On Saturday afternoon I tasted Organic Goomtee 2nd Flush 2008, from Aura Teas. It was darker, more earthy than the very delicate TeaLogic Darjeeling Goomtee I’d had a few days before.
My first cup, taken with milk and sugar, was very satisfying – and with a bit more body than I’d been used to with Darjeeling. I like a full-bodied tea, and the flavours of this particular organic black tea felt ancient and true to the earth. It was also refined, as it is a Darjeeling, so there were notes of delicacy and quiet beauty.
I wanted a second cup, and for this one I still added milk, but went without the sugar just to more fully taste the tea. Here the darker notes were more marked, but I was surprised that there was no bitterness. I enjoyed this tea even more the second time, although the delicacy was a little overwhelmed by the strength of the brew, made more noticeable without any added sugar.
A beautiful choice for afternoon tea, this Darjeeling comes well-recommended, especially as it is also organic. As more teas are arriving on the market with organic certification, we are assuming that this means they are “better”. I’m not sure that is necessarily the case.
What’s your view? Is “organic” important in a tea? Or are organic teas like organic wines – in a subcategory all their own?