Greengold Georgian oolongs

Reviewing more Greengold teas, provided for review by Nika Sioridze, with more on who that is and their existing plantation reclamation project in this post.  The others were more basic, black and green varieties, with these two oolongs instead.  I think they are still working through processing variations some with oolong range, so one of these may have not been produced for sale just yet, or maybe it's both.  Either way I would expect these styles to shift a little year to year.  Probably one of the versions is especially experimental, given the outcome.  I liked both but one came across as more of a work in progress.

Some of the same concerns come up related to Indian oolong production, that the outcome, and probably processing approach, isn't really a match for Chinese or Taiwanese styles.  I don't see that as overly negative or problematic.  It would be hard to know what else to call mid-oxidized tea style development, and per the main standard take "oolong" applies.

In a Facebook post they refer to this more oxidized "Fire of Dragon" style as a red tea.  That could be seen as complicating things, using the Chinese term for a black tea, while they refer to other black tea as black tea.  It's not completely unheard of for a vendor to refer to a tea as red to convey an intention to match a Chinese black tea style, or in the case of "red oolong" to imply that it just means "more oxidized."  Purists might complain that "hong cha" literally means "red tea" and figuratively means "black tea," so it's not a black tea style or a modifier meaning "more oxidized."  You can sort it all out easily enough case by case.  This is either intended as a very oxidized oolong, made using a basic processing style, or a less oxidized Chinese-style black tea, which is really exactly the same thing.  

Then some people might want to claim that oolong should stop at 80% oxidation level, with low-oxidation black tea just above that, but those people would be silly to apply a random and meaningless convention in their own preferred way.  There is no distinction to be made between an 80% oxidized tea and an 85% oxidized version; the point of that is to indicate a generality, that really doesn't have a fixed border like that.  And there's more to oolong style conventions than just degree of oxidation level, but that's already enough about all that.

Review

more oxidized "Fire of Dragon" left, experimental lighter oolong right (in all photos)

#1 ("Fire of Dragon," but I just reviewed it blind as a random sample):  this seems slow to get started, lacking much intensity, but I expect that's not because the tea lacks intensity, it's just a brewing effect pattern.  What is present is interesting; it comes across like a really mild black tea.  It's missing a lot of the astringency edge, so I bet this is an oolong, but I've drank plenty of black tea that's like that, processed in such a way to cause that to drop out.  It's not just that black tea flavor, like conventional Ceylon, but mineral base is really pronounced in this too.  I should say more next round instead, and let it get going.

#2 (lighter oolong):  I thought this was probably green tea at first, since their green tea dry leaf looks dark, but a roasted smell to the brewed leaves makes me think otherwise, that it's an oolong.  And the brewed color; green tea would be more yellow, or at least light gold, and this is between gold and amber.  What I take to be a roast input stands out quite a bit, and some sourness, and green tea related range. It's interesting how this is brewed a little strong, based on the same parameters.  That's not really meaningful, how intensity can change a lot over time for different teas; you just account for that in setting infusion time each round. 

This really tastes a lot like a Mississippi origin yellow tea I tried not so long ago, which is strange, given how unique and distinctive that was.  It had an odd sourness to it, which wasn't bad, as I experienced it, mixed with toasted rice and other green tea complexity, including some umami.   By toasted rice I don't just mean that one nutty edge in Longjing, I mean that it included a starchy sort of range, like actual fresh rice.  This is also vegetal beyond what seems to be a roast input and some degree of sourness.  I'd expect it will evolve quite a bit over just one round, so it's as well to say more next round for it too.

#1, Fire of Dragon - second round:  this is gaining a lot of complexity fast, but I think it's not even there yet, that it needs one more round to really show where it's headed.  Interesting!  That earlier black tea edge dropped back, revealing complex flavor that could keep evolving in lots of different directions.  Fruit and spice seem most likely, but this could just get woody, or something I'm not identifying now could dominate the profile next round.  

