied with highly toned yellow fruits and muscatel. Excellent nose overall. The liquor is medium amber-brown with excellent clarity. The taste and aftertaste are subtle and subdued, exhibiting the lightness of a white tea. The body is supple, round, and smooth. The wet leaves emanate an exotic nose of Indian spices. This is a more subtle and subdued oolong. 3 stars (g)
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Glenburn Snow
Parameter: Porcelain teapot; Crystal Geyser spring bottled water; 1 heaped teaspoon; 240ml / 8oz; temp 95-100 º C; steeped for 4 minutes
The greenest looking and the largest cut leaves overall among the three teas being tasted. Colors range from white to ash green and various shades of brown. Plenty of thinly twist-rolled, hair covered leaves. The liquor is amber-brown with excellent clarity. A pronounced and upfront sweet muscatel aroma, peach, mango, and a slight edge of green…it reminds me of a very nice 1st flush tea but without the astringency bite. The aftertaste arrived rather slow (~10 secs after swallowing) but it's unmistakably sweet, nutty and flowery. Medium bodied, supple and smooth (very fine, dusty tannin). A relaxing tea with classic Darjeeling aromas and a pleasant aftertaste. 4 stars (vg)
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Hillton Nutty
Parameter: Porcelain teapot; Crystal Geyser spring bottled water; 1 heaped teaspoon; 240ml / 8oz; temp 95-100 º C; steeped for 4 minutes
The dry leaves are small and inconsistently rolled. Some leaves are open and some are twist-rolled. Colors are inconsistent…with shades of green and brown. The nose of the dry leaves is complex: pistachio, peach, mango, muscatel. The liquor is round and smooth with very fine and almost non-existent tannin. Amber-brown with excellent clarity. All the tastes are well integrated together, giving the impression of a subtle yet highly aromatic tea. Finishes short with some yellow fruits taste. Quite a classy tea overall. The rather short aftertaste is made up by the tea’s other charms. 3.5 stars (g - vg)
February 28th, 2007 at 11:38 am
I gave this my best shot but feel as though I lack a vocabulary for describing the distinctions that my senses notice. In a nutshell, the Moonlight was the lightest and most subtle. The snow was the most viscous but a bit harsh. My favorite was the Wiry Nutty for its distinct and complex taste.
Thanks for including me in the experiment. I will be curious to compare notes with the other tasters and see what the trained palates have to say.
Moonlight Oolong (3.5)
Preparation: Filtered tap water. 2 heaping tsps in 16 oz of water in porcelain tea pot. Initial rinse with immediate discard. Steeped at 200F for 4 min.
The aroma of the Moonlight had a slight hint of earthiness. The color was light amber and clear. Viscosity was light… almost watery. Flavor was subtle, mild, clear and quite pleasant, although not really distinct. I expected a stronger, earthier flavor based on my previous experience with Oolong teas (although, I think, my first Darjeeling Oolong).
Snow Oolong (3)
Preparation: Filtered tap water. 2 heaping tsps in 16 oz of water in porcelain tea pot. Initial rinse with immediate discard. Steeped at 200F for 4 min.
Aroma: somewhat. Color: earthy and gold. Viscosity: much heavier than Moonlight. Flavor was smokey, that lingered in my mouth with a fermented character that came through.
4 min. brew was a bit strong for my taste, 3 minute was better.
Wiry Nutty (4.5)
Preparation: Filtered tap water. 2 heaping tsps in 16 oz of water in porcelain tea pot. Initial rinse with immediate discard. Steeped at 200F for 4 min.
Aroma: strongest of the 3 samples, rather pungent and earthy. Color: light amber. Viscosity: moderate (in the middle between Moonlight and Snow). The taste was sharp and spread out, complex and distinct. Much my favorite of the three which is a surprise because the aroma was by far the strongest of the three samples, and I have been turned off by strong oolong in the past.
This tea has more character than the other two. It has complexity which I enjoyed.
February 28th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Snow Oolong
Glenburn Gardens
Darjeeling
Score: 3.5
Water: Fiji Brand, bottled water
Cup: 8oz.
Temperature: 200 degrees F
Time: 3 minutes
Amount: 2.4 gr
Infusions: attempted 4/ reality 3
Dry leaves: small, grey-green, crisp and curled
Wet leaves: brown-green, small-medium leaf and a few buds, wirey “tails” (stems),
colour consistant throughout leaf
Liquor 1st Infusion:
Colour and clarity: golden topaz, warm, pale amber
very clear
Aroma: very sweet, slightly floral, delicate candy-like scent
Tasting: a) initially sweet and delicate; then slightly flowery, subtle camellia bud flavor. No toastiness to speak of, almondy and slightly fruity b) finish - slightly astringent c) mouth-feel: lacking robustness, slightly tingling
Liquor 2nd Infusion (4 minutes):
Colour and clarity: paler amber, deeper topaz meniscus, very clear
Aroma: sweet, deeper floral tones, almonds
Tasting: sweet, floral, very subtle almond flavour, no toastiness, and deeper astringency in the finish
Liquor 3rd Infusion (5 minutes):
Colour and clarity: very pale amber, still very clear
Aroma: faded, still slightly sweet
Tasting: slightly almondy, somewhat floral, losing sweetness and somewhat insipid
Conclusion: a tasty, delicate tea with very subtle flavours. I would need to drink this tea without food to appreciate its subtlety. It does not hold up well to multiple infusions, losing a great deal of its character and becoming insipid.
