High Teas – October 2018: The Tea Estate Box

High Teas is a specialist tea company which brings together some of the finest teas from around the world into a curated monthly Tea Estate Box. Based in London, High Teas have been in business since 1997 and have built their company around a dedicated customer base who enjoy trying out different variants of high quality, loose leaf tea which are free from any additional flavourings and are never blended.

With the Tea Estate Box, you’ll receive a selection of four teas (all in 30g pouches) that are packaged into a letterbox friendly box. This month’s box features the following:-

Darjeeling Mim

I love Darjeeling tea so the first one that I tried was the Darjeeling Mim. Sourced from the area of the same name in northern India, this tea has a very distinct flavour as the leaves are plucked from plants which are grown at very high altitudes in cool weather (this also means that the production is limited as the bushes do not grow as quickly). It has a very floral aroma but taste-wise, it’s much richer and fruity with slightly nutty undertones.

Assam Borgengajuli

The unusual name attracted me to this tea which is grown in the deep jungles that are along the banks of the Brahmaputra that’s within eyeshot of the beautiful Himalayas. Borgengajuli is a famous tea amongst fine tea drinkers and is well revered around the world for its luxury jam-like taste which is absolutely delicious! This is definitely a tea to try with a traditional Afternoon Tea set-up as the sweet flavours would compliment cakes and scones very well.

Rwanda Rukeri

For something completely different, there’s the Rwanda Rukeri which comes from the largest tea estate garden in Rwanda and is described as one of the country’s finest black teas. The tea leaves are handled with great care throughout the plucking and drying process to avoid any withering, and this ensures that the quality is the highest possible. It has a very pleasant and warming spicy aroma which is also reflected in the taste which is part spicy and part citrusy. Quite refreshing and uplifting!

Tung Ting Oolong

Oolong is another favourite of mine and this Tung Ting Oolong was a real pleasure to try out. Located in the city of Bao Loc in the Lam Dong province in the highlands of southern Vietnam, this estate produces some incredible green Oolong varieties with Tung Ting being a popular one. This tea has a bright green colour to it and a delightful flowery scent. Taste-wise, it’s sweet and flowery and rather mild for an Oolong, but delicious all the same.

This month, I also received a selection of samples which is a great way to be introduced to the other teas that High Teas have to offer on their website. My favourites among these were the Rooibos, Jasmine Green and Lemon & Ginger. Yum!