My tasting notes: two Nepali white teas side by side

Jul 23

Jul 23 My tasting notes: two Nepali white teas side by side

Back in June at World Tea Expo, I had the pleasure to taste some teas at the Nepali Tea Traders booth and meet co-owners Sunita and Rabin, who shared two white tea samples with me. I finally got around to sitting down at my tea table to play with them.

I had had white tea from Nepal before and even paired it with cheese, as you might remember if you’ve been following the Tea Squirrel for a while. This time I’m comparing a spring harvest white tea with a summer harvest white tea. They are both from Ilam, in the Eastern Development Region of Nepal. The tea gardens sit at an elevation of about 6000 ft. (approx 1800 m).

I feel like the identity of Nepali tea is slowly but steadily taking shape on the market as high quality orthodox tea. If you’re a Darjeeling tea drinker, chances are you are familiar with Nepali tea already without knowing it because “as much as 80 percent of tea from Nepal crosses the border to India to be processed as Indian tea, and is then exported to foreign markets as Darjeeling” (source). In Nepal tea plants were first introduced in Ilam one and half centuries ago. Tea cultivation began in 1863 and the first tea processing factory was built in 1878.

The spring flush almost reminded me of a delicate green tea, whereas the summer flush was very bold and flavorful. I prefer to use my gaiwan even for teas that are not traditionally brewed gongfu style, because it gives me more control over the brewing parameters.

Tea Name: Jade Spring White
Origin: Nepal
Ingredients: white tea
Harvest: 2018, spring flush
Preparation Method: gaiwan
Leaves/Water Ratio: 3 gr to 5 oz gaiwan
Water Temperature: 180 F (82 C)
Steep Time: 1:30, 1:45 minutes

EYE
dry leaves: silver fuzzy buds, moss green leaves, greener than the Rara Willow White
wet leaves: green
liquor: light pale yellow

NOSE
dry leaves: lychees, buttered toast
wet leaves: roasted and vegetal notes like a green tea
liquor: roasted and vegetal notes like a green tea

PALATE
liquor: delicate, tastes like a green tea but has a final florality in the mouth

MOUTHFEEL: light bodied, returning floral notes at the back of the mouth a few minutes after drinking

OVERALL IMPRESSION: yum, so nuanced

Tea Name: Rara Willow White
Origin: Nepal
Ingredients: white tea
Harvest: 2018, summer flush
Preparation Method: gaiwan
Leaves/Water Ratio: 3 gr to 5 oz gaiwan
Water Temperature: 180 F (82 C)
Steep Time: 1:45, 2 minutes

EYE
dry leaves: silver fuzzy buds, dark grey leaves with rusty hues
wet leaves: brown with copper and silver hints
liquor: dark straw yellow with orange hues

NOSE
dry leaves: sweet, slightly floral
wet leaves: sweet and peppery, zesty
liquor: fruity

PALATE
liquor: peppery on the tip of the tongue, returning floral notes at the back of the mouth a few minutes after drinking