Having said I'd get to the CTC tea I brought from India after the fragile, precious stuff, I measured what I still had of the latter. There are two first manufacture Darjeelings that SMC gave me, and of these heavenly teas, after giving away the samples I've promised to friends, I'll have maybe fifteen grams of one and none of the other. (No pity necessary - I've had some beautiful experiences with those teas.)
So, this afternoon, I cracked open one of the packages of Dooars CTC SMC was nice enough to give me. I chose the one that seemed, uh, the most *extreme*: SONA brand SUPER DUST, manufactured at Soongachi in January.
I figured I'd use "normal" proportions (2-1/2 g, 6 oz.) and aim for the liquor color I remembered from drinking tea in the Soongachi bungalow, but this tea had other ideas. From the beginning, the color wasn't amber but a brick red. I poured off the liquor after only 3/4 minute. The aroma was sweet and malty. The taste was mild and malty, with the slightest bitterness and negligible astringency.
So I tried a second steep, pouring when the liquor reached the same color as the first: just a half minute. The aroma pretty much held up, and the taste was nearly as good as that of the first steep, with maybe less softness.
Optimistically, I tried a third steep, but saw after two minutes that the color was more or less washed out. I did try the liquor, but it was just dull.
All in all, I'd say this was definitely more enjoyable than, say, Lipton Yellow Label (though I probably haven't had LYL of the same freshness.) I'd be happy to drink this for breakfast, and I think I will. Maybe it'll be even better brewed somewhat differently.
/Lew