Gopaldhara second flush honey oolong

 

I suppose it's odd that this isn't a Spring tea / first flush review given that it's that season again, time for ordering fresh new versions, as Darjeeling goes.  I was supposed to receive some samples very recently but the local post office seems to have lost them, maybe delivered to the wrong house.  Odd that doesn't come up more often, given how inconsistent many things can be where I live, in Thailand.

In going back to try older samples I recently experienced how storage can affect teas like these, in a case of a 2021 first flush version.  Flavors mute a bit over time, and a heavy mineral aspect picks up.  It would depend on storage temperature, I think, with it as a given that complete isolation from air contact is in place.  It's hot here in Bangkok, and green tea freshness fades faster, or related character of first flush teas, whether those are grouped as lightly oxidized black teas or white versions.  I don't think that would've been as much a factor for a tea made later in last year, if it was a more oxidized version, but it's at least conceivable that this tea could've been better half a year ago.  

I think even a green or white first flush version, at their best drank freshest, would still be fine if stored isolated from air for a year, just not if room temperature made it into the mid-30's C / 90s F.  A bit of the fresh edge would wear off, which would be a shame.  Some teas actually improve with age, and oolongs can fall under that category, but how all that maps out can be complicated.  As I see it either well roasted oolongs benefit from rest or people can value a transition in rolled (ball-shaped) versions that takes many years, so although this kind of tea wouldn't degrade or change quickly I'd expect it would be better fresh than aged, for almost any amount of time.  Then the topic of aged Oriental Beauty does come up as a second kind of concern, so it might not be quite that simple.

Something interesting came up in checking a site listing for this:

Rohini Summer Honey Oolong – Bug Bitten Tea 2021 – Royal Series

This is one of the finest summer teas produced from high-quality AV2 bushes at Rohini Tea Estate. There is a reason behind the name ‘bug bitten tea’. During June, when the second flush teas are harvested, the rise in temperature also causes a rise in the insect population. The Tea Jassids also called green flies in Darjeeling feed on the tea leaves for a couple of weeks. During this time they suck out the moisture causing the leaves to shrivel downwards. The loss of moisture does not kill the leaf but rather stunts its growth leading to a concentration of flavors... 

This summer oolong consists of brownish-black leaves and a few silver tips. It brews into an aromatic bright amber cup with a very smooth flavor and no astringency. The tea has a mouthful of sweet and fruity muscatel character with a finish of honey and mango flavors. A compelling make and a true delight, it is definitely one of the best teas produced by Rohini Tea Estate.

I don't know if this really was a 2021 version, or if they made this in 2022, but it's not up on their site now.   The leaves look a bit darker than in that product sales page:

I could ask them but it's possible that it's not clear which tea version had been sent last year; little details like that can slip away over time.  Rishi does sometimes share versions sold only as small batches with me, since one main idea is to let me try them, and to hear feedback, more than for a marketing function.

It's odd not touching on the category naming of this being presented as oolong, which I'll mostly set aside.  This could be like an Oriental Beauty version, if the bug-bitten effect is similar, and the oxidation level also matches, as it seems to from dry leaf appearance.  It goes without saying but if this does seem a lot like a standard Taiwanese OB oolong version (which it isn't; tea plant type, terroir, and processing must all be different) citrus, spice range (towards cinnamon), and other fruit would stand out.

Review:

First infusion:  nice!  It does taste a bit like honey, with plenty of muscatel range too (or citrus / grape / liqueur), and other warm fruit tones.  It's probably going to pack slightly more punch after the first infusion but it expresses a lot of depth and complexity already.  I will hold off on a more detailed flavor list though.  Feel is nice already; it has a lot of rich structure, and pleasant trailing aftertaste that will probably pick up.  As a Chinese black tea drinker most into fruit and warmer tones in black tea this is a good style match for me.

