Second Flush Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea
Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea
Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea
Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea
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Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea

A dreamy, contemplative and euphoric whole leaf, second flush Darjeeling red oolong tea. This high altitude tea from a small cooperative managed by Yanki and her son Alan, this tea has glorious notes of dried apricot, muscat, wine, cacao, spice, stone fruits, flowers, oak bark and yuzu.

Each 1.06 oz Tin contains approximately 10-12 servings. Depending on steeping method, each serving can yield 2-3 cups, for a total of 20-30 cups per tin.

$44.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Mirik Valley, Darjeeling

Origin

Mirik Valley, Darjeeling

Season - Second Flush, June

Season

Second Flush, June

Altitude - 5000 ft

Altitude

5000 ft

Cultivar - P312, AV2, T78

Cultivar

P312, AV2, T78

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Tea Type

Whole leaf oolong tea

Discover Euphoria in Every Sip With Our Darjeeling Red Oolong Tea

Our Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong Tea is one of our favorite whole leaf teas, and we are excited to share it with you. This Yanki tea has excellent tea chi that is superb and will create euphoria and calmness.

The dry leaves are beautifully curled whole leaves, and when steeped, the tea has aromas reminiscent of a fine Pinot Noir. The first steep has notes of wildflower honey, apricot, red wine, muscat grapes, and yuzu. The second infusion brings about some notes of sourdough and hops. It does not turn acrid like some oolongs but stays pleasant and leaves you to meditate as the nuanced subtle flavors untangle. One minute, you think you have tasted clove, the next dried fruit, the next marzipan, and apricot pits, and then the earthy splendidness of potatoes or chanterelles married in the pan with thyme. The third steeping the notes of yuzu, hoppy sour mash, muscat, apricot pit, and marzipan mature into French sorrel, sweetened dandelion flowers, and undercurrents of vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The fourth and subsequent steeps maintain these notes by adding dried orange peel.

This spectacular Darjeeling Oolong tea is made by a young, experimental tea maker Allan who spearheads the Yanki Darjeeling Orthodox Small Tea Growers Welfare Society, started by his mother Yanki. We had a great time visiting their tea processing unit and loved how they believed in supporting their village while making some great whole leaf teas for the world to enjoy. It is high-altitude tea, composed of two leaves and a bud, handpicked, and after having undergone 55% withering, it is hand rolled and undergoes semi-fermentation, fixed, and then dried.

Dry leaves

Dark brown curled leaves with golden buds with notes that remind you of a fine full bodied pinot noir- notes of honey, red grapes, wine, and stone fruit like plum, cherry, cacao, and oak bark.

Wet leaves

Chocolatey brown with notes of freshly baked bread, currants, raisins, oak bark, cacao and chocolate chip.

Tea liquor

Beautiful amber in color with a rich mouthfeel, juicy initially and later with a mineral texture, minimal astringency, and lasting aftertaste. It is mainly sweet with some sour and bitter taste. The aromas and flavors of the Darjeeling red tea are definitely complex and marvelous with multiple notes to unravel including wild honey, wild flowers, cacao, marzipan, spice and fruits like muscat grape, raisin, apricot, orange peel, plum, cherry.

Tasting Profile

Muscatel
Fruity - muscat grape, raisin, apricot, orange peel, plum, cherry
Sweet - wild honey
Floral - wild flowers
Woody - oak bark
Chai & Spice - clove, cardamom
Nutty & Milky - cacao, marzipan

Caffeine Level

Caffeine Level Caffeine Level Caffeine Level Caffeine Level

Low Moderate

How To Make The Perfect Darjeeling Red Oolong Tea

Steeping Instructions

Western Style

Number of infusions per 2.5 g (4-6)

1
Quantity
Quantity

2.5 gms (use a digital scale) of tea (use a digital scale)

2
Temperature
Temperature

195°F - 205°F (90°C - 95°C) of water at 4-5 fl-oz (120-150 ml or 1/2 - 2/3rd cup)

3
Steeping Time
Steeping Time
  • 1st infusion:1-2 minutes, pour and enjoy
  • 2nd infusion:45 seconds - 1 minute
  • 3rd infusion:1- 2 minutes

Gongfu Style

This Darjeeling Red Oolong tea works great for the gongfu style as it helps coax out all the subtle flavors.

