Review: Nepal Top Oolong

[moreteadk]

Turns out Nepal has a tea production. Who knew? I didn't. Apparently Nepal produces quite a lot of tea, mainly black and green, and the tea from the easternmost regions are very similar to Darjeeling (and has in fact been sold as such due to the Darjeeling name being so valuable

Comments

[cazort]

I had a really similar experience to you with Darjeeling oolongs. I wonder...is Nepalese oolong similar to Darjeeling oolong? The two regions border each other! I've tried two Darjeeling oolongs, both from Tindharia estate (is this the only estate that makes oolongs in the region?).

I was disappointed with both; not only were they very expensive, but they were even more pricey per cup as you needed to use more leaves. The aroma was also very weak...and both had an asparagus-like or cooked-broccoli-like taste that I did not enjoy.

Until I try something that truly stacks up (both aroma and price-wise) against Chinese and Taiwanese oolongs, I am going to be hesitant to buy oolongs coming out of Nepal, Darjeeling, and that whole Himalayan region...

Darjeeling First Flush teas are very light and oolong-like (and are often not completely oxidized) anyway...so I think those are a good option for oolong lovers!

[moreteadk]

Nepalese and Darjeeling are very much alike. Nepalese black have been sold untruthfully as Darjeeling, because the Nepal name isn't as valuable as the Darjeeling name. I can't imagine that it wouldn't be the same for oolongs.

Also, there are definitely more than one Darjeeling estate that make oolongs, because mine wasn't from Tindharia. Mine was either Puttabong or Pussimbing, but the names are so similar that I can't remember which it was.

I definitely prefer the Darjeeling first flush teas to the oolongs I've had from the region.

Coincidentally I tried the nepalese oolong again last night and accidentally oversteeped it. That certainly wasn't an improvement.