The Golden Tips Tea Co. has been around since 1933. They offer a wide variety of loose leaf teas from India. Their selection is impressive. I just tried a sample that was generically labeled as a first flush Darjeeling. As you can see from the picture it was very green in color. The dry tea was very fragrant. My first sip was very satisfying. All the good things I remembered about Darjeeling tea came back to me in a flash. Now, I cannot stand using the word “muscatel” to describe the way a tea tastes, the way peoples sometimes do with darjeeling. “Muscatel” is not going to help build excitement for this tea in the United States. If you want to describe it as having a muscatel bouquet, be my guest. But I digress. Just trust me when I say darjeeling is extremely fresh in flavor with delicate fruity and grassy notes. Although it has a green look to it, it’s clearly not a green tea. To me, Darjeeling tea is the perfect compliment to hot water. Although I’m sure a fresh order from their website would have been better, it’s clear that this tea company knows their sources very well. Each tea offered on their website details the tea’s origin. They do a great job of describing the tea. If this sample is any indication of what they have to offer, I definitely recommend ordering from them if you enjoy Darjeeling tea. This company is located in India; therefore, it’s safe to assume they know the tea market very well. When I first started drinking loose leaf tea, I drank a lot of Darjeeling teas. I literally burned out on the tea. After the expo, I realized what I was missing. I think I’ll still take a break from Darjeeling teas, but I’ll be back in full swing with the second flush.

• Visit Golden Tips Tea Co.

• Previous Darjeeling marTEA blog

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