Darjeeling question?

The only Darjeeling that I have had and known it was Twinings in the
purple can. I don't know if anyone else has had this one, but it was
much too green tasting for me and I am looking for more of a red tea.
Are most Darjeelings like this (kinda green) or does it run the gamut
like oolong? I have had all types of oolong, but similarly I like the
darker ones and not the Taiwanese anes that really taste like a green
tea to me.
Anyone have darker Darjeeling or oolong recommendations? I am looking
to try fine black teas, but do not want any half green types.

Michael Plant wrote:
> Further, oxidizing (fermenting, if you like) was discussed here or elsewhere
> recently. Exposure to air in a clean, but not overly dry, environment might
> do it.

This re-raises the question of what is meant in the tea world by the
terms *oxidation* and *fermentation*. The latter is generally considered
to be a biochemical process, requiring enzymes, which may be present as
live organisms (as in wine production) or their residues (as in brewing
beer or whiskey mash). I would have thought that such enzymes are
unlikely to survive later stages of tea treatment, though someone else
here (Nigel?) might know.

That leaves plain old autoxidation, a slow process at room temperature.
Though people do go on about aged oolongs, I'm inclined to suspect that
it's the repeated roasting rather than slow oxidation that does whatever
that magic may be. Certainly a lot of the desirable notes in many teas
are embodied in relatively fragile molecules that won't survive repeated
roasting or long storage in air.

So - I don't doubt that green Darjeelings can be moved over to another,
less-astringent taste regime. But I think it would be hard to get that
old-style oolongsome effect outside of the initial process.

I miss the old Darjeeling style as well. Can anyone recommend specific
(and readily available) offerings to add to Dean's list?

-DM

Aloke Prasad <aprasad123@columbus.rr.invalid> wrote:
>Go to a local Indian grocery store and try a can of Lipton Green Label or
>Brooke Bond Supreme teas. That is a cheap way of getting some exposure to
>Darjeeling. And are more"black" than "green".

Is it my imagination, or have Darjeelings, on the average, been getting
greener and greener in the past twenty years or so?

I do much prefer a more strongly fermented Darjeeling, but they seem
to be increasingly hard to find.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Lew wrote:
>Right, but theaflavins themselves are downstream from the enzymatic
>oxidation, according to this source:

Lew, did anybody say something different ?

Karsten

Lew, not at all, it was just that I thought I was missing a point here
myself.

I just wish that every tea afficionado who hasn´t already seen the
"miracle" happening, gets a chance to see it unfold, or maybe be able
to actively take part in it him or herself: the
plucking-withering-fermenting-panning/steaming-rolling-firing of those
leaves, all highly non-linear processes where tiny, often unnoted
changes in temperatures, pressures, times, ... can have profound
effects on the outcome.
What a wonderful artform.

Karsten

psyflakem wrote:
> Lew, not at all, it was just that I thought I was missing a point here
> myself.
>
> I just wish that every tea afficionado who hasn´t already seen the
> "miracle" happening, gets a chance to see it unfold, or maybe be able
> to actively take part in it him or herself: the
> plucking-withering-fermenting-panning/steaming-rolling-firing of those
> leaves, all highly non-linear processes where tiny, often unnoted
> changes in temperatures, pressures, times, ... can have profound
> effects on the outcome.
> What a wonderful artform.
>
> Karsten

I'm witnessing that amazing transformation before my very eyes every
day with my budding tea tree... I have a pretty cool surprise for
everyone, hopefully it should be "live" tonight or tomorrow... I'll
keep everyone posted.

It is a very cool experience and really gives you a whole new
perspective.

- Dominic