This wonderful teas’ leaves don’t look anything like any oolong I’ve ever had. They’re not balled. Instead they’re twisted. They’re not uniformly colored or monochrome either. Instead, they’re a mixture of brown, gold, green and white leaves. The aroma is more hay and straw than anything else.

Once brewed, the leaves produce a wonderful orange liquor that, while clear, reminds me of sherbet. The brewed aroma smells more of a light Chinese green. Not so much grassy as artichoke-like but not heavily so.

The flavor is light, easy on the palate and smooth. While there is some astringency and a light drying of the palate it’s subtle. Flavors of straw and hay combine with notes of a floral undertone which seems to add some sweetness to the brew.

I recommend this tea to fans of other Nepalese or Himalayan teas. Also, fans of silver tips teas may find this brew enjoyable.

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Something about the Nepalaese Himalayan teas resonates with me. Their flavors and aromas always remind me of Autumn when the air is cool and I have some of my fondest memories reconjured with friends.

The leaves for this fine tea look like Darjeeling teas. Loose and colorful, they’re choppy looking large leaf particles. The aroma from these dry leaves is light and airy. It reminds me of jumping in piles of raked leaves in Autumn as a kid.

When brewed the leaves produce a light orange liquor with a lightly honeyes aroma sweeter than that of the dry leaves.

The brew tastes just as the tea smells. Like leaves in Autumn. The texture is easy but with some astringent bite and a long drying tail.

I would recommend this wonderful tea to fans of Darjeeling teas. Those who enjoy Keemun teas or teas with golden tips may also enjoy this brew.

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The loose tea leaves are curled and twisted. Their color a mix from white to dark green and black with some brown intermingled in. The dry aroma is of dry grass, hay and fresh spring tree leaves.

Once brewed the leaves aroma turns sweeter and loses the hay and the dry grass takes a back seat to the spring leaves. It’s rather interesting and refreshing for a green tea.

Quixotically, the aroma from the liquor retains the hay scent. A beautiful golden caramel colored liquor pairs well with this relaxing brew.

The flavor is more astringent than I anticipated. There’s a sweetness in the initial profile but there’s a vegetal twinge which reminds me of steamed spinach or turnip greens, especially with the way it sticks to the tip of the tongue.

This tea is good for about three steeps and should be sipped to savor. Fans of gunpowder green teas, deep shade grown (Fukamushi style) Japanese greens and Darjeeling teas will appreciate this brew.

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I was lucky enough to score some samples while at this year’s World Tea Expo. This one came directly from the Jun Chiyabari tea garden in Nepal whom I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting and conversing with the past two years!

This oolong is reminiscent of both Taiwanese oolongs and Himalayan Tips teas. It’s light, aromatic and pleasant like a Himalayan tea, but smooth with lightly changing flavors over multiple steepings.

I noted apricot and stone fruit flavors and aromas and notes of woody or fired flavors and aromas as well.

The dried leaves are pleasant to smell and remind me of Himalayan Tips while their tightly curled (but not balled) leaves are white, brown and black.

The liquor brews a nice pretty amber and contains only the slightest astringency while drying only the tip of the tongue.

I really enjoyed this tea and would recommend it to everyone, but most especially to fans of other Nepalese teas such as Himalayan Tips.

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This hand rolled tea from Nepal has slender twisted leaves about a 1/2 inch long appearing from a very light gray to a nice dark black. While described as tippy by SAFA Himalaya, I haven’t noted any particular level of down within the packaging. I’m not saying these aren’t tips, just that the typical reflections of being tippy aren’t completely there.

The aroma presents itself similar to hay (for horses) when dry, but the wet leaves provide a much sweeter aroma, in line with a light Oolong. To go with the aromas this tea brews a wonderfully amber liquor, very clear but dark enough to know it’s a black tea.

The flavors are the fun part here. Lightly astringent, the liquor plays on your tongue for a minute before it bites. I expected this tea to dry the palate, but it doesn’t. While the aroma is sweeter once brewed, the flavor comes out more grassy. I appreciate this teas subtleties.

I would recommend this tea for fans of lighter black teas such as Keemuns and Sri Lankan blacks. Fans of tippy white teas will also be pleased with this brew.

Keep Steepin’

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