Moonlight Oolong
Castleton Estate
Darjeeling
Score: 5
Water: Fiji Brand, bottled water
Cup: 8 oz.
Temperature: 200 degrees F
Time: 4 minutes
Amount: 2.4 gr
Infusions: 3
Dry leaves: small, deep olive-green, curled, some paler grey-green tone, crisp
Wet leaves: small-to-medium leaves, some stem, green-brown with very faintly red-brown casts
Colour and clarity: very clear and bright, deeper amber with deep topaz and reddish meniscus
Aroma: sweet, ripe fruits, no toasty tones, slightly floral, toasted marshmallow and cream sherry or muscatel
Tasting: ripe autumn fruits, slightly “peachy”, sweet and flowery, yet not brazen; some astringency in the finish
Liquor 2nd Infusion ( 5 minutes):
Colour and clarity: Bright, clear, amber and topaz, coppery
Aroma: peachy, honey, almonds and muscatel
Tasting: rich, ripe fruit, ripe pears, very sweet and slightly floral, creamy and delicate almonds and faint vanilla; slightly astringent finish - delicious
Liquor 3rd Infusion: (5.75 minutes)
Colour and clarity: warm, coppery amber; very clear
Aroma: canned fruit, very faint vanilla, slightly floral
Tasting: slightly sweet, small taste of vanilla and almonds (marzipan), fruity
Conclusion: This is a delightful tea. Perfect at the end of a meal, with sweets or by itself. The lovely, delicate fruity flavour does not diminish in multiple infusions. The “peachiness” of the liquor is noticeable throughout with a wonderful balance or fruit and nut. A very, enjoyable dessert or “taking tea” tea. Tell me where to purchase this stuff and I’d but it in a moment.
Nutty Oolong
Hillton Estate
Darjeeling
Score: 4.50
Water: Fiji Brand, bottled water
Cup: 8 oz.
Temperature: 200 degrees F
Time: 4 minutes
Amount: 2.4 gr
Infusions: 3
Dry leaves: brown-green (more oxidation), some very small leaves - mostly medium size
Wet leaves: small, rich, warm brown with deep brown-red tones. no buds and minimal stem.
Colour and clarity: deep, rich amber with deep golden-reddish-brown meniscus.
Aroma: roasted fall fruit - persimmons, pears, some vanilla and profound almond
Tasting: first notice: sweet, then rich, robust almond and roasted fruit, some vanilla or caramel. astringent finish but not cloying.
Liquor 2nd Infusion: ( 5 minutes)
Colour and clarity: bright,clear, deep golden amber
Aroma: still almondy, some fruit - autumnal: persimmons and pears, some marzipan, toasty
Tasting: more dense and quite smooth, somewhat robust and “nutty”, almonds, dried and roasted fruit, somewhat toasty with muscatel and sherry tones.
Liquor 3rd Infusion: (5.5 minutes)
Colour and clarity: slightly paler topaz, warm golden tones and very clear
Aroma: undoubtedly nutty, warm fruit compote and pronounced almond tones; some muscatel
Tasting: smooth, slightly muscatel, somewhat robust with nice nutty tones, slightly, very slightly malty, very slight astringent finish
Conclusion: a wonderful tea. Not brazen; but robust and balanced with toasted nut flavour and a delicate muscatel sweetness. Holds up in multiple infusions without insipidity and would fend well with food - spicy entrees (curries or Moroccan, particularly) or winter, spicy desserts. A very adaptable, delicious tea.
February 28th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Prelude:
Many thanks to Mr. Lochan, the T-Ching tea company, and Phyll Sheng for the opportunity to get involved with this tea-tasting. It's great to see that established tea-makers are interested in a little experimentation with preparation methods outside the norm; what better way to innovate?
A little bit of background, so that my review might be taken in context: I've been enjoying darjeelings since my school days, and consider it an essential part of my tea collection, drinking first and second flushes from estates large and small on a regular basis. I am particularly interested to see how the wulong-style methodology will vary the teas with which I have the fortune to be fairly familiar.
Overall, I found these to be refreshing teas, and a great first step in the direction of a new flavour. I feel that the endurance of darjeeling, as well as its rich and complex aroma/flavour profile, has been sacrificed for little gain in these incarnations, but the potential is definitely there. I look forward to seeing how future experiments in this genre further improve the leaf. In particular, I would welcome more robust aftertastes and aroma. A great start.
Tea 1: “Snow” Darjeeling Wulong
Method: 10cl zisha pot. “Caledonian Springs” mineral water, @ 90 degrees C. Single rinse.
Dry leaf: longer than most darjeelings; twisted, of course. Very tippy, lots of white fur — presumably giving rise to the name. Much more green colour than usual darjeelings, intriguingly.
1 - 10s: Gently sweet beidixiang [initial cup-scent after inverting the aroma- and tasting-cups]. Releasing lots of burned-sugar aromas in the lengxiang [the scent to which the aroma gradually cools, in the aroma cup]. Yellow soup, with an unusual green hue that relates back to the observation of green in the dry leaves. The colour is much more wulong than hongcha, which is an interesting first encounter. The roast is evident, though the base flavours remain close to darjeeling. Quite sour at the end of the flavour, which is something I rather enjoy in a darjeeling. Not much in the way of aftertaste. Good clarity, as one might expect from a darjeeling. Some grain in the flavour, some old, crystallised honey, especially at the end, under the rear of the tongue.
