This tasting theme related to getting to samples from last year that looked interesting, including a different "tippy" version of the flagship Fusion product from Doke, from Bihar, not one of the main tea producing regions. Reviewing another Darjeeling with it is about using that as a benchmark, and just commenting here on more teas they sent. Giddapahar rings a bell, I must have reviewed at least one or two from them before, but it's not that familiar. Per usual I'll add more listing details and links during editing.
One atypical part of this review post is that I wrote these notes three weeks ago, dropping out of doing most writing due to spending nearly two weeks on a covid experience. These tasting notes tend to be fairly complete anyway.
DOKE BLACK FUSION TIPPY:- FIRST FLUSH 2021 (now listed at $11.24 / 50 grams)
The best Indian black tea that has a combination of sweet and malty roast notes with caramel flavour aftertaste is a heart winner for most of the tea drinkers! Having a brewing time of 3 minutes, 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.
I didn't see a listing for the Giddapahar tea through their outlet (Tea Swan), or a clear match through Google search. That version was more for comparison purposes anyway, and it was interesting experiencing the contrast in styles. I didn't take it to be indicative of a normal, standard style Darjeeling second flush, but that was fine, trying something pleasant and more unique instead. Of course I mis-matched flushes, since the Doke was a spring tea, but it turned out to not matter related to style range since they had fully oxidized that tea version, unlike conventional first flush Darjeeling style.
Review:
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interesting that the second flush Giddapahar, left, is less oxidized |
Tippy Black Fusion: interesting. One part resembles a standard black tea, maybe towards Ceylon for being softer and including more mineral depth than Assam typically does, and from there distinctive dried fruit range enters in. It's a little towards Chinese date, jujube, but it's not that. Cocoa / cacao comes across as well; that part would be familiar to Chinese black tea drinkers. The feel is nice, with a little dryness and fullness but nothing like harsh astringency edge. People accustomed to drinking better loose tea wouldn't consider adding milk to this, although it probably would be ok, it's just not something that I would check. This is quite pleasant, and it will probably develop a little more depth over the next two infusions, before levelling off.
Giddapahar AV2 Summer Delight Second Flush: that's really quite nice too, but very different. It's includes just a little more dryness but really the effect is just different, more than it's stronger. A strong range of warm tones stand out in this, and it includes fruit as well, and a catchy spice-like aspect, which I'm not really clear enough on to describe yet. The muscatel level is moderate; it's not a version that's all about blasting that, but it does include that distinctive grape / citrus / wine-like range. The catchy part may be how the different aspects balance. I wouldn't be surprised if a bit of dryness and light range mineral softened and deepened next round, so I'll do a more complete flavor breakdown then.
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Doke Tippy Fusion on the left in all photos |
Doke Tippy Fusion second infusion: lots of transition; an inky sort of flavor range really ramped up. It's hard to describe, not like the straight ink mineral range that can couple with lots of other integrated flavors in Wuyi Yancha oolongs. This is towards sourness, just not sour in a typical sense. It seems to couple with fruit range, like elderberry, as a variation of how a juice can come across.
I like it, but personal preference would determine response to this. Fruity, mineral based, heavy flavor range black teas seem really nice to me, but this is in a unique range. We've bought a ligonberry jam from IKEA before; what I'm describing as sourness and fruit isn't that close to that, since these flavors are heavier, but it works in comparison to describe what I mean by fruit-like and sour. That reminds me, there's a Laos berry tisane I've been meaning to review, gooseberry, maybe that was?
Giddapahar: so different that it's cool experiencing one of these and then the other. I had expected more astringency edge from this, given how broken the leaf is, and now it's showing up. It's not exactly that green wood range that seems to stand out and be distinctive related to only Darjeeling, but it's close to that, a variation. Warm tones broaden feel and flavor well beyond that, making it seem complex (which it is). The part I'm interpreting as catchy might just be the way a pronounced root spice aspect links with less distinctive fruit, with the two complementing each other. The aftertaste is just that astringency edge, not so far off the experience of bitterness, or this might be a feel aspect that seems to link to actual bitterness.
