Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Lochan Tea’

Indian tea estate names are fun to say and to think about: Goomtee, Moondakotee, Namring, Tumsong. In the case of Thurbo Tea Estate, the name evolved from “tumboo,” the Nepalese word for “tent.” Evidently, British troops set up camp there in the early 19th century. Had they had the opportunity to sample this excellent first flush tea, they would have permanently occupied the plantation!

Historical kidding aside, this is definitely a Darjeeling to linger over. The dry leaves are a light greenish gray with plenty of those blond tips that tip you off to “this is really going to be nice.” The first whiff was almost reminiscent of chocolate–dark and sweet.

With water just under boiling, and 3 1/2 minutes or so, the tea steeps into a beautiful honey color, but don’t let the lightness fool you–this has plenty of flavor. Close your eyes, smell the steam, and you’ll wonder if you accidentally put your nose in a bottle of Welch’s unsweetened grape juice.

Newbie tea drinkers often wonder why they can drink cups of certain varieties of tea and still feel a little thirsty. That’s astringency (I’m so proud of myself when I learn new tea tearms!) and Thurbo Darjeeling has plenty. The champagney-grape flavor puts a puckery wrinkle in your tongue and lips, which makes it that much more desirable to take another sip. And another. And another.

You can find Lochan Teas directly from the Lochan Tea website.

I discovered upon opening the package that the leaves of this tea were considerably larger and more ‘whole’ than the leaves of the First Flush from Goomtee Estate that I also sampled from this same company. These leaves were an interesting and attractive-looking mix of dark green and silver, almost as though they were the buds of a silver needle white tea rather than a black tea. But then supposedly Darjeeling teas get fermented less than most blacks, so it makes sense, I guess.

The smell was sweet and hay-like with some floral notes, though brewed it took on a toastier aroma. It had a more typical Darjeeling flavour than the Goomtee first flush did – resplendent with muscatel flavours, though with considerably less of the drying astringency you’d taste in a later-picked Darjeeling. It was sweeter too, which becomes more noticeable as the tea cooled, and it had a nice, full flavour that lingered in the mouth and kept me from forgetting about it. As it cooled it also took on some fruity characteristics, with an interesting nutty undertone.

Of the two First Flush Darjeelings I’ve tasted now I think this one is my favorite of the two, although in my opinion both are excellent, complex, and interesting teas.

I gave this a Steepster rating of 87/100.

You can find Lochan Teas directly from the Lochan Tea website.

Hattaialli Golden Lion 1st Flush 2010, Assam from Lochan Tea is a nice bold semi-strong black.  It ‘steeps up’ fairly dark and pretty fast. If you are looking for a good old standby black tea – plain and simple – try this one!  It’s perfect for mid mornings, midday lulls, or great with friendly conversation.  Just plain GOOD to have on-hand!

You can find Lochan Teas directly from the Lochan Tea website.

Forget Yankee Candles and Glade Plug-Ins: I want my house to smell like this tea. The dry leaves, dark with gold-tip highlights, smell like a cross between wet maple leaves on a rainy fall day and freshly baked wheat bread. Yum!

Lochan Tea’s website doesn’t provide much detail on its tea: what I know is these folks specialize in the best, freshest (first flush/first pickings of the season) teas straight from estates in India, China and South Africa. This particular sample was a treat … I don’t know that I’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling leaves picked barely twelve weeks ago!  A side note: the Lochan website information about the company, its owners, its eco-friendly farming projects, and the educational charity it supports is worth a look.

Assam teas are muscle-y enough to take fully boiling water and a good long steep: my first pass was a little more than 4 minutes, a teaspoon to an 8 ounce mug, and it was worth the wait. The malty-leaf smell was not diluted. My cup was a lovely golden red-brown, and the bready-yeasty flavor held consistently.

Although the second steep is always an echo of the first, the leaves held up nicely, even with a little ice tossed in for good measure on a 95-degree afternoon. This lovely TGFOP (tippy golden flowery orange pekoe, or in casual tea terms, “too good for ordinary people”) lives up to its rating.

You can find Lochan Teas directly from the Lochan Tea website.

Most tea estates have a utilitarian-only online presence, so it’s surprising that the first search result for Glenburn Tea Estate brings up a rich, multi-layered website touting their luxury hotel, bungalows, and vacation tours. Need to relax? Make a cuppa, put your feet up and just bask in the Flash Player slide show of the rooms and grounds.

But behind the huge open porches and the colonial-style four-poster beds at Glenburn is a working tea estate producing teas that rival the quality of their accommodations. According to the website, Glenburn was “started by a Scottish tea company in 1859, [and] has now passed into the hands of one of India’s pioneering tea planting families – The Prakashes, who have over the years come to be known as the “Chaiwala family” – which literally means “tea planters.”

The first flush Glenburn Darjeeling obtained by Lochan Tea is fine—not fine as in “it’ll do;” fine as in good china and real linen tablecloths. The fresh leaves reminded me of an Assam in aroma (a little malty, a little fermented), but not in appearance–they retain a good bit of green color, along with the blond first-flush tips.

A Darjeeling-appropriate steep time (water just under boiling, about 3 minutes) results in a beautiful fruity golden tea, light to the eye and to the palate. The first taste equivalent that comes to mind is Sun-Maid golden raisins when you first open the box. The fruit tang stays on the tongue long after you swallow.

If this is the result of the best pickings of a tea garden irrigated by two snow-fed Himalayan rivers (or so Lochan Tea tells us), sign me up for more. I believe I know where I want to go on my next vacation.

You can find Lochan Teas directly from the Lochan Tea website.