As I interpret this round a touch of citrus joined in, with spice range a little stronger, maybe root spice related.  Seeing both together as tied to tree bark would make sense, along with a conventional black tea flavor, which has eased up, and the mineral range.  I expect that fruit and spice will keep evolving.  Astringency is in an interesting moderate level, and novel form; it has some fullness, and a very slight edge, but that form is unusual.  The feel is pleasant, just different.

#2, lighter oolog:  again it's roast effect, toasted rice, vegetal range (toasted seaweed, or along that line), with some sourness, so not really different.  Sourness dropped back from dominant to secondary to a lot of the rest, and roast input evened up with the vegetal range, and toasted rice effect.  It might still seem odd that I'm separating "roast" and "toasted rice;" one part of this is like toasted bamboo, a little woody, but really that toffee and grain sort of range, just toasted a lot.  Then the toasted rice part is closer to nutty.  

For anyone familiar with "bamboo pu'er" or falap, the roast effect might relate to something occurring in those, just not extended on to smoke or char.  I've only tried one example of each version, that I can recall, but that bamboo flavor is something that sticks with you.  Of course they cook a lot in bamboo sections and banana leaves here in Thailand, so variations of those inputs used food cooking "vessels" is familiar.  Sticky rice custard roasted in bamboo sections is very familiar, and very pleasant.

#1, Fire of Dragon - third infusion: this did evolve quite a bit, but it's harder than ever to describe.  A novel warm mineral base tone stands out, but what I was describing as spice mixed with Ceylon tea flavor and fruit is much different, and more dominant.  I think what's making it difficult to identify is how a complex bundled set of flavors comes across as unified; that happens.  

One part is a spice range, more or less like a root spice, towards ginseng, but a little softer and sweeter, towards sassafras / root beer.  Then another part leans towards citrus, but it's not exactly that, or maybe just a hint of dried red grapefruit peel.  There is a woodiness to this too, not unlike sassafras wood or leaf (which again is the kind of thing I only vaguely remember from childhood, so switching that to a mild and sweet wood tone works).  

The "tastes like tea" part, that mineral intensive black tea range, is secondary, but integrated with the rest.  I've been avoiding saying "like Lipton" but it's like part of that.  Again feel structure is unique, as soft and complex as oolong range, but not like any conventional oolong.  This is definitely different.  I like it, but someone liking or disliking novelty might tip that judgment balance.

#2, lighter oolong - this transitions by shifting balance of what was there before more than anything, and mapping out a clear weighting probably isn't worth the trouble. I think the range integrates better than in the earlier rounds; it matches together, with the parts supporting each other, and linking.  This really only reminds me of that one US yellow tea I've tried; it's not like any other version.  The sourness links it to Thai wild tree plant source oolongs, a little, and the rest of the range is closest to that as well, in comparison with all other teas.  

I like this tea too, but for this version someone's take on sourness in tea would define subjective preference relationship to it.  I'm ok with it, but only through repeated exposure, because I've adjusted to it as normal.  That roast edge isn't like that Mississippi yellow tea; it didn't have it.  That part is closest to a Yunnan bamboo pu'er I tried.

#1, Fire of Dragon - fourth infusion:  fruit does seem to pick up in this, but a novel form of it.  One part is like dried citrus peel, and another like dried tamarind or mango (between the two; the first of those is a lot warmer and deeper, with dried mango bright and sweet).  I'm not interpreting this as related to floral range but it's easy to see how someone might, seeing one part as rose petal or something such.  

This might seem a little more sour to me if the other tea wasn't a lot more sour.  As I interpret it that fruitiness is really pleasant in combination with a spice-range mid-tone.  The spatial arrangement of flavor layers might be a bit of a stretch but I "see" the mineral as a base (in this, it's just less dominant), then spice, with fruit more forward, or "higher." All that is probably as much a process I use for sorting out parts of tasting experience as something everyone would identify.

#2, lighter oolong: that roasted bamboo flavor is stronger than ever; I really would've expected that to fade instead of develop.  Sourness eases up and it comes across as much sweeter now, a little towards how herb-sweetener works (stevia).  If it lacked other dimensions that might not be pleasant but it integrates well with toasted rice flavor and now-diminished roasted seaweed taste.

