Ever since I started drinking Darjeeling black teas, I've noticed they
always seem ot contain a variable mixture of dark brown and green
leaves. Looking more carefully at the unfurled leaves last weekend, I
found I could easily also pick out many partially oxidized (red-edged
green) leaves. This confuses me a bit, since I thought that black tea
was supposed to be completely oxidized and thus should have an even
dark brown colour like what we see in black teas from China or other
places in India.

Or is Darjeeling black tea supposed to be a mix of un-oxidized,
partially oxidized, and fully oxidized leaves? Or is it the climate in
Darjeeling that contributes to the a special colour of a fully
oxidized Darjeeling black tea?

Interesting question, actually I have some darjeeling teas which are
totally green, they are from the first flush which yields a very light
tatsing tea which is green but a dull green,however as I understand
these teas have been fermented as you pointed out fermentation or
oxidation turns the leaf brown but the darjeeling second flush the
leaf is thicker and stronger in flavor and does brown during the
fermentation.I have not seen much green tea come out of darjeeling
however the high altitude contributes to alot more moisture and the
leaf does grow alot quicker hence the lighter flavor of the tea as
against assam which is much stronger because of the different
conditions it grows in. So the green you see in the leaf is probably
leaves from the first flush. I stand to be corrected as I am not an
expert in the field (YET)

sjschen wrote:

Or is Darjeeling black tea supposed to be a mix of un-oxidized,
partially oxidized, and fully oxidized leaves? Or is it the climate in
Darjeeling that contributes to the a special colour of a fully
oxidized Darjeeling black tea?

When I was a kid, typical Darjeeling teas were fully oxidized, but over
the years they have become greener and greener to the point where I would
not call a typical Darjeeling an actual black tea. It's... well... it's
New Darjeeling style.
--scott

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

Commercial brands of Darjeeling are fully oxidized. The dry and spent
leaf is black. Estate brands of Dareeling vary from green to oolong.
You can buy some that is even white. I think estate Darjeeling is
like Japanese sencha, what we get in th West is what the locals
followed by the Germans don't like. The real problem with Darjeeling
it might be something else especially if the leaf doesn't look
consistent. You also hear complaints it ain't what it use to be.
There are one or two who know their Darjeeling so maybe they'll chime
in. I prefer commerciall Darjeeling over estate flushes. The
competition guarantees the product.

Jim

On Mar 27, 1:49 am, "sjschen" wrote:
Ever since I started drinking Darjeeling black teas, I've noticed they
always seem ot contain a variable mixture of dark brown and green
leaves. Looking more carefully at the unfurled leaves last weekend, I
found I could easily also pick out many partially oxidized (red-edged
green) leaves. This confuses me a bit, since I thought that black tea
was supposed to be completely oxidized and thus should have an even
dark brown colour like what we see in black teas from China or other
places in India.

Or is Darjeeling black tea supposed to be a mix of un-oxidized,
partially oxidized, and fully oxidized leaves? Or is it the climate in
Darjeeling that contributes to the a special colour of a fully
oxidized Darjeeling black tea?

On Mar 27, 10:17 am, "Space Cowboy" wrote:
Commercial brands of Darjeeling are fully oxidized. The dry and spent
leaf is black. Estate brands of Dareeling vary from green to oolong.
You can buy some that is even white. I think estate Darjeeling is
like Japanese sencha, what we get in th West is what the locals
followed by the Germans don't like. The real problem with Darjeeling
it might be something else especially if the leaf doesn't look
consistent. You also hear complaints it ain't what it use to be.
There are one or two who know their Darjeeling so maybe they'll chime
in. I prefer commerciall Darjeeling over estate flushes. The
competition guarantees the product.

Jim

On Mar 27, 1:49 am, "sjschen" wrote:

Ever since I started drinking Darjeeling black teas, I've noticed they
always seem ot contain a variable mixture of dark brown and green
leaves. Looking more carefully at the unfurled leaves last weekend, I
found I could easily also pick out many partially oxidized (red-edged
green) leaves. This confuses me a bit, since I thought that black tea
was supposed to be completely oxidized and thus should have an even
dark brown colour like what we see in black teas from China or other
places in India.

Or is Darjeeling black tea supposed to be a mix of un-oxidized,
partially oxidized, and fully oxidized leaves? Or is it the climate in
Darjeeling that contributes to the a special colour of a fully
oxidized Darjeeling black tea?

So all the green and partially oxidized leaves in Darjeeling black
teas are really not intentional... meaning that the mixed oxidation
leaves from what we are seeing in single-estate Darjeelings is from
bad quality control? That would be kinda sad indeed. I'm hoping for
sanity sake that it's more like what Scott said above in that this is
the "New Darjeeling style" for making "black tea".