2 — 15: Deeper orange soup, akin to a heavily-roasted wulong. A smooth texture. The aroma is not enduring, and fades rapidly, indicating lack of stamina in the leaf. This is further confirmed by my rather hearty infusion times, which indicate that the tea needs longer infusions in order to get the most out of it. The aftertaste is very quiet, unfortunately. The scent of the pot is very green, but still ultimately darjeeling. Feels quite highly caffeinated (not chaqi).
3 — 25s: One has to be quite forceful with this leaf in order to get flavour from it. No danger of overbrewing, even given the large quantity of leaf being used. Light and elegant, but ultimately a bit timid.
4 — 45s: Despite the excessively long infusion times (compared to standard wulong, or standard darjeeling), the strength and complexity of aroma and flavour have faded significantly.
Used leaves: good quality, with lots of tips. Surprisingly green. Lots of classically-wulong bruised red edges. Hand-picked.
Overall: a light darjeeling; it has lost its lovely huskiness that I enjoy from the basic tea-type, and lost its lavender-and-herb finish, but retained the graininess that I enjoy. In exchange for these sacrifices, it has gained a wulong roasted flavour, which provides a pleasant caramel background. Not stunning, but gentle and pleasant.
Tea 2: “Moonlight” Darjeeling Wulong
Method: 10cl zisha pot. “Caledonian Springs” mineral water, @ 90 degrees C. Single rinse.
Dry leaf: quite tippy, but not as immensely so as the “snow” sample. Browns, light and dark, rather than the previous greens. Fragrant — it's very close to being a straight darjeeling in aroma.
1 — 10s: Amber soup, good clarity. Malted bean scent. Slightly heavier than the previous sample, which is no bad thing. Old sugar in the lengxiang. This is a little more interesting. It carries the high notes of darjeeling, but with a broad, grain-like base, almost bean. Malted barley, bran. Very little aftertaste. Some pleasing traces of tea-oil on the lips. Again, very light in strength despite the large leaf quantity. Very hard to overbrew, in relation to other (non-wulong) darjeelings, or Chinese wulongs.
2 — 15s: The aroma has taken a nose-dive in strength. Sweetness of flavour, some sourness at the end. Refreshing, rather than interesting.
3 — 30s: No aroma to speak of. A hint of chocolate in the flavour, presumably from the roast, which is pleasant. Lots of caffeine.
4 — 60s: Some aroma coaxed out after an inordinately long infusion. I would classify this as more “autumnal harvest” than “midnight”, but of course this will vary from palate to palate. It has the good sour mid-taste of darjeeling, which I love, but the aftertaste is absent.
Used leaves: these look more like classical darjeeling. All brown/red. Good tips and stems, similar to the previous. Hand-picked.
Overall: malty, refreshing, but so impotent. No aftertaste, little aroma. Elementary flavour profile. Light darjeeling, without too much purpose.
Tea 3: “Nutty” Darjeeling Wulong
Method: 10cl zisha pot. “Caledonian Springs” mineral water, @ 90 degrees C. Single rinse.
Dry leaf: a range of mid-browns and greens; some silver tips. Heavier end of the darjeeling aroma scale.
1 — 10s: A pleasant sharpness. Sickly sweet (which is great, to my taste-buds). Little in the way of nuts!
2 — 20s: Amber-brown soup. Almost non-existent aroma, smelling merely “warm”. I prefer the sharpness and sourness of this to the previous samples. Not floral, this sample has retained the bass notes of the darjeeling leaf.
3 — 45s: Intense over brewing (in duration) does not, amazingly, result in an over brewed infusion — it's still quite weak. Butter and caramel aroma, which is very light. Insipid, watery character.
Used leaf: The grade seems similar to the previous. This leaf is mostly red, as if it has experienced the most oxidation/roasting of the three samples.
Overall: Smooth, sour, but, ultimately, a good first step on the way to (one hopes) greatness.
February 28th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Thanks for providing the Evaluation Sheets in MS Word format, Phyll. However, I attempted my first tasting of these Darjeeling Oolongs without them in order to provide feedback today. I will use them to do a second tasting with the remaining tea and will provide additional comments if I have any new observations. I’d like to preface my comments with the acknowledgment that I am very new to drinking loose leaf teas. While I’m sure I’ve consumed Chinese oolong tea from a tea bag and certainly been served Oolong in a restaurant, I’ve never purchased looseleaf Chinese or Darjeeling Oolong. In truth, my favorite teas are traditionally flavored teas (Earl Grey, Jasmine Green) which certainly indicates something about my taste preferences. With that I offer the following observations about how the three samples “stack cup”:
To my palate there was very little difference between all three of these Darjeeling Oolongs.
Hillton Nutty was slightly more richly flavored, perhaps sweeter and so my Best of the three. Aroma was indiscernibly different from the others. The leaves were smaller (or more broken?) and ruddier than the others.
Glenburn Snow was my second choice, although steeping 3 minutes, very weak. But there was a mossy/woodsy tone that gave it a subtly different character. Aroma of tea was bland. Leaves retain slightly more green color than the others.
Castleton Moonlight was my least favorite of the three. It simply had a bit less character than the other two. Bland Aroma.