Conclusions:

All in all really pleasant and novel teas.  I'd expect these have a few more surprises in order, that this story is only two-thirds told, but that's enough taking notes, enough for me to write and for others to read.  Often I'll make a comment or two about later rounds, but not always [not in this case, and I'm writing this summary a week later].

The Fire of Dragon version didn't seem all that experimental to me; the results are good, and this tea character is ready.  I imagine that they might keep adjusting the other, and will probably make a change to the drying process or fixing step timing that will reduce sourness.  Even with the sourness I still liked it, since I've become accustomed to those two other ranges of teas being a little sour, the one yellow version, and many wild Thai teas.  It's conceivable that all those "wild origin" Thai teas had that aspect in relation to the same processing step flaw, but it seems much more likely that it relates to a normal input from a range of plant genetics.  It was nice the way that the light oolong had so much positive going on, the complex flavors, good overall balance, the pleasant toasted rice and bamboo flavor input.

It's interesting trying new types, in this kind of development in progress form, and they're often not as positive as this second version is.  The first compares well enough to well-oxidized oolongs, or to lower oxidation level, slightly atypical black teas.  It's fruitier than black tea ever tends to be, not a bad type of variation.  It was also really well balanced, and lacking flaws, a quite good tea.

out to a mall; we saw the first movie I've seen in a year (the Bond film, which was ok)

that one Chinese bean desert I keep mentioning, Cheng Shim E

like a date night theme; that never happens

Doke Black Fusion, 2021 second flush

 

We talked to Rajiv Lochan, a well-known tea industry figure, about developing a new tea region in Bihar, the Doke plantation there.  That discussion, part of an online meetup series, was summarized here.  Not so directly related he was kind enough to send some teas for review, including their signature Doke Black Fusion, which I'm reviewing in this post (many thanks!).

There isn't that much more to say beyond the backstory covered in that post, with the exception of mentioning that they are also related to an online tea outlet, Tea Swan.  This and teas mentioned in some following posts might be available there.

There is a second tippy version of a second flush Black Fusion tea in that set, which I've not tried yet, to clarify why a related version mentioned elsewhere might sound a little different.  Their description:

DOKE BLACK FUSION

The best Indian black tea that has a combination of sweet and malty roast notes with caramel flavour aftertaste... This tea fills the air with its aroma of caramel and a spicy texture that is beyond words to explain! Coming from Bihar, Doke Black Fusion is processed using Assamica tea leaves that compels the tea lovers to explore this tea...

AROMA : Caramel, Currants and a Finish of Grapefruit, Notes of Malt, Spices

FLUSH: 2nd Flush 2020

CAFFEINE: High

SERVING : Hot and Cold - Both

ORGANIC/NON-ORGANIC: Non-Organic

TASTING NOTES : Sweet & Malty Roast Notes With Caramel Flavour Aftertaste

Review:

First infusion:  a little light; I tend to brew tea that way, using a fast first infusion to evaluate a tea, then get a more grounded opinion based on a stronger infusion the next round.  Intensity seems the main limitation in this infusion, and I can't really separate that effect from the light brewing approach.  It seems like it might be a limitation of the tea beyond that, but next round that will be clear.

Flavor that is present is positive.  Rich toffee like flavor is primary, with rich dried fruit or heavy floral flavors beyond that.  Unpacking those will be easier based on a stronger infusion.  A base mineral effect is nice, and aftertaste carries over nicely.  There are no notable flaws but sweetness seems limited (although again, next round will tell that part of the story better).

Second infusion:  I brewed this a little long to make sure to resolve the intensity issue, in the range of 15 seconds.  It might not sound like long but for this infusion proportion it is.  The heavy mineral base flavor ramps up considerably, dominating the overall experience.  That does connect in a positive way with a toffee sweetness, the actual sweetness level is just moderate.  

Some degree of rich dried fruit and heavy floral fills in beyond the mineral taste, and toffee, so it is complex, in a sense. The feel is nice, not astringent, but with significant body that supports the rest in a positive way.  I'll try the next round a little lighter and try to place the character better.  I would expect the tea aspects to balance out a bit, and maybe for it to evolve to become a little more complex.

