Name: Teavana Himalayan Majestic Black Tea
Brand: Teavana
Type: Black tea, Nepalese
Form: Loose leaf
Cost: $9.50 for 2 ounces (quantity discounts available)
Review: Teavana’s Himalayan Majestic black tea is a most unusual tea: It is a black tea, though its liquor is as light as some white and green teas. Its dry leaf has a strong, spicy, almost pungent nose, yet the liquor is so delicate that I would urge against adding any milk or sugar. It isn’t like any black tea that I have tried.
The dry leaf is a lovely, somewhat tippy blend that ranges in color from pale gold to silver-green to dark brown. Leaf size is relatively short and twisted, and the various colors come together to create a “wooly” appearance. The nose is assertive with spice, green forest, and maybe a hint of peach. This is not a floral tea.
Some have complained that this tea is either too weak or that it gets bitter quickly. I solved both problems by infusing the tea at 185F for three minutes. This resulted in a nice yellow-gold liquor with a hint of green. The nose is less pungent after infusion, taking on fruiter, nuttier notes (I detected some pistachio as well).
The liquor is surprisingly light bodied, with a surprisingly vegetal character (a bit of butter lettuce, perhaps?) along with a slight backnote of peach and, again, pistachio.
If I had to pin the teas’ character down, I would say that it is closest to a Darjeeling in its lightness, though it does not have the muscatel character of a Darjeeling. A truly unique tea.
Recommendation: Black tea lovers may find this tea confusing: It’s lightness and unusual flavor profile makes it very different from most black teas. On the other hand, green and white tea lovers may find it to be a most agreeable surprise. Watch the temperature/timing to avoid bitterness, and avoid adding anything to this delicate, nuanced black tea.
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