I find myself wondering if a more sophisticated tea drinker, who has consumed much Chinese Oolong, has anything to say about a comparison between Chinese and Darjeeling Oolong. I look forward to seeing the comments of all the other participants in this tasting. Thanks so much for this fun experiment…..
February 28th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
It’s been a while since I’ve had much Darjeeling teas. I tend to prefer higher fired oolongs, like DHP’s and Dancongs. So, to be fair, I brewed up some loose putabong from Teavanna as a base for comparison. Yeah yeah… but I had some, and it’s better than the bag tea alternative. All brews were done in 2 minute steeps, with the suggested parameters.
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I started with the “Nutty” since I do like nutty roasty teas.
The leaves here were not high grade, and kinda thin and chopped, and I think that was reflected in their dryness. This tea was very floaty and took longer than most to sink, and hydrate.
The liquor was darker brown/gold than the rest, and had a nutty/spicy aroma but not so much a nutty flavor. The initial brew had a bit of a dry mouth feel to it, and something a little edgy in the back of the tongue that did not appeal to me. The second brew smoothed out though, but overall was a bit dry.
There is a flavor here that’s a bit different. It’s sort of bai hao-ish, but not exactly the same. The indian heritage though was still clear.
This one.. I think kinda misses for me.
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Next was Snow.
The leaves here were mostly intact smaller leaves with a lot of buds of good quality. This one has lots of those tiny hairs, and initially I thought the liquor was a little cloudy, but it was just the hairs in suspension. After brewing, there were clearly a lot of fluffy hairs in the strainer. Not a bad thing, and kinda interesting.
The liquor on this one was lighter and golden, with a fruity/floral aroma. This one tasted less darjeeling, and very neutral and smooth in the mouth. There’s just a little bit of that Indian tea-ness to it. I’m not sure there’s alot to describe here, just a smooth and pleasant tea. No warts, but not a lot of wow either.
I could see this tea in like.. a PF Chan restaurant kinda setting. Something better than average and neutral enough to satisfy most people, without turning anyone off.
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Finally, there was “moonlight”.
The leaves here were mostly intact and had a lot of the 1 leaf, 1 sprout variety tips.
The liquor was a nice golden/orange color, with a melon rind kinda aroma. It also seemed thicker than the others, and on par with a better oolong.
Of the 3, I think this one was most like a medium roast Chinese oolong, and if I wasn’t paying a lot of attention I might forget it was Indian. There still a little bit of Indian leaf taste, but I don’t think it really detracts from the flavor, and I kinda liked it.
I tried a gongfu brewing on this one in addition to the long steep. The non-Chinese roots became more apparent with more leaf, but still. I think flavors meld with the oolong style pretty decently.
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I wouldn’t say any of these are the greatest oolong’s ever, but the snow was decent, and I enjoyed the moonlight. Indian oolongs may merit some attention in the near future. Now.. if they could do a da hong pao, or dancong……
February 28th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Glenburn Snow
Score: 3 out of 5
Parameter: Poland Spring, 200 º F, 3g/8oz teapot - 2g in a gaiwan; Rinsed Tea in gaiwan, then 15s, 30s, 1min. Teapot, 3min
Visual observation:
Lots of silver tips gave the tea a snowy look. More even oxidation than with the nutty oolong. Again, leaves were somewhat broken due to handling, but not as much as the nutty.
Taste and aroma:
It was really interesting how different the flavors were between the teapot and each of the three gaiwan brewings. The teapot gave a nicely complex flavor, although not what I’d expect from an oolong. Dry finish (like what we found with the nutty, but much less so) and full body. Each of the gaiwan brewings differed greatly from one another. The first had a wonderfully sweet aroma, much like my favorite oolongs. The third’s aroma and taste was all Darjeeling, with the second somewhere in between. The color in all cases was a nice amber -honey color.
Other observation:
This was a pleasant tea. I’d happily drink it, but wouldn’t seek it out. The flavor was just a bit too weak for my taste. Interestingly, both of the Darjeeling oolongs I’ve sampled so far have seemed to be more highly caffeinated than what I’m accustomed to in oolongs.
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Hillton Nutty
Score: 2 out of 5
Parameter: Poland Spring, 200 º F, ~2.5g/8oz teapot — Remainder in a gaiwan; Rinsed the leaves. Initial brewing 4 min, second brewing 5 min (Used remaining tea to brew in a more traditional oolong style… rinse, 10 sec, 30 sec, 1 min)
Visual observation:
Pretty silver tips scattered throughout. Leaves were slightly crumpled rather than rolled or balled, this meant that many of the leaves were broken. After steeping it was really clear that the leaves had not achieved an even level of oxidation, some were very green while others were much darker. They opened entirely in one 4min brewing in the teapot, but had a chance to unfurl more slowly in the gaiwan.
Taste and aroma:
Mild, this tea is mild. Very pretty golden honey color. But, the flavor, aroma and body were all incredibly mild. There were essences of both traditional oolong and Darjeeling aromas and tastes present. On the second gaiwan brewing I finally got a stronger aroma that reminded me of a good oolong, but it was still very weak. The third gaiwan brewing brought out the nutty essences I’d been expecting. Unfortunately, it reminded us of the sensation you get when eating a bit of the papery substance found on walnuts.
