For those of you who have tasted this season's Kyela offerings, or for
people who are Darjeeling fans in general, I have to ask something...er...do
you use milk and sugar with these good darjeelings or do you take them
without? And if you've had some of Keith's teas this year, do you have any
tasting notes to share? Thanks.

Melinda (no affiliation, and technically not a satisfied or unsatisfied
customer yet because I haven't tasted da tea..)

--
"I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows,
and Henry knows we know it."

We're a knowledgeable family." ::smiles:: -Geoffrey, Lion in Winter

Hi Melinda,

I ordered the Kyela Gopaldhara DJ-38 and Samabeong DJ-1. There are
those who like the Samabeong, but I am more of a fan of the Gopaldhara.

I'm afraid I'm not very good at tasting notes, but IMHO the Samabeong
had a fairly "classic" first flush taste, whereas the Gopaldhara has
that recognizable Gopaldhara character that I really like. I suppose
that's what Kyela's website refers to as "Gopaldhara's typical floral
notes." Both are "fluffy" (low density) teas-- I use a lot of leaf.

The Gopaldhara Oolong (DJ-41) has also gotten good reviews, but I
haven't tried it... yet.

Purists don't put sugar in their darjeeling. I do sometimes, and think
it can bring out the muscatel flavor nicely. Hopefully this admission
won't get me booted off of usenet. :-)

I can't imagine using milk with a first flush darjeeling. I think it
actually turns the tea grey. If I were going to use milk in a
darjeeling, I would go for one of the more robust second flush
darjeelings. Maybe the imported U.K. Twining's Darjeeling blend (e.g.
http://www.baltcoffee.com/catalog/pr...cts_id/221,the
black box, *not* the purple box) or Margaret's Hope second flush.
Better yet, go for an Assam or Keemun when you'd like to add milk and
sugar.

--Candace


In article ,
"Melinda" wrote:
For those of you who have tasted this season's Kyela offerings, or for
people who are Darjeeling fans in general, I have to ask something...er...do
you use milk and sugar with these good darjeelings or do you take them
without? And if you've had some of Keith's teas this year, do you have any
tasting notes to share? Thanks.

Melinda (no affiliation, and technically not a satisfied or unsatisfied
customer yet because I haven't tasted da tea..)

Melinda,

I got the Singell Upper First Flush FTGFOP1, Gopaldhara DJ-41 Oolong First
Flush and Samabeong DJ1 FTGFOP1 First Flush. They all have similar
profiles, but I think I like the DJ-41 the best: whole,
unbroken leaf, high-mountain aromatics, herbs and spice. I can get two nice
infusions from it. Recommended. The Samabeong is nice also, but it's
oxidised a little more and has a more traditional profile.

As a matter of taste, I almost always add a little sugar to my Darjeelings;
it seems to mask some of the astringency and bring out the floral/fruity
elements I like so much. I do the same with Chinese and Formosa oolongs for
the same reason. I also think it enhances Chinese "red"s (like Keemun and
gold Yunnan). The only tea I add milk to are strong black Indian teas, and
then only for breakfast. As others have said, there is no "right" way to
drink tea - there are ways that are hallowed by tradition and we can learn a
lot from them, but a little experimentation is always in order, I think.

BTW, have you gotten any of this year's Bai Hao oolong yet? I haven't seen
much on the market yet; thefragrantleaf is offering one, but I haven't tried
it yet.

Regards,
Dean





"Melinda" wrote in message
...
For those of you who have tasted this season's Kyela offerings, or for
people who are Darjeeling fans in general, I have to ask
something...er...do
you use milk and sugar with these good darjeelings or do you take them
without? And if you've had some of Keith's teas this year, do you have any
tasting notes to share? Thanks.

Melinda (no affiliation, and technically not a satisfied or unsatisfied
customer yet because I haven't tasted da tea..)

--
"I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows,
and Henry knows we know it."

We're a knowledgeable family." ::smiles:: -Geoffrey, Lion in Winter

Hi Dean,

No, I haven't gotten any Bai Hao from this year. The last I got was some I
ordered in the spring from Teaspring (along with greens) that I was,
unfortunately, a little disappointed in. I love Teaspring and their greens
were great, but the Bai Hao to my (extremely) limited experience wasn't as
good as the bit I got from Specialteas the summer before. I did just get
three samples of some recent greener oolongs from Hou De the other day but
haven't tasted them yet. I wouldn't say oolongs were something I have a lot
of tasting knowledge about yet.

When you ordered from Kyela , how long did it take you to get your order?
Did they send a "product has shipped" notice to you when it shipped? I got
the original order email and the money was taken out but other than that I
havent heard a thing and it's been 10 days.

