Tea Name: Ooooh Darjeeling
Vendor: Adagio Tea (www.adagio.com)
Region: India
Subregion: Darjeeling, Gopaldhara Estate
Tea type: camellia sinensis var. assamica
Vendor's Blurb: A rare first flush oolong tea from the Darjeeling region of India. Steeped in a quality that rivals its Taiwanese and Chinese competitors, our Ooooh Darjeeling is sure to produce both "ooohs" and "aaahs."
Rating: 3 out of 5

Review:
Ooooh Darjeeling is the second tea sample of Indian "covers" of Chinese-style teas I purchased from Adagio.

The leaves were of varying quality, a mix of white tight furry buds, whole rolled leaves, and broken bits of leaf, and appeared to be unevenly oxidized. That is, the leaves were of varying shades of green and brown, and these two signs put some doubts in my mind. The scent, however, was deliciously malty, and hefty.

This Indian cousin will disappoint fans of Chinese oolongs, but lovers of Darjeeling will enjoy it. I prepared the tea two ways: gongfu style and according to the directions issued by Adagio. Gongfu style, the first three brewings revealed a strong malty flavor with just a hint of the richer, woodier notes of middle dark Chinese oolongs. By the fourth infusion the tea became all malt and a little fruity--ultimately, very light--almost like a white or green tea. This and subsequent infusions stripped away the bolder flavors of the processing to reveal the two most distinguishable qualities of Darjeeling tea.

In the single five-minute steep, the woody notes were heavier and more pronounced, and worked well with the malt, biscuit, and fruit tones. While I normally would avoid a long steep, this proved a good way to experience the stronger notes in the tea in harmony.

However, the tea's astringency is high, and not a hint of the floral and orchid qualities that make oolong such an enjoyable experience were found after either brewing method. Ultimately, and to my confusion, this tea tasted like mixed leaf white teas like white peony and drum mountain white cloud.

I would recommend this tea, again, to fans of Darjeeling and other Indian teas, because the oolong-processing lends a new and interesting route to enjoying the flavors of Darjeeling tea. Just curb any expectations that this tea will imitate its Chinese kin.