For those of you who have tasted this season's Kyela offerings, or for people who are Darjeeling fans in general, I have to ask something...er...do you use milk and sugar with these good darjeelings or do you take them without? And if you've had some of Keith's teas this year, do you have any tasting notes to share? Thanks.
Melinda (no affiliation, and technically not a satisfied or unsatisfied customer yet because I haven't tasted da tea..)
Hi Melinda,
I ordered the Kyela Gopaldhara DJ-38 and Samabeong DJ-1. There are those who like the Samabeong, but I am more of a fan of the Gopaldhara.
I'm afraid I'm not very good at tasting notes, but IMHO the Samabeong had a fairly "classic" first flush taste, whereas the Gopaldhara has that recognizable Gopaldhara character that I really like. I suppose that's what Kyela's website refers to as "Gopaldhara's typical floral notes." Both are "fluffy" (low density) teas-- I use a lot of leaf.
The Gopaldhara Oolong (DJ-41) has also gotten good reviews, but I haven't tried it... yet.
Purists don't put sugar in their darjeeling. I do sometimes, and think it can bring out the muscatel flavor nicely. Hopefully this admission won't get me booted off of usenet. :-)
I can't imagine using milk with a first flush darjeeling. I think it actually turns the tea grey. If I were going to use milk in a darjeeling, I would go for one of the more robust second flush darjeelings. Maybe the imported U.K. Twining's Darjeeling blend (e.g.
--Candace
Melinda,
I got the Singell Upper First Flush FTGFOP1, Gopaldhara DJ-41 Oolong First Flush and Samabeong DJ1 FTGFOP1 First Flush. They all have similar profiles, but I think I like the DJ-41 the best: whole, unbroken leaf, high-mountain aromatics, herbs and spice. I can get two nice infusions from it. Recommended. The Samabeong is nice also, but it's oxidised a little more and has a more traditional profile.
As a matter of taste, I almost always add a little sugar to my Darjeelings; it seems to mask some of the astringency and bring out the floral/fruity elements I like so much. I do the same with Chinese and Formosa oolongs for the same reason. I also think it enhances Chinese "red"s (like Keemun and gold Yunnan). The only tea I add milk to are strong black Indian teas, and then only for breakfast. As others have said, there is no "right" way to drink tea - there are ways that are hallowed by tradition and we can learn a lot from them, but a little experimentation is always in order, I think.
BTW, have you gotten any of this year's Bai Hao oolong yet? I haven't seen much on the market yet; thefragrantleaf is offering one, but I haven't tried it yet.
Regards, Dean
something...er...do
Hi Dean,
No, I haven't gotten any Bai Hao from this year. The last I got was some I ordered in the spring from Teaspring (along with greens) that I was, unfortunately, a little disappointed in. I love Teaspring and their greens were great, but the Bai Hao to my (extremely) limited experience wasn't as good as the bit I got from Specialteas the summer before. I did just get three samples of some recent greener oolongs from Hou De the other day but haven't tasted them yet. I wouldn't say oolongs were something I have a lot of tasting knowledge about yet.
When you ordered from Kyela , how long did it take you to get your order? Did they send a "product has shipped" notice to you when it shipped? I got the original order email and the money was taken out but other than that I havent heard a thing and it's been 10 days.
Melinda
Melinda,
I think I waited about 6-8 days. I got a "order posted" as soon as I placed it, but no "order shipped" note.
My order, when it arrived, had a hand-written note from Kevin himself, which leads me to believe that he personally makes up the shipments. My previous order last year took almost 3 weeks because, I think, Kevin was out of town. I live near Philadelphia and Kyela is in Montreal so I'm fairly close, but my daughter went to university in Montreal and it regularly took a week to get first class mail back and forth, which is how Kevin ships relatively small orders.
I wish he had a phone number for resolving these issues, but I've never found one.
I'd say that if 3-4 weeks go by and still no tea, email him.
Regards, Dean
Hi Melinda,
Coincidentally enough, I got the exact same teas Dean got from Kyela.
As I just got them a few days ago, I've only tried the Golpa oolong and the Samabeong once each, and the Singell twice. My impression so far is I prefer the Golpa and the Samabeong, but that may change with more experience. Also, I got my order quite fast - a few days. I think Kevin G. *is* Kyela - I don't think anyone else works there.
I don't put sugar in any tea. And the idea of putting milk in Darjeeling (or any tea, for that matter) is ... horrific. But that's just me. Each to their own.
Doug
i certainly like to have a touch of milk even with high grades of darjeeling. black tea can be enjoyed anyway you like :) although you may find that sugar leaves a sour aftertaste in your mouth...
Adrian
something...er...do
I got my teas and just wanted to compare notes...Darjeeling really is in a class by itself isn't it? I've tried the Singell Upper First Flush yesterday and the Golpadhara DJ-38 (not the oolong, didn't get any of that). It is really pretty cool that I can get at least two steeps out of them, I usually don't bother with black teas. Very different characteristics...the Singell wasn't as "hearty" as I'd expected from the description on his site (but then again., I've been drinking CTC assams so consider the source). It was flowery, almost rose smelling kinda (I mean the liquid, and after it cooled down), but a bit sharper...er, and then the Golpa had a sort of "cereal" smell of the dry leaf...I don't have a good vocabulary for this yet and what's more, I find myself when trying to describe aromas, being aware that something smells like something familiar, something almost recognizable, but then I can't figure out what that something is, lol. Oh well...anyhow, having fun with these and learning as I go. Yes Darjeeling certainly is different. I mean that in a good way, of course.
Melinda
Well, I didn't get the Gopal dj38, but did get the oolong.
My thoughts on the Singell are very similar - I expected a little more ... body or substance or whatever, based on his description. The Samabeong, OTOH, to me does seem to match the description and does seem to have more "body". However, I've only had them a couple times each, so far, so I'll see if I stick with this evaluation. FWIW, the oolong is good, also, though maybe slightly lighter than other Darj oolongs I've tried.
I'm really a 2nd FL drinker, but for whatever reason (mainly, I think, because I was running out of Darj. entirely and only 1 Fls were available) was tempted to give 1st Fl Darj. another try. I've actually got more 1 Fl in-house than I've ever had, I think. I'm reasonably pleased with what I've tried, but now that the 2nd Flushes are out...
I, too, have no skill for describing tea tastes, etc., and am much like you in that I often think: this is like that...that...that... uhmmmm... Maybe I eventually think of it, but usually not.
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