1
Quantity
Quantity

We recommend 5 gm of tea

2
Temperature
Temperature

100 ml water (approximate 10-20 ml of water per 1 gm of tea) at 85°C - 90°C (or 185°F - 195°F).

3
Steeping Time
Steeping Time
  • Steep the red Oolong tea for 10s, 15s, 20s, 30s, 45s, and then maybe a minute each time until it loses flavor.

More on: What Do You Need To Steep Tea?

Darjeeling

Origin

Where does your rare Darjeeling Red Oolong tea come from?

This red Oolong tea marvel is produced by Allan, the young but dedicated tea maker of Yanki Darjeeling Orthodox Small Tea Growers Welfare Society, a small batch tea farm in Rangbang Village started by Yanki, Allan’s mother. Yanki used to be a tea plucker who sold her leaves to the big tea manufacturers in the area. One day, her hard work was rejected, and she was told her plucked leaves were not of good quality and did not make the cut. Yanki lost a day's pay and was heartbroken as she became a daily wage worker. She promised at the time she would have her small tea-producing farm. She has started a cooperative and is uplifting her fellow villagers by paying them almost four to five times what other tea manufacturing units in the area would pay for bought leaves. We love their story and are excited to collaborate with them to bring their finest teas to you. When we met Yanki, she treated us to the most delicious momos, and we had a wonderful time planting tea saplings with her.

Benefits of Darjeeling Red Oolong Tea

Indulge in the exquisite benefits of Darjeeling Red Oolong Tea. This impressively healthy zero-calorie tea is a treat for the palate and a wellness elixir. Packed with antioxidants, it aids digestion, boosts metabolism and supports heart health. Known for potential anti-inflammatory properties, this Yanki tea may counter free radicals enhancing cellular repair, and promoting overall well-being. With rich flavors and potential benefits for body and mind, Darjeeling Red Oolong is more than a delightful cup – it's a journey towards holistic health.

Read more about Why Darjeeling Tea is called the ‘Champagne of Teas’

Meet

Chaiwala Panda

Red pandas dwell in the Eastern Himalayan region of India and also in China. They are skillful acrobats that are arboreal. They are mostly herbivorous and their name comes from a Nepali word “ponya” which means one who eats bamboo. Red pandas are endangered and there are about 10,000 animals left, of which over 50% live in India.

Chaiwala Panda

Customer Reviews

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A
Alice French
A New Fave

It is my 2nd favorite Oolong tea, surpassing all my others except one.
So glad I ordered it!

Tea-riffic Q&A Sips

Red oolong tea is a heavily oxidized tea and so combines characteristics of both black and oolong teas. It typically exhibits a rich, fruity flavor profile with a smooth and robust mouthfeel.

You can enjoy the tea as is or with a dash of milk.

Yes, over-steeping the tea might make the tea too bitter or astringent. Steeping parameters to be kept in mind are leaf-water ratio, water temperature and steeping time.

The tea is wonderful and complex and definitely for a tea enthusiast and connoisseur. Give it a quick rinse and see how the leaves unfurl and decide the duration of your first steep. Have patience, you might take a couple of tries to get a hang of it.

With its moderate caffeine levels it’s a good tea to enjoy in the morning or early afternoon.

The red oolong is delicious when cold brewed, and if you like, you can add a bit of milk and simple syrup to make it into a red Oolong tea latte.

This tea will definitely test your tea steeping skills and we recommend to avoid under steeping or over steeping to enjoy its nuanced complexity and flavors. Enjoy multiple infusions and steep gongfu style.

Yanki Red Oolong is delicious as is with natural sweetness, or you might enjoy it with your favorite sweetener like simple sugar or honey.

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