Second infusion:  edge really picked up.  It's not a challenging astringency, always a concern with more chopped leaf versions, but it's significant, and will relate to using fast infusion times to moderate that character input.  At this high proportion that's normal enough, and doesn't relate to drinking weak tea.  Warm mineral base stands out more for that, but there is plenty of citrus still, and a base of warm fruit tone, that's still hard to break down further.  

One warm fruit tone is especially catchy, along the line of teaberry, mixing berry, mint, and an edgier range.  Mint is not really typical in Darjeeling, per my past experience.  Next one would consider what the mint range is like, wintergreen versus spearmint and such; maybe I'll get back to that if it gets stronger.

Third infusion:  nicely balanced for brewing that fast, maybe just seconds too fast.  Orange flavor increases this round, like the zest, the oil from the peel.  Mint is still there if you look for it but I wouldn't notice it at this proportion, without having it in mind.  The balance of intense and complex flavors, sweetness, warm base tones, limited astringency, and pleasant aftertaste work out really well.  Never mind the tea not expressing flaws, the rest really comes together.  There is other fruit range to consider, but it seems mixed in with the rest, not as distinct.  Maybe a red raspberry note stands out as much as any.

Fourth infusion:  brewed slightly stronger mint stands out more, and the balance of warm depth and astringency structure ramps up.  It's cool how brewing an extra few seconds changes the experience.  That mint tone is catchy, nicely complementing the rest.  I only remember pronounced mint in one tea, beyond Ruby / Red Jade, which typically seems more like eucalyptus or menthol to me, in a test batch version from Laos that my friend Anna shared.  I've heard it comes up in some Russian teas but I've not noticed it in any, that I remember.  

Fruit is a good balancing input for that aspect, and warm tones, a little towards cocoa / cacao.  Citrus is still present in this round but more as a part of the rest, on an even balance, where it stood out as primary in the last round.  I think that was probably due to the slight change in infusion strength more than a one-round aspect transition cycle variation (but who knows, really).

Fifth infusion:  fairly similar to last round.  I'll skip the notes and add if it transitions more next round.

Sixth infusion:  intensity is definitely fading, and some of the brighter fruit flavor dropping out faster than the rest, especially the bright citrus and berry.  Warmer and deeper tones will hang in there more from here, most likely, moving on towards a woody effect.  It's far from spent though; the remaining fruit still gives it a nice balance, and mint is still present.  

Later infusions:  it kept going, trailing off to similar character range, with fruit progressively getting swapped out for more woody tones.

Conclusion:

One of the better Darjeeling versions I've ever tried.  I've commented before how that expectation context can throw off normal range of judgment for Gopaldhara's teas.  If one isn't among the best I've ever tried, at least at a 99% sort of level, it seems a little disappointing.  Then even if a version is that good without a novel new aspect experience included it can fall short of other versions experience.

Not all of their teas are absolutely fantastic; some are just quite good.  It's a good track record, one that can shift balance of interpretation.  The same is true for the versions being more whole leaf, with concerns over astringency generally dropping out; that's just part of the normal baseline.

Then style preference factors in, or relation to individual aspects.  I really do love Dian Hong, Yunnan black teas, for how those heavy, rich, complex flavors balance, range like cacao, roasted yam and sweet potato, depth from spice, and varying fruit tones.  I suppose that's part of why these Gopaldhara Darjeeling versions work so well for me, even though that heavy flavor range isn't the same, with the fruit tones and flavor context are all lighter.  First flush Spring versions are nice too, just in a different way.  That bright, fresh, intense lighter range compares more to what I like most in Nepal white teas, strong lighter citrus, brighter floral tones, supported by a lighter mineral range.