Third infusion:  it is developing nicely.  Sweetness picks up; that does help.  It's an unusual form of it, covering more than one flavor that seems sweet.  This almost seems like a roasted tea, based on what I'm experiencing, but that also doesn't seem right, given expectations about the type.  It might just be that a heavy mineral range comes across, standing out more than a typical underlying base layer.  

Flavors are complex; more vegetal range fills in along with warm mineral, toffee sweetness, non-distinct dried fruit, and what I interpret as warm floral range.  When people drift off onto talking about a tea seeming like some sort of cookie that applies here, maybe like a graham cracker, or for British people like a digestive.  It is good.  

Fourth infusion:  

Fifth infusion:  an interesting spice range flavor picks up; it's a good sign that transitions are positive this far along.  At the same time woodiness also increases, and that mineral base flavor range shifts, so the overall change could either be seen as positive or not depending on interpretation.  Overall it's distinctive and complex.

Conclusions:

I like the tea.  It's complex and balanced, with all positive aspects, as I've described.  But I'm also drawn to considering what seemed like a limitation.  For having good flavor complexity and a nice base, and decent but moderate sweetness, there is a layer of the overall profile that's limited.  It's a richness or depth, maybe a mid-range complexity.  It might be that a heavy mineral tone is a pronounced part of the experience, and usually that's experienced as a base for the rest, not a dominant aspect, again almost as if this is a roasted tea.

It really could just be that the style is unfamiliar to me, the region-influenced character, or level of oxidation, and that trying the exact same tea a few more times it would seem to balance better.  Dian Hong, my favorite Chinese black tea (from Yunnan) tends to have a rich, complex depth, at times with a "high end" or forward aspect that is light or not very pronounced, and it could just be that difference, emphasis on a different flavor range not matching my own expectations.

This tea might work better brewed Western style; it can be hard to know without trying any one version both ways.  Sometimes splitting the experience apart in layers adds an interesting dimension, and in other cases combining those provides a more ideal overall balance.  It kept transitioning in positive ways across a number of infusions, beyond the ones with notes listed here, which is a good sign in relation to it being positive brewed across a longer infusion time, the Western approach.

To be clear I'm judging this in relation to good versions of small batch produced tea, and against good versions from the Chinese tradition, or the best of what is made in plantations elsewhere.  This is better than any commercial black tea I've tried coming out of Thailand, and probably roughly on par with better limited production versions, or at least better than most of those, again with my own bias towards Yunnan style throwing that off (not far from the North of Thailand).  It's quite good, and the one critique here is about placing that in relation to the highest potential for black teas.

Gopaldhara Thor and Maharaja of Darjeeling (second flush)

 

Thor left, Maharaja of Darjeeling right, in all photos

Trying two additional teas from the set sent by Gopaldhara, really more for sharing than review, but both.  Thanks to them again for that!

There isn't much background to pass on so I'll introduce these teas with their descriptions and then include tasting notes here, largely as I wrote them prior to seeing any description, beyond the tea name and type.

Gopaldhara Gold (Thor) – Rare Hand Rolled Second Flush 2021

Gopaldhara Gold (Thor) is one of the best second flush teas in the Darjeeling hills, made by AV2 bushes. The tea is extremely full and expertly fully oxidized to extract all the flavor. It takes a lot of different processes to oxidize, without crushing and cutting the leaf. Every time you crush and cut the leaf you introduce harshness to the cup. This tea is very clean with absolutely no hints of astringency and harshness. It is honey-sweet with a very well-rounded Muscatel finish and notes of ripe fruits. It has been the best lot in the second flush muscatel category.

It is 100% handpicked with no machinery involved. The garden workers are very careful in their plucking to make sure only the best shoots with prominent buds are plucked. The top elevation of Gopaldhara Tea Estate which stretches up to 5500-7000 Ft is planted with the best quality AV2 bushes, the most preferred clones in Darjeeling.