It works, but the astringency and towards-bitter edge isn't in an ideal balance. The water I'm using is probably around 90 C, maybe just over (but I tend to not check those things), and backing that off to 80 or 85 might be more optimum for this. Not that I would; I brew tea using pretty much the same water temperature, and even brewing parameters, and how it works out is what I'm interested in experiencing. If this was more broken I would brew it Western style, probably then easing up on temperature just a little, but it's ok for this approach, with astringency moderated by brewing time.
In giving it one last taste that spice range includes towards-root flavor but also fennel seed, as a more dominant aspect, which is interesting.
Doke, third infusion: I brewed these quite quickly, at or under 10 seconds, because intensity is a bit much at this proportion, for both, but they're probably still not even close to light. The lighter intensity lets the fruit show through better; it's nicer. That still does remind me most of elderberry. It's hard to say what that tastes like, in comparison with other berries; a bit like blackberry, but heavier on mineral, richer in flavor, less fruity somehow, even inky in taste range. If you ever get a chance to try a good version of fresh elderberry pie with vanilla ice cream your life will be improved by that.
Overall balance is good, the moderate astringency, pleasant and integrated flavors, good sweetness. There aren't really any flaws to work around. The only limitation is that this style and character might not suit everyone, which is true of essentially every tea type. I see some types as more universal in appeal but that interpretation might not be shared by others. These including what I'm describing as towards sourness and bitterness work well in relation to the rest of the range, but they might serve as examples of range that wouldn't work well for everyone. Backing off infusion strength makes the part seeming like sourness drop out in this, with plenty of fruit flavor and warm tone intensity remaining, so it's down to a matter of brewing it appropriately. I don't think this would be as good made Western style, unless someone could be careful about dialing in final infusion timing and intensity.
Giddapahar: brewed lighter the part I've been struggling to capture really stands forward. This tastes like teaberry! It's a minty sort of wild berry found where I'm from, in Pennsylvania, that people tend not to eat. I've heard before that you can collect and brew the leaves, and that they can even be oxidized. That sounds amazing, but I've never tried it. As with the other tea intensity really supports lighter brewing; this is plenty strong enough, and much better balanced. Sweetness stands out more, with astringency and the seemingly connected wood tone flavor dialing back.
It can come across as an insult in tea circles to say that a tea would be good with food, but I could see how this would pair well with a lot of range. That edge works better moderated by infusion strength, like this round is prepared, but that effect could also be countered by eating this with a raisin cinnamon roll. There's even a hint of cinnamon in this, showing up better for the wood tone dropping with infusion strength.
Doke, fourth infusion: more of the same, and quite pleasant.
Giddapahar: the same really; maybe transitioning just a little. Both these teas will keep making positive, complex, balanced infusions for a number of additional rounds, and character will shift a bit more, but the notes are sufficient.
Conclusion:
For quitting taking notes that early both teas might have improved slightly over the next few rounds, especially the Doke version. It picked up a nice brandy-like character, warming and adding depth, with sweetness towards toffee or heavy caramel. Intensity stayed good for lots more rounds, with parts that someone might have interpreted as negative (for both) largely dropping out, the astringency edge and such.
It was interesting how different this seemed to me in relation to the other second flush Doke Fusion version I had tried and reviewed (here). There was enough continuity that I could relate to them being branded under the same name but they weren't even close to identical, with this version much better, adding more depth, complexity, and positive nature across a broad number of rounds.
This Giddapahar was interesting for not matching Darjeeling second flush standard character I expected, but being positive in a different way. As some sort of standard type comparison baseline it wasn't suitable at all, but as a novel, good quality, and pleasant tea version it exceeded my expectations. I'll skip trying to compare either of these to some other standard range, and the impossible task of matching a general extracted quality level from one range of tea to another. These were good, pleasant and interesting; that's enough.
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not much for home life or outings to share lately, so them sleeping will do |
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still time for messing around in between all the rest and recovery |
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