Melinda


"DPM" wrote in message news:LNS_e.10702$kH3.1100@trnddc01...
Melinda,

I got the Singell Upper First Flush FTGFOP1, Gopaldhara DJ-41 Oolong First
Flush and Samabeong DJ1 FTGFOP1 First Flush. They all have similar
profiles, but I think I like the DJ-41 the best: whole,
unbroken leaf, high-mountain aromatics, herbs and spice. I can get two
nice
infusions from it. Recommended. The Samabeong is nice also, but it's
oxidised a little more and has a more traditional profile.

As a matter of taste, I almost always add a little sugar to my
Darjeelings;
it seems to mask some of the astringency and bring out the floral/fruity
elements I like so much. I do the same with Chinese and Formosa oolongs
for
the same reason. I also think it enhances Chinese "red"s (like Keemun and
gold Yunnan). The only tea I add milk to are strong black Indian teas,
and
then only for breakfast. As others have said, there is no "right" way to
drink tea - there are ways that are hallowed by tradition and we can learn
a
lot from them, but a little experimentation is always in order, I think.

BTW, have you gotten any of this year's Bai Hao oolong yet? I haven't
seen
much on the market yet; thefragrantleaf is offering one, but I haven't
tried
it yet.

Regards,
Dean





"Melinda" wrote in message
...
For those of you who have tasted this season's Kyela offerings, or for
people who are Darjeeling fans in general, I have to ask
something...er...do
you use milk and sugar with these good darjeelings or do you take them
without? And if you've had some of Keith's teas this year, do you have
any
tasting notes to share? Thanks.

Melinda (no affiliation, and technically not a satisfied or unsatisfied
customer yet because I haven't tasted da tea..)

--
"I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows,
and Henry knows we know it."

We're a knowledgeable family." ::smiles:: -Geoffrey, Lion in Winter

Melinda,

I think I waited about 6-8 days. I got a "order posted" as soon as I placed
it, but no "order shipped" note.

My order, when it arrived, had a hand-written note from Kevin himself, which
leads me to believe that he personally makes up the shipments. My previous
order last year took almost 3 weeks because, I think, Kevin was out of town.
I live near Philadelphia and Kyela is in Montreal so I'm fairly close, but
my daughter went to university in Montreal and it regularly took a week to
get first class mail back and forth, which is how Kevin ships relatively
small orders.

I wish he had a phone number for resolving these issues, but I've never
found one.

I'd say that if 3-4 weeks go by and still no tea, email him.

Regards,
Dean


"Melinda" wrote in message
...
Hi Dean,

No, I haven't gotten any Bai Hao from this year. The last I got was some I
ordered in the spring from Teaspring (along with greens) that I was,
unfortunately, a little disappointed in. I love Teaspring and their greens
were great, but the Bai Hao to my (extremely) limited experience wasn't as
good as the bit I got from Specialteas the summer before. I did just get
three samples of some recent greener oolongs from Hou De the other day but
haven't tasted them yet. I wouldn't say oolongs were something I have a
lot
of tasting knowledge about yet.

When you ordered from Kyela , how long did it take you to get your order?
Did they send a "product has shipped" notice to you when it shipped? I got
the original order email and the money was taken out but other than that I
havent heard a thing and it's been 10 days.

Melinda


"DPM" wrote in message news:LNS_e.10702$kH3.1100@trnddc01...
Melinda,

I got the Singell Upper First Flush FTGFOP1, Gopaldhara DJ-41 Oolong
First
Flush and Samabeong DJ1 FTGFOP1 First Flush. They all have similar
profiles, but I think I like the DJ-41 the best: whole,
unbroken leaf, high-mountain aromatics, herbs and spice. I can get two
nice
infusions from it. Recommended. The Samabeong is nice also, but it's
oxidised a little more and has a more traditional profile.

As a matter of taste, I almost always add a little sugar to my
Darjeelings;
it seems to mask some of the astringency and bring out the floral/fruity
elements I like so much. I do the same with Chinese and Formosa oolongs
for
the same reason. I also think it enhances Chinese "red"s (like Keemun
and
gold Yunnan). The only tea I add milk to are strong black Indian teas,
and
then only for breakfast. As others have said, there is no "right" way
to
drink tea - there are ways that are hallowed by tradition and we can
learn
a
lot from them, but a little experimentation is always in order, I think.

BTW, have you gotten any of this year's Bai Hao oolong yet? I haven't
seen
much on the market yet; thefragrantleaf is offering one, but I haven't
tried
it yet.

Regards,
Dean





"Melinda" wrote in message
...
For those of you who have tasted this season's Kyela offerings, or for
people who are Darjeeling fans in general, I have to ask
something...er...do
you use milk and sugar with these good darjeelings or do you take them
without? And if you've had some of Keith's teas this year, do you have
any
tasting notes to share? Thanks.

Melinda (no affiliation, and technically not a satisfied or unsatisfied
customer yet because I haven't tasted da tea..)

--
"I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows,
and Henry knows we know it."

