Since I only got a sample size of American Tea Room’s Arya Pearl 2015 First Flush Darjeeling SFTGFOP1, I had been saving it for a special occasion or a rainy day. The rainy day came first, and was quickly followed by a special occasion, so I finally had a chance to taste this very extraordinary tea. Yowza! What a delicious tea! According to American Tea Room’s website:
White teas from Darjeeling are relatively rare in any given year. This year’s Arya Pearl First Flush Organic White Darjeeling is the first to have arrived for sale in the U.S. and we think it’s the best white tea of the region’s limited crop for 2015. We are the only purveyor in the United States to offer this rare extraordinary first flush tea – but our allotment is very limited. Plucked by hand in March 2015, it received the highest rating: SFTGFOP1
Now you can see why I was saving it for a special treat! I feel privileged to be able to try it.
Arya Pearl reminds me of a Japanese green tea, which is unexpected, because it is a white Darjeeling. It has a surprisingly robust vegetal flavor with a slight astringency, plus a lovely, lingering aftertaste. Arya Pearl 2015 First Flush Darjeeling is a unique tea that can transform even a special occasion into a truly memorable event.
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