Other observation:
It’s simply an okay tea. I wouldn’t turn it away if served it, but would never order it.
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Castleton Moonlight
Score: 4 out of 5
Parameter: Poland Spring, 200 º F, 2.5g; 15sec, 30sec, 45 sec, 1min — in a gaiwan; Teapot 4 min
Visual observation:
Nice silver tips and even oxidation. The leaves were still crumpled, resulting in some breakage, but not as bad as the Nutty Oolong.
Taste and aroma:
From the teapot, the hot scents and flavors were that of a Darjeeling, and not an Oolong when brewed via the recommended instructions. After it cooled down a bit, the oolong aroma came out. Brewing with the gaiwan, the oolong aroma was noticeable from the first brewing with flowery and fruity overtones, and made me long for Taiwanese style sniffing cups. It also had a nice rounded flavor, and weak Oolong elements. On subsequent brewings, the Darjeeling elements became more pronounced.
Other observation:
This was a nice tea. Certainly both Darjeeling purists and Oolong purists would be unsatisfied, but if you are looking for a blending of both traditions, this tea hit the mark. This was the last of the teas we tried, and it was by far the best of the lot.
February 28th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Qualifier: I feel it incumbent upon myself to qualify my notes. I am not at all familiar with Indian teas (other than Ayurvedic tisanes), or black teas. I also, unfortunately, have been cursed with an over abundance of bitter taste receptors on my tongue. As a result, I tend to be much more sensitive to the bitter taste in things than most people (which is also why I tend to react more negatively to some red wines than most people). Although I realize that many people find the stronger mouth feel of the tannins in certain teas appealing because of their greater robustness, my mouth feel gets overwhelmed by the bitterness. Since I followed Rajiv Lochan’s recommendations with the time parameters, I think I will have a go at it again using much shorter times and see how I do with that. Despite the above, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to learn more about Indian teas and to better train my palate. Having said all of that, here are my comments.
Glenburn Snow (3.5)
Parameters: White porcelain tasting cup; Ozonated and filtered tap water; 200 deg. F; 2 min steeping time; 3 gr.
Dry leaves were an interesting mixture of individual buds with a Silver Needle-like appearance and obviously more oxidized leaves with the thin, striped shape appearance of some of the Chinese or Taiwanese oolongs but not quite as long. I found the aroma of the dry leaves to possess an earthy, even somewhat slightly musty characteristic. The aroma of the steeped leaves had a very lovely mixture of what I consider a classic Darjeeling nose combined with an underlying fragrance of maple syrup. The liquor had a moderately dark amber color. I found the taste to be moderately bitter with a “black tea” character. Subsequent steepings brought fading aroma but lingering bitterness.
Wiry Nutty (2.5)
Parameters: same as above
The dry leaves were small broken pieces with a lot of fannings. The dry leaves had a very nice sweet Darjeeling aroma. The steeped leaves had an earthy character with a little underlying hint of the same maple syrup aroma. I found the taste of this tea to be the most robust, but also the most bitter. It had a strong mouth feel that lingered on the tongue. It strongly resembled a black tea to me. Subsequent steepings revealed a continued hint of underlying sweetness and a slight mustiness. The taste continued to present with a strong mouth feel and bitterness that remained on the tongue.
Castleton Moonlight (4)
The dry leaves had a very appealing and quality appearance with a mixture of intact buds and leaves of silver tips and oxidized leaves. The dry leaves gave off no aroma that I could detect, which was a bit surprising. This tea had a wonderfully strong maple syrup fragrance along with the familiar Darjeeling characteristics. Although I did detect a slight bitterness upon first sampling this tea, it was clearly the least of all three. I found it to have a very light and appealing mouth feel that didn’t overwhelm my bitter receptors and allowed me to enjoy the underlying taste of the sweetness of this Darjeeling.
I can’t say that I felt that any of these teas presented similar to what I am familiar with as Oolong teas. I did, however, enjoy my first real foray into learning more about Indian teas.
March 1st, 2007 at 1:03 am
Mr. Lochan, can you share with us more information about these 3 teas such as:
- Which harvest year and season?
- Why does the Hillton Nutty, which I understand to be a rarer and more expensive tea, has more fannings and diced leaves than the others?
- What production method do these teas go through (CTC/hand/combination of both)? I noticed inconsistent size, color and shape of leaves in all 3 teas.
Thank you.
March 1st, 2007 at 1:33 am
I’ve only had a chance to review the Nutty Oolong so far, since I’ve been out of town for all last week, but here are my notes:
I used a small gaiwan (1 1/2 oz.) with 1.5 g of tea, since my first effort with more water and less tea didn’t really bring out the flavors that I knew where inherent in this tea.
The dry aroma, after being placed in the warm gaiwan, immediately explained the “nutty” moniker. I thought that it rather smelled of black walnuts.
My infusions were 30, 45 and 90 seconds. This seems to be a complex tea, with alternating sweet and spicy notes. I couldn’t figure out the spice, but it’s some kind of perfume-like Indian spice. The leaves were quick a choppy mix, and a was surprised to find white a few green leaves mixed in with the more oxidized leaves. A short lived aftertaste maintained some of the sweetness in the tea. A little bit of harshness can be detected as well, especially as the tea cools down a bit.
Overall, this was an enjoyable tea, with the oxidation bringing out some interesting flavors beyond the typical darjeeling profile. (4.0)
I’ll try to get to the other two teas ASAP.
