Seeyok Organic Darjeeling First Flush S.F.T.G.F.O.P 1 - 01/2010
Lovely green aromas, floral, bracing and refreshing. Darjeeling always seems to me more like a green or an oolong tea than a proper black tea because of its bright, green aromatics and its palate veering more toward palate-cleansing greenness than tannin - in some ways I often feel it is the teas' parallel to the Loire Cabernet Francs.
Sourenee Darjeeling First Flush F.T.G.F.O.P. 1 - 02/2010
Like the first picking of Seeyok, this is from a famous and well regarded plantation, but is instead of the second picking, so it should reveal a more black-tea-like character. And, indeed, it is a more malty, floral, rich and tannic brew. Lovely stuff, but I do prefer the perfumed delicacy of the Seeyok first picking.
Risheehat Darjeeling First Flush F.T.G.F.O.P. 1 - 05/2010
In theory, the fifth picking of this famous plantation should be even more black-tea-like than the 1st and 2nd pickings of the previous also famous plantations, but instead this surprises by being closer to a green tea in its brightness. The palate's richness and maltiness does, however, reveal a greater kinship to black tea than the scent.
I have always liked Darjeeling, especially FF, but only now that a specialist tea shop opened here have I been able to try a wider variety from this favourite region. There are a couple more Darjeelings I must go and try, but sadly, Helsinki isn't a big place, so I still can't experience the great variety of terroirs of tea. But at least this is a huge improvement to what we had before!