Tea Name: Mim Estate Darjeeling

Tea Type: Black tea from the Darjeeling area of India

I’ve had the great honor to try some teas sourced directly from the tea gardens in the Darjeeling area of India, the only teas that can legally bear the name “Darjeeling” per the Indian Tea Board. These teas were also of a certain flush and harvest year; they were quite different from generic versions that are actually blends of teas from various gardens, including some not grown in the Darjeeling area. Understandably, where these teas are concerned, I’m ― gee, let’s face it ― spoiled rotten, as the saying goes.

With that in mind, I dove into trying this tea from the Mim Estate in the Darjeeling area. The online description says this is a 2nd flush Darjeeling, grown at an elevation of 6,800 feet, with a traditional muscatel flavor.

One sniff of the dry tea leaves tells the story. This is true Darjeeling ― no mixing with cheaper and lesser quality teas here! I describe the aroma as haylike with a fruity quality. This is a broken leaf version with a color range from light green to tan to dark brown, typical for this type of tea. Hubby and I inhaled the lovely fragrance, got silly grins on our faces, and then prepared for steeping.

We heated the water to just below boiling, put a couple of teaspoonfuls of tea leaves into the 2-cup teapot, and steeped for 3 minutes. This is the stressful part of trying any new tea. Will we like it? Will it be oversteeped or understeeped (a bit of playing around with water temperature and steep times is often needed to get the right result)?

The timer dings. We strain the tea into cups and get ready to experience it. Sniff! Mmmmmm… a lovely fruity/toasty aroma. We sip. We sip again. We let the tea cool for a minute or two and sip again. Ah, yes, this is definitely a Darjeeling 2nd flush tea. Tangy with strong fruity notes. A bit edgy on the front of the tongue as it cools. Some honey or other sweetener could tame that, if you wish.

A second steeping was a slightly lighter version of the first in all respects.

Overall, a tea perfect for that fine bone china teacup you have. A true sipper where you will want to savor every drop.

See also:
Reading Tea Leaves — Darjeeling Teas
Darjeeling vs. Ceylon Teas  
Some Darjeeling Tea Estates  
Darjeeling Blends
About Darjeeling Tea
Review — English Tea Store Darjeeling Tea

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, any opinions concerning this tea and the company  are always strictly objective.

© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.