Steven
March 1st, 2007 at 2:18 am
nutty oolong
*glacier springs water, 100 degrees, 240ml, 1 teaspoon nutty oolong
*first brew (4 minutes)
leaves broken
smell very sweet (over-ripe fruit) with a little grassiness.
definitely tell it's darjeeling, though not as astringent smelling.
definitely not “oolong” tasting (or, not like the formosan oolongs I drink). I wouldn't call it oolong. it's like darjeeling with that same fruity/flowery overtone
it's quite smooth, but much too light for my liking (love the full body of darjeeling). will try increasing steeping time, see if i get more body with the same smoothness.
astringent huigan with a flavor that lingers for half a minute, but not more
dirty gold color
score 3
* second brew (5 minutes)
maintains color, but despite longer brewing, even less flavor than before.
astringency more pronounced
honestly, not really enjoyable.
score 1
* third brew (4 minutes, 120ml)
more vibrant flavor—a little more of the fruitiness has returned (should have only used 2/3 cup water all along perhaps), but you can still tell that the leaves are “used”. astringent.
score 2
moonlight oolong
glacier springs water, 100 degrees, 240ml, 1.5 teaspoon nutty oolong
(after the prior tasting, decided to increase the amount of leaves per water)
first brew
(4 minutes)
very light aroma, not as overtly fruity/fragrant as the nutty oolong. more subdued, more of a “classic oolong” smell.
lighter amber color with a touch of green.
unfortunately, misses on both the full-body of the darjeeling and the complexity of oolongs.
aftertaste is pleasant, pure darjeeling with a little longer huigan than darjeeling. nice. fades quickly.
like last, very dry mouth feel.
o score 2
* second brew
(4 minutes)
the leaves have “woken up” now. sweeter, richer, fuller taste. Darjeeling, with a little bit of fruity/nuttiness above it. Still very straightforward, though (not as complex as I'd hope a good oolong to be). Pleasant astringency like a good oolong. The aftertaste is still short and has lots of “darjeeling” flavor.
score 3.75
* third brew
score 2
wish I knew what the difference was the second time, the leaves are back to the banality of the first brew.
little bit of sweetness in the taste at the onset, but fades to very astringent, lightly colored water. You can tell the leaves are used up.
not too much aftertaste/huigan.
* first and third brewings are disappointing, but the second one was so good, I'd like to try this again using “gong fu” style and see what happens.
snow oolong
* glacier springs water, 100 degrees, 240ml, 1.5 teaspoon nutty oolong
* flowery/nutty smell rather than fruity
* first brew (3 minutes 20 seconds)
this is by far the best of the 3. glad I saved it for last.
starts with a rich flowery/nutty taste and finishes with classic darjeeling taste. complex and sweet.
slight huigan, which is the only thing really lacking in this tea. will try brewing it for 4 minutes the next time to attempt to elicit more.
dries the mouth, but pleasantly.
score 4.5 . Really enjoyed this one.
* second brew (4 minutes)
the 4 minutes did its work, the tea is dark.
floral taste still very strong at the onset, but the nuttiness and oolong tastes are faded quite a bit. mediocre finish.
likewise still a mediocre huigan (a bit richer than before, with the lingering sweetness from the beginning plus a bit of darjeeling flavor, but definitely not as much aftertaste as I'd hope from a formosan oolong brewed for this long)
score 3 (still decent)
* third brew (3.5 minutes)
moderate floral taste, tea is obviously faded (perhaps the longer brewings took a toll on the leaves?). still smooth, not bitter. but very toned down compared to the first brewing. The aftertaste is a little better this time, a little more pleasantly permanent compared to the prior two brewings.
tea is ok. better than “restaurant tea” but definitely faded quickly compared to the latter brewings of formosan oolongs. that seems to be a trend with these darjeeling oolongs.
score 2.5
March 1st, 2007 at 2:47 am
Thank you for the opportunity first of all! My experience with Indian tea is very limited, and therefore I apply my usual gongfu method to brewing these samples, so I know what I am comparing with.
Snow: 2.75 out of 5
3 g, gaiwan, boiling water, 10s, 15s, 30s, 60s
Started off with floral, hint of sweetness but not lasting; the second brew was more amber in color, compose and some leather hint, medium to crisp body, reminds me of my orchid barks; 3rd brew, compose taste is getting stronger and bitterness is noticeable; 4th, losing flavor rapidly, after taste is a little sweet mulchy.
Moonlight: 2.25 out of 5
3 g, gaiwan, boiling water, 10s, 60s, 60s, 120s
The first brew was a quick 10 s pour, light with floral aroma; the 2nd brew was a 1 minute steep, I tasted sourness, bitterness and wood/compose, sour stiff mouthfeel and cinnamon sweet after taste. 3rd and 4th tasted similar to 2nd but less floral, gave away quickly at 3rd.
Nutty: 3 out of 5
3 g, gaiwan, boiling water, 10s, 30s, 60s, 120s
Quick 1st pour, clean mouthfeel, very floral, sweet in taste; 2nd was 30s steep, stronger aroma of floral and fresh mulch, hint of mint or spice, sweet pu-erh like after taste. 3rd brew is still tasty, 4th is very blend, gave away almost completely.