That pretty much matches the description that follows, with a bit more on experienced aspects, with a lot implied about moderate oxidation level as an input, but not explicitly discussed.  They list the oxidation level as "semi-oxidized" on a table of information along with that text.

Gopaldhara Maharaja of Darjeeling – Second Flush Muscatel 2021

Maharaja of Darjeeling is one of the best second flush teas in the Darjeeling hills, made by AV2 bushes... 

It is 100% handpicked with no machinery involved. The garden workers are very careful in their plucking to make sure only the best shoots with prominent buds are plucked. The top elevation of Gopaldhara Tea Estate which stretches up to 5500-7000 Ft is planted with the best quality AV2 bushes, the most preferred clones in Darjeeling.

..It brews into a very bright orange and clear cup having smooth fruity taste and muscatel character. The finish is long, honey sweet & captivating... 

These notes don't say anything about that whole-leaf issue, which I've went into before.  This version seems slightly more oxidized than the "Thor" but it also lists as "semi-oxidized," which would span a range.

Thor left, Maharaj right

Review:

Thor:  lighter than the other; it looks like I got proportion slightly wrong (not identical), and this version is significantly less oxidized than the other.  It's lighter in flavor than I expected, which I take to be needing a round to get going.  The character it does show is just great, as usual.  It's smooth and rich, complex, with good sweetness, and only positive aspects.  The range is warm, like rich scented flowers and dried fruit, with a bit of extra earthiness adding depth.  Probably it will all shift a bit by the time I get to a fuller flavor list description next round, but I'll hold off on details until then.

Maharaja:  completely different; that should make this interesting.  Even for being a somewhat light initial round astringency edge stands out in this, a pleasant feel structure and dryness.  In that sense it's much closer to a conventional black tea.  Flavor complexity is also evident, just in a warmer range.  Where the other might have included dried apricot this is more like date, which I'll clarify more in the listing next round.

I'm tasting this outside (it's too loud in the house, with the television blaring and my wife yelling at the kids, our normal routine) and that earthy edge is from a scent from the garden; interesting that doesn't come up more.  It seemed faint and in the background at first but my wife's mother is watering the garden now, and it's easier to flag.  It shouldn't throw things off.

Thor, second infusion:  this is a really interesting style.  It's listed as a second flush tea but it's really in between what I'm accustomed to in first and second flush character, a lot lighter and brighter than second flush usually is, probably mainly due to being lower in oxidation level.  Smoothness and richness stands out, and usually those are the kinds of things you notice second, after flavor and astringency edge.  It has some of that bright, fresh character of first flush Darjeeling, that bright floral range, and also some of the warmer richness of second flush, leading into heavier flavors.  It settles into a range like bright sweet fruit, like dried apricot, and complex floral range that's in the middle, not bright and light or warm, heavy, and rich, but balanced in the middle.  It's a cool effect.

Astringency is limited but that is what's giving it that rich and full feel.  Dried apricot and complex floral doesn't seem like enough of a flavor list, for how complex the flavor range is.  Some warm mineral base adds to the effect of complexity, and beyond that it's hard to "split apart" the fruit and floral range further, which I'll get back to next round.

Maharaja:  I went a little faster on this version this round and the brewed intensity level balances.  For both these teas you get a sense of a lot of complexity and balance along with the initial impression; they're refined, and have a lot going on.  I tried a tea not long ago that I thought was quite pleasant but it seemed like part of the normal range was missing, as if there was a gap in complexity across some aspect range, which was hard to pin down or describe.  The effect with these is the opposite, that they are not only covering a complex range but are also quite intense, refined, and well-balanced across the entire range.

Back to that flavor list:  citrus stands out.  Maybe this is related to muscatel, maybe not; I've been questioning what that even means.  I take it to be exactly that, a citrus-like range of heavy flavor that leans a bit towards grape and brandy.  Warm, rich fruit seems to fill in beyond that, not in a form that's easy to identify.  That early guess of date isn't too far off, although maybe closer to dried Chinese date than the Middle Eastern version more familiar in "the West."  

