Omkar > writes:

> [...]
> Now, in early February, I ordered a bunch of first and second flush
> samples from Upton. I'm pretty happy with some of the second flushes,
> but the first flushes seem to have lost potency just as my Risheehat
> did. I thought this might be the quality of the tea; luckily, I'd
> ordered the Risheehat again as a check. Sure enough, it tasted and
> smelled like it did after a few months with me last time. I'm not sure
> what to make of this, since the tea itself is around a year old at
> this point.

A lot of people believe that second flushes, like many black teas,
need several months storage before they reach their peak. I've never
heard anyone say this about first flushes.

> So here are my questions:
>
> 1. Is this shelf life the best I can expect, or is there something I
> can do to improve my storage? A few months seems a bit short to me.

How about storing the tea in an airtight container with a desiccant?

> [...]
> I'd also be interested in similar information for Assams or Nilgiris
> if anyone has it. I have family in Bangalore so if anyone knows a good
> Nilgiri, even if it's only sold locally, I'd appreciate the tip.

I've never been to Bangalore, but I was in various cities in Tamil
Nadu a month or so ago. I was amazed by how hard it was to find
Nilgiri tea for sale, even generic blends, let alone single estate
teas.

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