Both Snow and Moonlight resemble Sun dried white peony more so than oolong, in appearance and flavor. Nutty is high in floral aroma, hence more like a oolong, it’s also less oxidized than the other two.
My preference is Nutty, Snow and Moonlight in that order. However I won’t replace my TGY and high mountain oolong with the Darjeeling varieties any time soon. They are more of the European afternoon tea choice, the term oolong associates with these tea does not match the Chinese oolong in “spirit”, perhaps a imitation of technique, but without the essence.
March 1st, 2007 at 3:46 am
Thanks to Phyll and Mr. Lochan.
I really enjoyed this experience and would like to purchase “Moonlight” and “Nutty” if they are available.
My preference has been toward complex Fujian oolongs, da hong pao, some wu yi (s), bai hoa and mellow pu-erhs; however, this tasting was enlightening for me.
My exposure to Indian teas has been limited; though, occasionally, I’ll enjoy a fine Darjeeling in the evening.
Until this tasting, I hadn’t realized that this degree of delicacy could be achieved in this oolong/Darjeeling combination.
I can foresee imbibing in the two teas I preferred as I learn to master Indian cuisine or allow myself the time to sit quietly for a few minutes and appreciate the varied sweetnesses of “Moonlight” and “Nutty”.
Shen
March 1st, 2007 at 10:26 am
I’ve notice that a few of the tasters suggest something about the caffeine in the teas. My question to all is, “How is that evaluated?” Is there something about flavor or is it about the physiological reaction to drinking the tea that prompts such comments?
Have there been T Ching posts about decaffeinated teas, and what growing conditions or processing is involved in the production of Decaffeinated teas? Does that process impact any of the health benefits vis a vis antioxidants, etc.? I’d certainly be interested to learn more about Caffeine and Tea if there’s someone out there to write the post.
March 1st, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Eric, I’m not sure where you read any comments by tasters about caffeine, but it’s always an interesting subject. Caffeine is a xanthine and it has a significant bitter taste to it, as do the tannins (polyphenols). When people speak of the “mouth feel” of tea or how certain tastes linger in the mouth, they are often referring to a combination of tastes often from the polyphenols and caffeine constituents. You can read a couple of articles here about caffeine. Pick the ones with caffeine in the title.
Decaffeination of tea, commercially, is usually done by using chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents, super critical carbon dioxide or the water method to extract the caffeine. The hydrocarbon solvents definitely have a negative health impact on the product as these powerful solvents do come in contact with the coffee beens. The healthier options are the carbon dioxide and water extraction methods. Since the extraction methods are not precisely exact in what they extract out, there is some evidence that there may be a loss of some of the other “healthful” compounds during this process. I hope this helps.
March 1st, 2007 at 1:47 pm
As an N.D., I seriously doubt any accuracy in calculating caffeine by “taste”. Caffeine is generally calculated molecularly on the surface of the commodity in question to be correct.
Also, polyphenols (one of which is tannin) and its characteristic zanthine (alkaloid) are predominant in many non-bitter foods: i.e., bovine milk and fruits (berries in particular). It is also found in uric acid, which is often characterized as “sweet”.
I would tend not to take the estimations of caffeine, based upon”bitterness”, too profoundly. I think “astringency” may have been mistaken as “bitterness” here.
March 1st, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Although I agree with you Shen that you certainly can’t calculate the amount of caffeine by taste, some people are more sensitive to the “bitterness” of caffeine and can certainly detect its presence by taste when that is the only bitter compound. In instances when there are other constituents that also possess a bitter taste, it would be almost impossible to differentiate which is the contributing compound.
Maybe we can get those tasters who reported tasting the caffeine to describe to us what properties they were responding to.
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:12 am
Dear Phyll,- Which harvest year and season?
All these three teas are from the second flush - season 2006 - they all hail from darjeeling and are certified.
- Why does the Hillton Nutty, which I understand to be a rarer and more expensive tea, has more fannings and diced leaves than the others?
Hillton tea i guess has broken down on the way from India to US, it is not supposed to have broken particles. This tea happens to be a delight in Japan and people really like the different taste of it and hence the price. This is only made at a particular time in a year when certain weather conditions permit.
- What production method do these teas go through (CTC/hand/combination of both)? I noticed inconsistent size, color and shape of leaves in all 3 teas.
These teas are basically more like hand rolled - they go through only the dryer that is used in making orthodox variety tea - there is no use of CTC machines. No garden out of the 86 in darjeeling uses the CTC machines. The dryer helps to increase the shelf life of the tea and reduces the moisture content. Fermentation in these teas is at a lower level compared to other oolongs. They are more on the white tea side.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have!!
I am going through all the tasting reports and shall revert personally very soon on some notes made by our tea drinkers! This tasting is real fun and i would like to sample some first flush black teas soon for all the people as Dareeling first flush is rare and expensive and not many actually get to taste the real good ones as they are in limited edition and expensive.
Take care!
March 2nd, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Hi Mr. Lochan
Thanks for providing the very educational tasting. Your answer to Phyll’s question, “Fermentation in these teas is at a lower level compared to other oolongs. They are more on the white tea side”, seems to be not consistent with the leaves brownish (with Snow being the greenest one) tone and the light amber color in the liquor. They together suggest a close to Bai Hao level fermentation, which is on the very high side comparing to other oolongs.