"sjschen" writes:

So all the green and partially oxidized leaves in Darjeeling black
teas are really not intentional... meaning that the mixed oxidation
leaves from what we are seeing in single-estate Darjeelings is from
bad quality control? That would be kinda sad indeed. I'm hoping for
sanity sake that it's more like what Scott said above in that this is
the "New Darjeeling style" for making "black tea".

Sure, they're intentional. The market for high-end Darjeeling, which,
as Jim noted, is led by Japanese and German customers, *wants* those
green leaves in the mix with the darker ones. There's been a similar
trend over recent decades in Taiwanese and Chinese oolongs.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

On Mar 27, 7:17 am, "Space Cowboy" wrote:
Commercial brands of Darjeeling are fully oxidized. The dry and spent
leaf is black. Estate brands of Dareeling vary from green to oolong.
You can buy some that is even white. I think estate Darjeeling is
like Japanese sencha, what we get in th West is what the locals
followed by the Germans don't like. The real problem with Darjeeling
it might be something else especially if the leaf doesn't look
consistent. You also hear complaints it ain't what it use to be.
There are one or two who know their Darjeeling so maybe they'll chime
in. I prefer commerciall Darjeeling over estate flushes. The
competition guarantees the product.

Jim

On Mar 27, 1:49 am, "sjschen" wrote:



Ever since I started drinking Darjeeling black teas, I've noticed they
always seem ot contain a variable mixture of dark brown and green
leaves. Looking more carefully at the unfurled leaves last weekend, I
found I could easily also pick out many partially oxidized (red-edged
green) leaves. This confuses me a bit, since I thought that black tea
was supposed to be completely oxidized and thus should have an even
dark brown colour like what we see in black teas from China or other
places in India.

Or is Darjeeling black tea supposed to be a mix of un-oxidized,
partially oxidized, and fully oxidized leaves? Or is it the climate in
Darjeeling that contributes to the a special colour of a fully
oxidized Darjeeling black tea?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Ah,....very interesting. I just received a parcel of Darjeelings that
I ordered directly from India. The estate Darjeelings:Rohini, Goomtee,
Maikaibari, Hillton etc. are a finer quality leaf - bronzed, red and
green partially oxidized and quite tasty. Several of these, were,
indeed, called "oolongs". These were, for me, lacking what I would
call "a finish" and could not be infused more than three or four times
without becoming truly insipid.
In the same order, I purchased "gift packages". These are absolutely
lovely little brocade bags, zippered with tiny bells, that are often
"taken with" for travel in India. The Darjeelings in these bags was
much more like my childhood Darjeeling tea - darker, not very complex
and can be infused several times (because of the stronger
oxidation ?). Although, very wrapped in very pretty packaging, the tea
was more one-dimensional and not marked to any particular estate.
Just my opinion.
Shen

On Mar 27, 11:11 am, Lewis Perin wrote:
"sjschen" writes:
So all the green and partially oxidized leaves in Darjeeling black
teas are really not intentional... meaning that the mixed oxidation
leaves from what we are seeing in single-estate Darjeelings is from
bad quality control? That would be kinda sad indeed. I'm hoping for
sanity sake that it's more like what Scott said above in that this is
the "New Darjeeling style" for making "black tea".

Sure, they're intentional. The market for high-end Darjeeling, which,
as Jim noted, is led by Japanese and German customers, *wants* those
green leaves in the mix with the darker ones. There's been a similar
trend over recent decades in Taiwanese and Chinese oolongs.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /

Hmm... that would mean that calling most of the Darjeelings we consume
"black tea" is a misnomer. Maybe, one should consider it to be more of
an "estate blend" or an oolong then. To me, the latte sorta makes
sense, since the Darjeeling oolongs that I've tried really reminded me
much of their black teas, as well as vice-versa.

On 2007-03-28, sjschen wrote:
On Mar 27, 11:11 am, Lewis Perin wrote:
"sjschen" writes:

So all the green and partially oxidized leaves in Darjeeling black
teas are really not intentional... meaning that the mixed oxidation
leaves from what we are seeing in single-estate Darjeelings is from
bad quality control? That would be kinda sad indeed. I'm hoping for
sanity sake that it's more like what Scott said above in that this
is the "New Darjeeling style" for making "black tea".

Sure, they're intentional. The market for high-end Darjeeling,
which, as Jim noted, is led by Japanese and German customers, *wants*
those green leaves in the mix with the darker ones. There's been a
similar trend over recent decades in Taiwanese and Chinese oolongs.

