Lewis Perin > wrote:
(Scott Dorsey) writes:
>
>>Oregonian Haruspex > wrote:
>>>On 2014-09-12 17:09:12 +0000, Scott Dorsey said:
>>>
>>>> I tried two steeps of each of four fully-withered second flush darjeelings.
>>>> None of these have the strong grassy odor that has become typical of modern
>>>> first flush darjeeling teas, they were all selected for being dark
>>>> and mellow.
>>>>
>>>> I took 30g of each with 250mL of boiling water, steeped for 2.5 minutes.
>>>> I then followed the same procedure again for a second steep. Almost
>>>> certainly the second steep should have been for at least a minute longer.
>>>> This was performed single-blind.
>>>
>>>I think you'd have much better luck if your water was around 190ºF or
>>>so instead of boiling.
>>
>>The thing is, these are all fully-withered teas, very dark and much more
>>like an assam in processing than the modern almost-green darjeelings, so
>>traditionally they are done with boiling water. I suppose I could try
>>them with a slightly cooler water just to see, though. But they're not
>>oolongs like most modern darjeeling is.
>>--scott
>
>Sorry, I have to disagree with your last sentence. Oolongs arent fully
>oxidized/fermented, but not everything thats partially oxidized is an
>oolong. Theres a lot of craft in making an oolong that isnt required
>to make a black tea (even a €œblack€� tea that isnt fully oxidized - I
>know, my head hurts, too.) Maybe thats why, when Darjeeling gardens
>set out to make an oolong, the results tend to fall short.

Okay, it's not really an oolong.... but it's not really a black tea. What
it is, is a darjeeling. But it's different than the fully withered darjeelings
which really are orthodox process black teas.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."