Style: Black
Origin: Darjeeling, West Bengal, India
Description: Sungma Estate, like others, now produces a moonlight-plucked tea, which they call “Moondrop” to discern from other moonlight teas. The tea is picked just a little later than other moonlight teas. These teas have a special flavour. They are plucked before the sun comes up when photosynthesis is delayed, so the tea does not lose any water during this phase. The presence of a full moon illuminating the garden brings its gravitational pull to bear on the tea leaves just as it does in causing oceanic tides. The gravitational pull of these pearly rays cause the leaves to swell with water containing calcium, magnesium, higher concentrations of amino acids and antioxidants. Similar to how flowers smell more fragrant at night, the delicate aromas of the tea leaves become more concentrated, resulting in a tea with a more floral and fruity profile. Moondrop leaves are plucked by only the most skilled workers in a particular part of the tea estate, which faces the moon most directly. Hence, only a small amount of this rare tea can be plucked during each session.
Tasting Notes: The palate is well-rounded with a slightly vegetal and sweet flavour hinting at freshly cut grass in late summer. This fresh crispness lends itself to the classic Darjeeling mineral astringency, which builds from buttery to a tangible, dry pinch and provides a pleasant muscatel linger. A subdued astringent profile and a gentle honey sweetness arises akin to warm meadow in summer.
Brewing Instructions: 2-3g cup. 85-90ºC water. Steep for 3-5 minutes or more depending on your preference of strength.
Organic
China has a rich and ancient tradition of producing high quality teas of all varieties, and black tea is no exception. This is where tea culture and industry, as we know it, began nearly 2,000 years ago.
Known as ‘Red Tea’ in China, the tea leaves from the Camellia sinensis sinensis plant are smaller and finer than their Indian counterparts, the Camellia sinensis assamica, and prefer cooler mountainous regions. Usually plucked by hand and gently processed, the end result are exquisitely fragrant teas with lesser levels of astringency and a soft body.
Several Chinese provinces are famous for their regional tea selections: Fujian Province is home to the well-known, pine-smoked Lapsang Souchong, while Keemun tea, the official choice of the British Queen, is produced in Anhui Province. Yunnan province produces the ever-popular varieties of Yunnan black tea and is also the region where China started its tea cultivation.
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