Snagged 100g of each today, for $3.99 per, and tried some
of both.

Not bad. The Assam will make a decent iced tea, and the
Darjeeling ended up okay, though while it was in the
pot (12 oz pot; 8 oz water added just-off-boiling; no
tea-ball) it looked like it was hardly releasing anything.
Whatever it gives off must be very heavy to sit under the
leaves until it's poured, because in the cup it was the
proper red color. Smelled distinctly of a cross between
spinach and lawn grass. Not unpleasant, really. But, 20
minutes later, even after drinking half a glass of water,
I still feel the astringent aftertaste, which doesn't
please me.

My major problem with the CPWM Darjeeling is that it is
labeled "whole leaf" and it's not even close. Not even
Broken Pekoe mixed with a few whole leaves. It's either
a small grade of Broken Pekoe or some sort of Fannings.
If it had been labled properly I would not have bought it.

Twinings loose Darjeeling (which is also a BP or large
fannings, but doesn't pretend otherwise) makes better
tasting tea and costs about the same, in the same store,
so I guess this Cost Plus stuff will have to sit in its
baggie until I accidentally run out of the Twinings.

The Assam might get some use when the weather warms up.

--Blair
"I call shenanigans."