Estate Blend Darjeeling Review

Type: Black
Origin: Darjeeling
Price: Sample (regular price - $8.49 for 15 pyramids)
Vendor: Choice Organic Teas
Brewing Method: 1 pyramid, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-210°F, steeped for 4-5 minutes.
Overall Score: 4.8 out of 5

Estate Blend Darjeeling is simply organic black tea from the Darjeeling region. When I opened the package, I couldn’t smell the tea until I took out the pyramid and held it to my nose. Once I did that, I could smell the sweet, fresh Darjeeling. The leaves in the pyramid looked completely whole with very little dust.

Ah, who doesn’t love the aroma of a good Darjeeling? The subtle muscatel aroma was what I could smell as the tea was brewing. I really loved this aroma compared to other blacks because it was so distinctive and wine-like. The liquor was a gorgeous light orange or tan color.

The taste was amazing. I felt like I should have been drinking it from a wine glass instead of a teacup. The sweet, muscatel flavor was bold, but it did not linger for long. This was a refreshing brew with no astringency or bitterness at all.

One thing I noticed was that after brewing the leaves, the pyramid was ballooned to its full shape. The leaves had opened up so much that there was no more room in the pyramid. In other words, I was glad this tea was in the pyramid instead of a regular bag, because otherwise the tea would not have much room to open at all. However, I still think loose leaf is the way to go if one has the option.