Hmm... that would mean that calling most of the Darjeelings we consume
"black tea" is a misnomer. Maybe, one should consider it to be more of
an "estate blend" or an oolong then.

I had never really tried a Darjeeling, so when I was at Chado tearoom
recently, I got a Castleton (sp?) first flush to try (I just asked the
guy there to recommend something, and he suggested that one, after I
said that I didn't drink my tea w/ milk or sugar).

I believe they have it classified as a black tea. To me, it seems very
delicate, with similarities to Bai Hao ("Oriental Beauty"), and even
some white teas I've tried. The leaves / buds are small, and they don't
seem completely oxidized to me.

w

The magic of Darjeeling tea is "At what time should you arrest the
fermentation". Technically 90% of Darjeeling black teas are Oolong
because they are fermented only upto a certain percentage.

In my words : In Darjeeling - The master tea maker called the Factory
Babu - becomes the one who performs the miracle of Darjeeling Tea, he
ensures that every roll - imparts an aroma with its own personality.
The slow, natural forces of dying, is - accelerated by heat, light and
humidity, and at a critical time of climax - this fusion is arrested.
The process is a mystery, the quality is the manifestation of the
magic.

Playing with fermentation has always been the key factor in Darjeeling
teas. No one till date has been able to determine - the time or
percentage - something that only comes with experience - for that you
need to stand and make tea for several years.

So ......... Darjeeling tea is a mystery...............

www.lochantea.com

sjschen wrote:
... To me, the latte sorta makes sense ...

Please remember that this is a TEA group, with or without milk.

On Apr 1, 11:01 am, DogMa wrote:
sjschen wrote:
... To me, the latte sorta makes sense ...

Please remember that this is a TEA group, with or without milk.


Of course it is. "Latter" was what I meant, " "latte" was typo on my
part. If you reread the post, you'll see it makes more sense

Space Cowboy schrieb:
Commercial brands of Darjeeling are fully oxidized. The dry and spent
leaf is black. Estate brands of Dareeling vary from green to oolong.
You can buy some that is even white. I think estate Darjeeling is
like Japanese sencha, what we get in th West is what the locals
followed by the Germans don't like.

Hi and sorry,

I'd like some help in interpretation. The locals, presumably of India,
don't like their black tea green, so the Germans don't either, and the
green stuff goes the West, which excludes Germany?

For the record, I in Germany noticed a trend towards a more colorful
Darjeeling, too, but that may be due more to my purely biographical
changing my sources than to a trend in general. On the other hand,
what Indians seem to miss in Germany so they have it shipped from
their families is CTC tea for their chai.

klaus

On Mar 27, 3:49 am, "sjschen" wrote:
Ever since I started drinking Darjeeling black teas, I've noticed they
always seem ot contain a variable mixture of dark brown and green
leaves. Looking more carefully at the unfurled leaves last weekend, I
found I could easily also pick out many partially oxidized (red-edged
green) leaves. This confuses me a bit, since I thought that black tea
was supposed to be completely oxidized and thus should have an even
dark brown colour like what we see in black teas from China or other
places in India.

Or is Darjeeling black tea supposed to be a mix of un-oxidized,
partially oxidized, and fully oxidized leaves? Or is it the climate in
Darjeeling that contributes to the a special colour of a fully
oxidized Darjeeling black tea?

To me, personally, Darjeeling means too delicate, light, or, well,
weak for a morning tea. After that, I don't care whether it's called
black, green, or something else. I think there are thousands of
people out there who are happy to take my share of Darjeeling, and
leave me to my Ceylons, Nilgiris, and Assams. Toci

klaus schmirler writes:

Space Cowboy schrieb:
Commercial brands of Darjeeling are fully oxidized. The dry and spent
leaf is black. Estate brands of Dareeling vary from green to oolong.
You can buy some that is even white. I think estate Darjeeling is
like Japanese sencha, what we get in th West is what the locals
followed by the Germans don't like.

Hi and sorry,

I'd like some help in interpretation. The locals, presumably of India,
don't like their black tea green, so the Germans don't either, and the
green stuff goes the West, which excludes Germany?

For the record, I in Germany noticed a trend towards a more colorful
Darjeeling, too, but that may be due more to my purely biographical
changing my sources than to a trend in general. On the other hand,
what Indians seem to miss in Germany so they have it shipped from
their families is CTC tea for their chai.

I've ordered a cup or pot of Darjeeling a few times in Germany. Each
time, it was pretty close to the green end of the scale.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html