Gopaldhara Spring Honey Oolong and Summer Golden Tips

 

Spring / first flush tea on the left in all photos, second flush / summer harvest right

I'm trying two teas from a new set provided by Rishi of Gopaldhara for review (many thanks).  We talked to him not long ago in one of those online meetups, here.  The theme of developing higher quality, whole-leaf oolong that draws on varied processing approach inputs, especially from oolong processing from China, was a bit familiar prior to then, but nice to hear more details about directly.  The proof is always in the pudding, and their teas have been great for a long time, for years.  I would expect them to continue to improve, making results hard to place in relation to past experiences with Darjeeling, maybe even with their own prior versions.

Just prior to trying these teas I remembered that the last time I reviewed a set of samples from them I kept doing combined tastings that coupled first and second flush versions, which is not an intuitive approach at all.  It makes the most sense to try versions that are as similar as possible, to identify finer differences between them, variations in feel, flavor aspects, or intensity that distinguish them.  Trying dissimilar teas actually leads to picking up less in the tasting process, in a similar way that the more versions you taste the harder it is to focus, or background noise and distractions can have a negative effect.  Oh well.  I'm not sure what I picked these based on; it seemed like maybe there would be a common character thread that is interesting, probably only reacting to the names.  Or it's down to my stupidity and random chance.

On with tasting then.  Of course I'm brewing these Gongfu style; for teas of this type it's really the only valid approach, per my preference and opinion.  I've discussed that recently, about how vendors might actually recommend whatever they think would work well and ring a bell for consumers, so a website suggestion for these teas would probably relate to Western style brewing, related to the latter factor.  Eventually I might try some of these versions prepared Western style but to me it doesn't get the best results out of them.

Review:

Spring Honey Oolong:  just fantastic; really what I expected.  Sweet, creamy, rich floral notes are intensely pleasant.  Of course there is none of the astringency edge in typical Darjeeling first flush versions, which can be ok, maybe even a positive balance, but to me the teas are much better without it, or at least with a very moderate input of that.  Fullness and creaminess replaces that.  The taste range is primarily floral but strong fruit tones stand out too, maybe a type of berry I probably won't place.  It's not far off the range of red raspberry but that's not it.  The floral tones are complex, probably a mix, only well described if someone could split that apart, which I can't.  

Sweetness is at a high level, which supports the rest really well.  You never fully appreciate sweetness until it's not present at a normal level in a tea, and then you miss it.  The brightness resembles citrus, almost lemony, but as much in effect as the actual taste of lemons.  Often it's possible to specify a different citrus then, but this seems to be in between lemon and tangerine.

Summer Golden Tips:  the contrast is just great, how these are both so good in related but different ways.  A light astringency edge is present in this; it's a black tea.  It's on the soft side as Indian black teas go, of course, replacing a typical biting edge with structure in this case, versus creaminess in the first.  There's a lot going on in relation to flavor.  A mild version of malt couples with that astringency, nothing like the form of typical Assam, but not so different than the highest end versions.  Floral tones inclined towards fruit stand out in this too, but across a much different range.  Those are rounded out by a nice balancing warm mineral range.  

The floral tones and fruit are different in the two tea versions, different flowers, and a different warm fruit range versus the bright berry of the first, towards light citrus.  The fruit is a little like dried tamarind, not exactly like dried longan, but in that direction.  Dried longan is fantastic, by the way; if you ever see that you should buy it.

Second infusion:

Spring Honey Oolong:  this is a little too intense, too strongly brewed, and I used a time just under 10 seconds.  It's fine, not at all ruined, but finding the optimum might involve taking care to account for intensity.  Astringency picked up a good bit, not to the level of a chopped leaf version but with enough to move towards a comparable balance and effect.  I suppose that's a good thing, or to me it's just different.  Honey is really pronounced now.  I suppose it was present last round but not like now.  

Golden Summer Tips:  really essentially the same flavors as last round, just with relative balance of inputs switched around a little.  Astringency level is comparable to the honey oolong but in a completely different form.  There is citrus and muscatel range to this; maybe that didn't come out as strong in a first round.  Muscatel range is very moderate though; it could easily be interpreted as some other general fruit range.