I think Chinese dates, jubube, is really a category, not a single fruit, with dried versions seeming much different than fresh ones.  Interpreting this as closer to dried longan would also work, not that the description would add much for American readers.  I just had one of my favorite deserts yesterday, a Chinese ice and beans dish, that includes both dried Chinese date and dried longan juice (and a mix of beans, and dried candied lotus root; it's so nice).  Maybe that's influencing this general warm dried fruit range interpretation. To me it all leans a bit towards cocoa but that's not it.

Thor, third infusion:  honey flavor and sweetness bumped up a good bit.  I suppose it tasted a bit like honey before too, filling in that rich flavor effect, but it's hard to miss in this round.  That other flavor is pretty close to dried apricot but that may well not be it.  It's harder to identify for so much rich, mid-range floral tone filling in as well.  A bit of citrus edge supports it, as does a warm mineral tone.  

It all integrates so well that it doesn't come across as that set of things at all, but as one unified experience.  Breaking it down to parts almost adds error, describing it in a way that it really doesn't come across.  Some of that fruitiness isn't far off a bubble-gum flavor, the non-distinct pink cube kind, Bubbalicious and such.  It's more refined than that description probably makes it sound.

Maharaja:  this is great for tasting like one would expect from second flush Darjeeling, maybe just projected in a better form than is typical.  The flavor complexity, in particular fruit edge, intensity, feel structure, and slight edge all balance perfectly.  Where the other is cool for being something novel this is great for being a better version of something familiar than is familiar.  The flavors are so complex that the right person could just keep on free-associating, and no interpretation would necessarily be wrong.  

I'm noticing more raisin in this round, and a hint of cinnamon spice.  It's impossible to describe the effect of those warm tones being offset by lighter fruit and floral range, then balancing with just the right amount of feel structure.  It's a higher level effect, one that emerges from all the other layers of experience.

Even though these are great teas, and are evolving, I'll probably do one more round with detailed notes and a second I barely mention and move on with my morning, now almost onto afternoon.  Ten small cups of tea is about my normal dose but it's really about demands on my time, things to do.

Thor, fourth infusion:  more of the same; the last description still works.  Balance and overall pleasantness really stands out, which I think I've covered enough.

Maharaja:  the same is true of this version, that it hasn't shifted enough to warrant a new description, and that I've already went on and on about the complexity and layers of aspects working well together.  

Conclusions:

Really nice teas, just different in character.  I think citrus changed form and picked up even more for the Maharaja over the next couple of rounds.  The Thor stayed relatively consistent, with a nice toffee flavor picking up in place of the honey, and brewed a good bit more pleasant tea.

Even though throwing 3 grams of either of these in an infuser basket for two somewhat intense brewed rounds wouldn't really optimize results these both would work ok that way.  The warmer tones of the Maharaja, as a more conventional black tea, with slightly more edge and feel structure, seems better suited for a breakfast tea role to me.  

These two teas stood out for being complex, well-defined, refined, and well-balanced.  That doesn't necessarily come across as intensity, but it all adds a fullness to the experience, an extra dimension, beyond novel and positive flavor range already doing that.  There was nothing negative to balance out or brew around; that helps too.  

I didn't really mention aftertaste effect for these I'm reviewing, and it's not something that stands out, although there was something to that.  Feel was nice for both these teas, in two different ways, just with moderate "structure" effect, full but still on the soft side.  

As I see it Darjeeling of this quality level are underappreciated in "tea circles," because they're not usually this good, or this isn't the most typical character / style.  Someone could drink Darjeeling for decades and not have any idea that this general style for this "Thor" version even exists, never mind experiencing and appreciating this degree of success in a version in this style.  Maybe it just didn't exist 5 years ago; that seems quite likely to me.  

I'm not sure that Western style brewing would really bring across just how good this tea is; shifting brewing style over to the Chinese Gongfu approach probably draws out extra potential.  It would be possible to notice that these are better than conventional Darjeeling prepared Western style, and a really dialed-in Western brewing approach probably would get most of the potential out of them.