Saturday, January 17, 2015

Golden Tips, Avaata Supreme Nilgiri

Golden Tips Description:
An exquisite green tea from the coveted organic Avaata Tea Estate in the Nilgiris in southern India. The perfectly manufactured leaves boast of a light green texture combined with opulent long silver tips. The liquor has a very pale green appearance in the cup. The flavour is extremely smooth and fairly sharp typical of non-fermented green teas but without any hint of bitterness. A sensation of fruits and flowers flush your mouth with every sip of this certified organic green tea.

Sample provided by Golden Tips Tea

My Review:
Today I wasn't really planning on writing a review. I had already had several cups of restaurant bagged tea and a cup at home while straightening out the latest install of a computer game. When the thirstys hit I started rummaging.

Being a sucker for shiny objects I grabbed this one. Actually, I was digging for a green tea as I wanted something lighter in flavor. While the gold metallic pouch does conjure images of C-3PO, it was the words Nilgiri and green that swayed my final decision.

When the resealable pouch was opened my nose detected malt, grass, and hay. The bag is rather large for 10g of leaf. After removing some for steeping it seemed appropriate, even necessary.

The dry leaf looks barely touched. There are large full whole leaves, some silvery buds, and some leaves and buds joined with the stem. It is dry and slightly brittle looking, yet hardly looks withered at all. The magic of firing.

I used the clear glass teapot and 180F water for a 2 1/2 minute steep. During the steep almost all the leaf remained at the top and hung down towards the bottom.

The result is a very lightly tinted brew. It looks like watered down white grape juice. As it cools it becomes more golden.

The wet leaf is now revitalized and takes on a fresh steamed vegative scent. The cup does not have a strong distinctive scent to my nose. It just suggests a gentle green tea.

The sip is very clean and gentle. It starts with a kind of fresh mineral taste that leans towards metallic but never goes there, It seems sharper than it is, juxtaposed against the gentleness of the cup. Then I notice a grassy note joined by what seems a touch malty, mixed with corn, while hot, but closer to nutty as it cools.

The taste kind of ends abruptly, though not jarringly so, then a sweet grassy aftertaste rises lightly and completes your journey with a slight twinge of a good type bite.

There is no bitterness and only mild astringency associated with this cup as prepared. If you are wanting a big, bold, in your face, green tea this is not what you are looking to buy. If you love a quiet green tea that delivers a lot of flavor beneath still waters, then this may well be the tea you are looking for in your meditative moments. It is also priced quite affordably.

You can find Golden Tips Tea Avaata Supreme Nilgiri green tea here.  


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