It's complex in a positive way, and also intense.  It's interesting experiencing strong flavor intensity and positive feel with moderate astringency input.  Notable, but still moderate.  That input effect would change completely brewed lighter, which would take a really fast infusion time at the high proportion I'm using.  Of course backing off that proportion is an option.

Fourth infusion:

I took a break for a few hours and used the third round as a rinse to refresh the tea, which I drank, but didn't write notes for.  It was an interesting break; first we bathed the cats, when it started to rain, so we had to do that in a roofed area that serves as a garage space.  It kept on raining and the kids decided to go shoot baskets in a downpour, so I joined them for that.  I helped them clean the bathroom that they use (the covid theme relates to us not having a housekeeper visit), and I went for a run after, when it was only raining lightly.

Spring Honey Oolong:  honey is still really pronounced in this round, and floral tone, with a citrus range closer to orange peel now.  There's an astringency edge paired with a flavor that is distinctive in first flush Darjeeling, which I take to taste like green wood mixed with a floral tone.  It's a great balanced and complex effect, adding in nice intensity, smooth feel, and more aftertaste than Darjeeling versions ever tend to have.  That high level of sweetness and honey tone works well for me.  But is it oolong?

Kind of.  I don't know about the processing steps, and for the most part I'm more concerned about aspects outcome than category placement anyway.  Feel is quite smooth, rich, and full for any Darjeeling (just not on the level of those for Taiwanese high mountain oolong).  They can have a great structure, or fullness, but not typically like this (again not based on a God's eye view of Darjeeling, just a prior impression).  The flavor set is definitely not even close to Chinese oolong versions ranges I'm familiar with, since that part is Darjeeling, the list I keep repeating.  Leaving aside any expectations about Darjeeling or oolong the overall effect is great, and it also works folding those in, to me.  It's nothing like one of the typical type-ranges of oolong (Wuyi Yancha, Dan Cong, Anxi TGY, or Taiwanese high mountain versions), but then those are all different from each other too.  

It might not make that much sense to ask if there is a subset of commonality within those four type ranges that this overlaps with; the first part isn't as simple as it first sounds.  Within those broad categories oxidation level, roast, leaf input related factors, processing, and quality level cause a lot of variation.  I think there is common ground among all those oolongs but I'm not so clear on what it is; smoothness, fullness of feel, flavor intensity, a refinement in better versions (that part is vague), and being approachable (not challenging).  This isn't completely different, it just tastes like Darjeeling, and feel and aftertaste are less pronounced.

Summer Golden Tips:  this came out less intense than the other for the same parameters; that doesn't automatically mean anything in particular to me.  The astringency edge has shifted to come across as dryness, still paired with warm mineral undertone and malt flavor, or at least it seems connected to me.  It's pleasant.  

The other Spring version seems just a bit more novel, including a set of aspects that you don't often run across together.  This is a well-balanced version of second flush black tea Darjeeling, it seems.  For a broken leaf tea this astringency edge would be light, but for a more whole leaf version it stands out as moderate (lower medium level), and distinctive in character.  The complex range of supporting flavor is unusual.  

It's not so atypical for black tea versions of Darjeeling to hammer just a few flavor aspects, and this does express a limited set most, but keeps going beyond that.  It's malty; that seems different.  Citrus is a main supporting tone but really that balances with floral and fruit range.  Muscatel is limited in this, maybe not even in a range one would interpret as that, maybe as well left described as only citrus.

I think it would seem more impressive if this other tea wasn't so unique, complex, balanced, and intense.  It's quite good, but the novelty of the other version adds another dimension.  I usually like second flush versions better too, the way that aspect range comes together at that oxidation level.

