darjeeling muscatel?

I've given up on the elusive muscatel taste. I've tried every major estate darjeeling both flushes for the past five years. All things being equal the commercial brands are just as good. I call some white tea taste ephemeral. Some will argue you have to brew it right. I think the tasting temperature is more important, slightly less than medium hot or a little more hot than warm. I prefer glass for tasting. Its not a casual tea. You have to be in the moment with a clean pallette. Another approach is load the pot and discover the taste in multiple infusions. If you want to taste a muscatel type taste in a white tea try SowMee, stuff the pot.

Jim

snipped-for-privacy@cogeco.ca wrote:

Congratulations on that! Sounds as if you have a lot of pleasure ahead of you.

Darjeelings (second flushes, really) that justifiably wear the muscatel label are supposed to remind you of *muscatel* grapes, whose taste hardly resembles that of burgundy red grapes.

Well, that certainly happens, too. But if you're really interested in figuring out the muscatel issue, try to find the right grapes!

/Lew

Lew beat me to the punch on this one. I'd never quite "gotten" the term muscatel used with Darjeeling, mainly because I don't drink any alcohol, so the only place I'd run into the term is in tea. However, about a month ago, a tea friend had purchased some Muscat grapes and gave me some. My first thought on eating one was "Hey, this tastes like second flush Darjeeling!" So if you can find some Muscat grapes, check them out and then re-try Darjeeling tea. :)

--Michael J. Coffey--

Even better is a little known gem found in Asian markets, Sac Sac Muscat drink. It comes in a little can about half or even a bit less than a regular soda can and is pure muscat grape juice with bits of muscat grape in it. One of my favorite things in life. Also, maybe just because I'm of Italian heritage Muscato wine or Muscato D'Asti are both great (but alcoholic) beverages. Just plain muscat grapes are also a joy. I had never thought about the fact that the term "muscatel" could be a bit confusing until this post but I could see how it is.

- Dominic

Dominic T. wrote: I'll make a note of this. I suspect that'll make any Darjeeling taste like muscatel which as it turns out will be no big deal.

Jim

Dominic T. wrote: I'll make a note of this. I suspect that'll make any Darjeeling taste like muscatel which as it turns out will be no big deal.

Jim

Does anyone get a real rock taste out of Wuyi Rock Teas? Muscatel in darjeeling is often a hint, a suggestion of a note. Ever tried aged silver needles? If it is good you'll get a strong note of dark chocolate. If your wife likes chocolate, this might be a good suggestion to make her fall in love with white tea...

kevo

err.. dark, not white chocolate? Doesn't make sense. -ak

I've had some lao cong shui xian that taste like it was fossilized. I have some 25 year old silver needles which is better than anything I can get today. Once again it is the taste back then versus the taste now. The same goes for Darjeeling in clay pots I got 20 years ago. Well stored teas should stand the test of time if the detrimental factors are minimized.

Jim

Kevo wrote:

I actually have a rock from Wuyi. And my tea tastes just like the rock.

Which would you say is more cost-effective?

(he says, ducking)

/Lew

I will tell you a little secret. You put the rock in your Yixing, steep the rock, and you got real rock tea. Hahaha.

Anyone want to come over for some rock tea?

Sort of like stone soup? Toci

Sorry to go more OT, but a funny story. Back in High School I had a lab partner in a low level Chemistry class who wasn't the brightest (no sharpener in his box of crayons) and the basic tests for things are touch, smell, and taste. I had him convinced that he had to do all of them on each thing we did for completeness. So routinely he would touch metals that had just been over flame to see if they softened or started to melt, or taste minerals and such. Watching the horror of the teacher as he saw him popping different rocks/minerals in his mouth was amazing. :) I particularly liked when he got to Sulfur, oh, and BTW none of them were potentially deadly or harmful in the class so at worst it was a slight branding from hot metal or a foul taste.

- Dominic What is the steep time on a WuYi rock? I've tried multiple steeps but it just isn't imparting any taste into my Yixing. :)

Those are trade secrets. I learned it from the small family farmer- producers. You would have to go to Wuyi and ask them yourself. But, you can steep the rock hundreds, even thousands of times - and still tastes like rock tea. Must be the longest-steeping tea yet. :-)

Seriously though, I did try a Qilan at the tea market yesterday, and as soon as I drank it, you could taste rock - with some floral notes too.

can i have some of that Qilan ? :)