Harney and Sons Namring First Flush 02 Upton's Namring FF Darjeeling FTGFOP1 (TD84) Harney and Sons: www.harney.com Upton Tea Imports: www.uptontea.com Have had a chance to taste purchased samples of both these teas, now in a cup-to-cup comparison. Quite a different experience beginning right when the water hits the leaf. Both were brewed with 2.4 grams leaf/6 ounces/2:30 which is not necessarily the optimum brewing for both, but provided me a take-off point for comparing them cup-to-cup. Harney describes their Namring FF as being from the Namring Upper (which is better than just plain Namring). It was produced late in the First Flush season and was done in a traditional _style_. So it is not as green or brisk a First Flush Darjeeling as last year. It has the elusive and delightful Namring aroma. In my previous tasting of the Upton's Namring FF 02 (TD84) I'd found: The first hint of aroma when water hits the leaf is that 'green' pungency that has the almost minty notes I sometimes associate with a FF. Aroma seems to warm and deepen as the tea steeps, a pungent green/floral/woody that fills out underneath with a very light 'toast and honey' type characteristic (the warmth I referred to). There is quite an astringency in the cup that distracts me when tasting, but beyond that, a sweet floral/minty/woody quality. Something else, too, in this tea goes beyond minty? Eucalyptus? Empty cup has a full sweet aroma that has a hint of a fruity/caramel edge, a pleasurable part of the Darjeeling experience for me. I always enjoy the way the empty cup aroma can fill out and pull forward such a depth of sweetness. Regarding today's cup-to-cup tasting of the Upton and Harney Namring: While steeping, the Upton Namring clearly has a deeper and richer aroma, much more depth (as described above). In cup-to-cup comparison, the aroma of the Harney Namring is much more subdued in the cup while steeping. Once leaf is removed, a similar difference is noted. Upton Namring delivering an intense deep penetrating aroma, sweet with spicy depth. Harney Namring is considerably lighter, mildly sweet, but without that toast and honey spicy depth and with a greener, more piercing high note. This note seems to tone down as the tea cools a bit. As I noted before, the Upton Namring has a very distinct astringent edge in the taste that distracts one from the other cup characteristics. The Harney Namring, which doesn't deliver the same level of aroma depth and sweetness, is a bit less astringent, but also more seems more green/floral without the depth that's in the Upton Namring. The Harney Namring is a milder experience all around

In my previous tasting of the Upton's Namring FF 02 (TD84) I'd found: The first hint of aroma when water hits the leaf is that 'green' pungency that has the almost minty notes I sometimes associate with a FF. Aroma seems to warm and deepen as the tea steeps, a pungent green/floral/woody that fills out underneath with a very light 'toast and honey' type characteristic (the warmth I referred to). There is quite an astringency in the cup that distracts me when tasting, but beyond that, a sweet floral/minty/woody quality. Something else, too, in this tea goes beyond minty? Eucalyptus? Empty cup has a full sweet aroma that has a hint of a fruity/caramel edge, a pleasurable part of the Darjeeling experience for me. Though having worked with tea tasters for 20 years and having developed the ability myself to a limited extent I always bow to Holly's wonderfully sensitive palate, able recall and agile de_script_ive skills.  I had been trying for weeks to put an adequate de_script_ion to the taste of a new orthodox tea that we, as technical consultants, are developing in Kenya, for the KTDA.  As a company they are better known for blow your socks off, morning jolt CTCs that spike the teabag blends of the world.  Now we are recreating for them the traditional orthodox teas that (ironically) they produced 40 years ago. Our current manufacture (KETeaDA Kenya Mountain) has just the green pungency with almost minty notes that Holly descibes.  At first I thought we had contaminated it - a few mint leaves or eucalyptus leaves can sometimes be accidentally harvested with the green leaf - but no, though elusive, the hint of mint comes through each time.  If Kenya Mountain could be marketed as the new African Darjeeling experience then the KTDA would certainly be on to a winner! Anyone who would be interested in a very small sample for tasting, please let me have your email and street address. Nigel at Teacraft

The Harney Namring First Flush Darjeeling (which I have a larger amount of to play around with) has iced beautifully

: Have had a chance to taste purchased samples of both these teas, now in a : cup-to-cup comparison. Quite a different experience beginning right when the : water hits the leaf. Both were brewed with 2.4 grams leaf/6 ounces/2:30 which : is not necessarily the optimum brewing for both, but provided me a take-off : point for comparing them cup-to-cup. Holly, what do you consider the optimal brewing time for the Upton Namring? Peace and Prosperity, Dipesh -<*

Holly, what do you consider the optimal brewing time for the Upton Namring? Alas, as usual, I used up the small sample packet I ordered before I figured it out! Started with about 2.5 grams/6 ounces, water (Volvic) to boiling, had timer set for 3:00 but decanted at 2:30 since the spoon tastings seemed to be giving it quite a bit of astringency by that time. I had planned to either shave off 30 seconds or try decreasing tea amount and leaving steeping time at 2:30+, but I didn't have enough sample left to play with and figure it out! From last year's (2001) Namring FF fiddling (source was SpecialTeas) which may or may not prove useful for the 2002 one from Upton's (tho' I note I was trying to mitigate some of the astringency last year, too): Trying an intermediate thing here of slightly less tea, longer time brewing 2 grams at 3 minutes: Now I rather like this brewing. Aroma filled in nicely and cup backed off a bit on the astringency. I have more ability to taste the cup with this brewing without the puckery quality being quite as distracting to me. Complexity of floral aroma is nicer for me here and I gain floral sweetness with slightly less pucker.One more trial of more tea, less time