Since those oolongs have not been through roasting but only drying, and definitely no wet composting like cooked pu-erh or years of aging, I am running out of options except high fermentation degree to achieve such amber tone in leaves/liquor.
Would highly appreciate your input : )
Guang
March 3rd, 2007 at 4:24 am
Dear Guang
It is difficult to compare Chinese teas with Darjeeling ones. Very complex agroclimatic conditions determine rate of oxidation and final appearance. Geographical locations of Pu’er or Fujian/Zhijiang/Anhui triangle are entirely different then that of Darjeeling, and so we have different teas there.
Trust you will enjoy Darjeeling oolongs better in this context.
Rajiv Lochan
March 3rd, 2007 at 4:43 am
Dear Guang,
It is difficult to compare Darjeeling with Chinese teas. Very complex agro-climatic conditions determine the degree of oxidation and appearance of teas both in dry stage as well as in the cup. Geographical location of Pu’er and Anhui/Zhejiang/Fujian triangle are so different as that of Darjeeling and its poximity to Himalayas governs these parameters further.
Trust you shall enjoy Darjeeling oolongs more in this context.
Ankit Lochan
March 4th, 2007 at 12:37 am
Thanks Nick, your testing comments are very exacting.
Ankit Lochan
March 5th, 2007 at 3:51 am
March 6th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
My initial impression was that the Hillton Nutty and the Castleton Moonlight are closer to the Bai Hao (Oriental Beauty) oolong oxidation level, which is in the neighbourhood of 70% (as Steven Dodd mentioned above). The wet leaves are quite red. The Glenburn Snow, which is greener than the other 2, is also quite abundantly red-streaked…giving an impression closer to about 40% oxidation level. As I understand, white tea is usually around 10-15% oxidation level (Green tea is ideally 0%).
I didn’t realize that the appearance of oxidized leaves would be dramatically different from one region to another based on respective agro-climatic conditions. I’ve just learned a new thing…thanks!
March 10th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Thanks very much for letting me take part in this!
I did follow the recommendations for steeping the teas in a
more-or-less English style (not much leaf, lots of time), but
fortunately there was enough left over to try the teas also the way I
normally brew Darjeelings, closer to gongfu. As you’ll see, my
results were better in the latter style.
* Castleton Moonlight Oolong
Mostly twisted whole leaves, some tips, some broken
** off boil/2.5g/8 oz/180,180,300
Aroma (both brewed leaves and cup) is papery DJ. Taste is primarily
papery, with soft mouth feel and modestly long finish. 2: Still
smooth, but not much else left in the taste. 3: Pretty much played out.
** off boil/2.5g/3 oz/20,10,20,30,60
Brewed leaf aroma forest floor, bit of DJ tang. Cup aroma similar but
fainter. Taste dry, papery, some forest floor. 2: Cup aroma now has
white wine and a stronger DJ tang; taste doesn’t match the winy aroma,
still a bit of paper with a slight minty bitterness and minor
astringency. 3: aroma still winy, though blended with a generic
congou aroma; taste about like 2. 4: aroma like 3; taste has lost
papery quality. 5: aroma has lost the wine, but aroma and taste still
generically pleasant.
* Hillton Nutty Oolong
Mostly broken, some twisted whole leaves, few tips
** off boil/2.5g/8 oz/180,180,300
Brewed leaf aroma very strong peachy, Dancong-like. Cup aroma similar
but fainter. Taste has some florality, some fruit, but nowhere near
aroma, soft, smooth mouth feel, long finish. 2: Peach still present
in aroma and taste, but much weaker, texture much thinner now. 3:
Peach gone, but at 5 minutes the texture is thicker again, though not
as much as in the first steep.
** off boil/3g/3 oz/20,10,20,30,60
Brewed leaf aroma has DJ tang, an almost Dancong fruity quality. Cup
aroma softer but still fruity. Taste a bit fruity but dry w/o
astringency with papery finish. 2: Aroma glorious, strong DJ/Dancong,
winy, fruity; taste winy, tangy, balanced by pleasing bitterness
w/minor astringency at tip of tongue. 3: Aroma still has wine and
tang, though not as strong; taste has that slightly bitter tang but
has lost most of its wine. 4: Aroma still has some DJ tang, but not
much else; taste still pleasant but much diminished. 5: Aroma
starting to get sour; taste generic.
* Glenburn Snow Oolong
Mostly twisted whole leaves, some tips, some broken
** off boil/2.5g/8 oz/180,180,300
Brewed leaf and cup aromas not very strong, slightly nutty. Taste
kind of dull, weak on the whole, but with an interesting bitter almond
note, which gets stronger and less pleasant as the cup cools. 2:
Bitter note has softened, which is good, but there’s nothing mucy else
distinctive in the cup. 3: About the same.
** off boil/3g/3 oz/20,10,20,30,60
Brewed leaf aroma sweet, spicy. Cup aroma similar. Taste forest
floor, spice, paper, long, almost citrusy finish. 2: aroma now has a
bit of DJ tang to go along with the autumnal forest; taste autumnal,
papery, with that citrusy finish as cup cools. 3: Aroma quite tangy
and a bit citrusy; taste now has some DJ tang and some manageable
astringency and bitterness. 4: Aroma has lost citrus; taste same as
3. 5: Aroma fairly bland now; taste generically drinkable.
/Lew
—
Lew Perin | perin@acm.org | http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html