Conclusions:

The next infusion wasn't so different and late rounds transitions seem like a lot of trouble to add, going through what shifts most later on.  These are so high in quality and exceptional in character that I don't think either is going to fade fast or shift to straight woody taste.  So then it's either about what comes out stronger later (usually flavor profile narrows and astringency picks up as you stretch infusion times), or there could be a surprise, some kind of shift.  I'm doing this edit days later but there were no surprises, they just kept transitioning, and brewed a lot of rounds, at least ten.

It's hard to describe just how good these teas are.  My friend Ralph made a good point in reviewing one (not the same, maybe, but from a similar set, with this Spring version reviewed here) about how not expecting this particular character going in can be experienced as a challenge.  The novelty could make them work really well, but it's also possible to not completely get what's going on at first, in the same way one does in drinking familiar tea types.  Brewing approach can require a slight adjustment in relation to chopped leaf Darjeeling, with the more moderate astringency probably a positive difference for most people.  Both of these weren't as soft as mild Chinese black teas can be, but the astringency present was in a good range to balance the rest, not detracting from the experience.

Beyond that whole leaf character they really must be experimenting with shifts in processing styles, as Rishi described, years past earlier forms of changes where what is different but not better gets included, onto moving forwards with approaches that have been working out well.  Of course factors like weather would make a lot of difference too.  2021 must have been a really hard year just to keep making tea there, but that didn't showing up in any negative ways in these teas.

So they are amazing teas, as usual, just more of the same, in relation to that being how their teas go.  Based on this early impression they might have set the bar that bit higher, as I would've expected.  The "golden tips" version suffers a little in comparison with the other for just being a pretty good, novel, high quality, well-balanced example, and for giving up a little intensity and complexity, but all that is no small feat, and it's quite pleasant to experience.  I think if that citrus present had seemed a little more pronounced, and further into muscatel range in character, it would've came across quite differently, but it was nice as it was.  It's possible that for trying these a few more times, with novelty as less of a factor, I would like the second flush version as much for being a solid, well balanced black tea version, since that general type range is a personal favorite.

Vendor descriptions:

This rambled on so long I almost forgot to include Gopaldhara's input about what I was trying.

Rohini Honey Oolong Spring – First Flush 2021 (it seems like it's that)

A rare first flush oolong tea made from the best quality AV2 bushes, which has very finely plucked tippy whole leaves with a silvery appearance. It has a traditional spring character & tantalizing sweet aroma with a finish of honey. The tea has a very pleasant & distinct aftertaste with zero astringency which leaves behind a very memorable experience.

The tea bushes are grown and harvested at an elevation between 1500-3000 feet...

That sounds right.  Onto the other:

Rohini Summer Golden Tips – Rare Hand Rolled Tea 2021 (I had no idea both were from Rohini; I should read the information sheet next time)

Rohini Summer Golden Tips is one of the finest second flush teas from Rohini Tea Estate of Darjeeling. The tea is made from small leaves having lots of buds. It is made from AV2 bushes which is one of the most preferred clones of Darjeeling. The leaves are freshly plucked in the last week of May. The dry leaves appear to be brownish with lots of golden tips.  This finest second flush tea brews into a bright orange and clear cup having mouthful, sweet & fruity muscatel character with a finish of honey.

Second flush teas are considered matured because of the sufficient rainfall received during the month of May in the Darjeeling region. The leaves absorb enough water during the monsoon period which helps in developing rich colour, strong aroma & muscatel flavour to the teas. 

Sounds right too, the muscatel just came across more as a less distinct citrus range in this tasting, to me, which is pretty close.

Keo shooting baskets during the tasting, before it rained

reviewing outside again

I haven't posted her picture in awhile.  she made that bag; she's really creative.

long haired Keo with Myra

May Zest Honey Flavor Black tea from Taiwan

Not long ago I reviewed an Oriental Beauty (Bai Hao) from May Zest, a wholesale tea vendor from Taiwan, and now I'm reviewing a black tea from them, a Honey Flavor Black Tea.  Their description invokes the same story as for OB, as follows:


The tea is hand-plunked and made from Chin Shin Gan Tze which is cultivated in San Xia Township. The tea farmers won’t use pesticide, because they want leafhoppers come to eat the tea leaves. After the bite of leafhoppers, a chemical reaction occurs in the leaves and causes that fragrance and sweetness.


