jun chiyabari himalayan evergreen (first flush), republic of tea

So, this wonderfully unique green tea is from Nepal and I'm hoping I'm not alone in thinking more of  the whole Himalayan thing when I hear Nepal and less of tea and things that are green. But here we are.

OH GOD WHAT ARE YOU?

That being said, I'm not veering too far in the wrong direction on this one as the estate that produces this tea is about 6,500 ft above sea level. So, unlike the tea growing regions that are adjacent to the Darjeeling district (and climatically and geographically similar) and could be expected to be similar, this one is...different.

The leaves themselves are green and brown with flecks of gold throughout the leaf. It looks more similar to a delicate black than any sort of green tea. And the brewing instructions too (3 minutes at 185) were more similar to a delicate black or Darjeeling as well. The brew itself has a hue that is very green  tea to me though. 

Golden, buttery and perfect.

On the tongue, this tea feels like an oolong in all but name. It's more butttery than any unflavored green tea I remember trying and the flavor is a bit more pronounced. It has a wonderful asparagus-like taste, and finishes with lemon. So lemon-butter asparagus, I guess? Regardless, it works. And it works really well.

This is probably my new tea sipping obsession for now, because I can't get over how unique it is. 

The fact it smashes all of my favorite tea characteristics into one cup helps too.

Republic of Tea