The Best of Tea

I have been enjoying a number of samples the good people at TheSimpleLeaf were kind enough to send over. There are some fantastic teas here, and I plan to review them all eventually. If you love real, fresh, unadorned teas I urge you to give them a shot — you won’t be disappointed.

The first tea I sampled was dubbed “Tankha.” Tankha is an unusual tea for a number of reasons; it is a oolong from Darjeeling, and it is a very light-bodied oolong. Historically, oolong teas are sourced from China, but recently India has focused on producing higher quality local oolongs.

The first thing I noticed on opening the pouch was the pronounced muscat grape aroma. This is a unique flavor found in Darjeelings, and is unmistakable. The leaves fairly long and twisted with a mixture of browns and the occassional green.

The liquor is light and golden. The taste is also light with an slight floral sweetness. I also detected a distinct hint of woodiness. It is only slightly astringent.

Overall, I am a big fan of this tea. It is complex and pleasing at a very affordable price. If you do pick some up, I suggest you not brew it above the recommend 180 degrees as this tends to blunt the flavor profile.