We're a knowledgeable family." ::smiles:: -Geoffrey, Lion in Winter

Melinda wrote:
Hi Dean,

No, I haven't gotten any Bai Hao from this year. The last I got was some I
ordered in the spring from Teaspring (along with greens) that I was,
unfortunately, a little disappointed in. I love Teaspring and their greens
were great, but the Bai Hao to my (extremely) limited experience wasn't as
good as the bit I got from Specialteas the summer before. I did just get
three samples of some recent greener oolongs from Hou De the other day but
haven't tasted them yet. I wouldn't say oolongs were something I have a lot
of tasting knowledge about yet.

When you ordered from Kyela , how long did it take you to get your order?
Did they send a "product has shipped" notice to you when it shipped? I got
the original order email and the money was taken out but other than that I
havent heard a thing and it's been 10 days.

Melinda


"DPM" wrote in message news:LNS_e.10702$kH3.1100@trnddc01...
Melinda,

I got the Singell Upper First Flush FTGFOP1, Gopaldhara DJ-41 Oolong First
Flush and Samabeong DJ1 FTGFOP1 First Flush. They all have similar
profiles, but I think I like the DJ-41 the best: whole,
unbroken leaf, high-mountain aromatics, herbs and spice. I can get two
nice
infusions from it. Recommended. The Samabeong is nice also, but it's
oxidised a little more and has a more traditional profile.

As a matter of taste, I almost always add a little sugar to my
Darjeelings;
it seems to mask some of the astringency and bring out the floral/fruity
elements I like so much. I do the same with Chinese and Formosa oolongs
for
the same reason. I also think it enhances Chinese "red"s (like Keemun and
gold Yunnan). The only tea I add milk to are strong black Indian teas,
and
then only for breakfast. As others have said, there is no "right" way to
drink tea - there are ways that are hallowed by tradition and we can learn
a
lot from them, but a little experimentation is always in order, I think.

BTW, have you gotten any of this year's Bai Hao oolong yet? I haven't
seen
much on the market yet; thefragrantleaf is offering one, but I haven't
tried
it yet.

Regards,
Dean





"Melinda" wrote in message
...
For those of you who have tasted this season's Kyela offerings, or for
people who are Darjeeling fans in general, I have to ask
something...er...do
you use milk and sugar with these good darjeelings or do you take them
without? And if you've had some of Keith's teas this year, do you have
any
tasting notes to share? Thanks.

Melinda (no affiliation, and technically not a satisfied or unsatisfied
customer yet because I haven't tasted da tea..)

--
"I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows,
and Henry knows we know it."

We're a knowledgeable family." ::smiles:: -Geoffrey, Lion in Winter

i certainly like to have a touch of milk even with high grades of
darjeeling. black tea can be enjoyed anyway you like although you may
find that sugar leaves a sour aftertaste in your mouth...

Adrian


"Melinda" wrote in message
...
For those of you who have tasted this season's Kyela offerings, or for
people who are Darjeeling fans in general, I have to ask
something...er...do
you use milk and sugar with these good darjeelings or do you take them
without? And if you've had some of Keith's teas this year, do you have any
tasting notes to share? Thanks.

Melinda (no affiliation, and technically not a satisfied or unsatisfied
customer yet because I haven't tasted da tea..)

--
"I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows,
and Henry knows we know it."

We're a knowledgeable family." ::smiles:: -Geoffrey, Lion in Winter

I got my teas and just wanted to compare notes...Darjeeling really is in a
class by itself isn't it? I've tried the Singell Upper First Flush yesterday
and the Golpadhara DJ-38 (not the oolong, didn't get any of that). It is
really pretty cool that I can get at least two steeps out of them, I usually
don't bother with black teas. Very different characteristics...the Singell
wasn't as "hearty" as I'd expected from the description on his site (but
then again., I've been drinking CTC assams so consider the source). It was
flowery, almost rose smelling kinda (I mean the liquid, and after it cooled
down), but a bit sharper...er, and then the Golpa had a sort of "cereal"
smell of the dry leaf...I don't have a good vocabulary for this yet and
what's more, I find myself when trying to describe aromas, being aware that
something smells like something familiar, something almost recognizable, but
then I can't figure out what that something is, lol. Oh well...anyhow,
having fun with these and learning as I go. Yes Darjeeling certainly is
different. I mean that in a good way, of course.

Melinda

--
"I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows,
and Henry knows we know it."
We're a knowledgeable family." ::smiles:: -Geoffrey, Lion in Winter



"Doug Hazen, Jr." wrote in message
...
Hi Melinda,

Coincidentally enough, I got the exact same teas Dean got from Kyela.

As I just got them a few days ago, I've only tried the Golpa oolong and
the Samabeong once each, and the Singell twice. My impression so far is I
prefer the Golpa and the Samabeong, but that may change with more
experience. Also, I got my order quite fast - a few days. I think Kevin G.
*is* Kyela - I don't think anyone else works there.

I don't put sugar in any tea. And the idea of putting milk in Darjeeling
(or any tea, for that matter) is ... horrific. But that's just me. Each to
their own.

Doug