I'm not so sure about any of that but it is decent tea, well within the range of what I like in black teas.  It's a variety Sinensis black, given that cultivar reference, which is what it seems like, a soft and fruity black tea.

Review:

It does have some sweetness; maybe that does resemble honey.  Cocoa might come across as the primary taste element,  with a bit of subdued fruit, yam or sweet potato.  Another main aspect is an interesting dryness, an unusual feel I've heard described in other teas as resinous.  All that range overlaps with Jin Jun Mei, it's just presented differently, in a conventional black tea.  It's not really fair to compare this directly with that Jin Jun Mei from Cindy Chen, or even to her unsmoked Lapsang Souchong, because those were some really exceptional teas, some better versions of those types that wouldn't be so easy to run across.


There is not really any astringency to work around, but a little of the earthiness reminds me of Assamica black tea versions, just not the general character of the tea.  It seems like a variety Sinensis tea (which it is); soft, sweet, similar to Chinese black teas in style (although those vary a lot).

nice brewed relatively strong, per my preference

I really expected it to be closer to the Thai Tea Side black tea I've been drinking, slightly fruitier, with a trace cleaner flavors, not quite as dry as this comes across.  It's funny how expectations can shift an experience, how any change can be something to get past at first, unless a tea is somehow clearly better than expected.  I guess the point is that different than expected could easily be interpreted as not as good.


The flavors stay nice through multiple infusions, consistent, or maybe even improve.  The fruit seems to move towards cherry a little, a nice pairing with the cocoa element,  like a chocolate covered cherry.  The feel effect is nice, different, a touch dry and a touch juicy at the same time.


With lots of similar black teas it works well to use water a bit below boiling point to brew, then switch to full boiling after a few infusions to extract a bit more. That will also pull out a bit of dark toffee taste in that last infusion.  Per someone's preference simply ramping up the tea to water ratio and cutting the brewing times a little enables brewing more infusions, sort of shifting to a hybrid Western-Gongfu style, but I don't think that would change aspects results much for this tea.  At any rate it's not a touchy tea; there would be some optimum but it works well across a broad range of parameters, likely with similar results in spite of variations, but aspects might shift just a little.

would work well brewed lots of ways

To me it's a great breakfast tea, easy to brew, no challenge to drink, none of the stomach issues with green teas.  It pairs well with pastry and cereal, or would work about as well for an afternoon tea too.  To me it's sort of a basic tea, a general type I love to have some of around, so I'm not sure if it really lives up to a billing of being a black tea version of an Oriental Beauty, but it is nice.  I've tried a lot of black teas from a lot of places over the last year but it doesn't work well to put it on some sort of scale.  It's good, and a lot of good black teas vary more by being slightly different than by some being much better than others.


 There's a divide between Assamica and Sinensis types by characteristics, and I suppose I really do like variety Sinensis black teas better, in general.  But nice versions of the others can have lots going for them, and that's more about my preference than those really being better in some objective sense.



The vendor type shifts things a little, related to buying this tea.  Of course since May Zest is a wholesale vendor the general idea is that someone could buy a lot to resell, but really nothing is stopping someone from buying more than the usual 100 grams to drink themselves.  The smallest amount they sell is 250 grams, but that's essentially same packaging size one often sees for Thai oolongs (200 grams, for my favorite line of those, which I never drink now since I've burned out on lightly oxidized oolongs).  I gambled a bit and bought a half kilo each of that Oriental Beauty and this black tea and luckily I like both.  I have enough to share as gifts but I won't need to figure out what to do with them, since after a year or so in the rotation of teas I could just drink most of that.  They also sent some samples so I'll be posting more about their other teas.