A CUPPA FOR THE CONNOISSEURS

Whether it is white tea, green tea, or even infusions, Priyadarshini Maji demystifies the complex world of exotic brews

Most Indians will agree with this: There is nothing like a freshly brewed cup of tea to start your morning on the right note. More so when you have a handful of options to choose from — from the traditional masala to black tea or, the latest fad, green tea.

Tea lovers across the world are always scouting for new and exotic flavours to gratify their taste buds. If you do not mind shelling some extra bucks, there are numerous luxury brands in India that sell top-end tea. Besides selling the expensive green, long, black, and white varieties, these brands offer various experimental blends and infusions of their own. "There are enough consumers and buyers of good tea in the country who are willing to pay the price to get the quality and value of their purchase," says Kausshal Dugarr, founder of Teabox.

Whiteteas

White teas from Darjeeling are the most famous in the world. The Moonlight White tea, also known as Silver-Needle, is a rare product, handpicked only on a full moon night. "During full moon nights, tea retains more moisture and adds more flavour to the leaves," says Snighdha Manchanda, founder, Tea Trunk. The Silver-Needle tea is a crystalline liquor and has a hint of sweetness in its flavour. A variation of Moonlight White tea, Margaret's HopeMoonlight Spring White Tea has a smooth floral flavour with a velvety texture. The liquor has an unripe tropical fruit taste to it, along with a tinge of citrus blossom and lily. Teabox offers it for ~30,000 a kilo.

Similarly, Castleton Moonlight Spring White Tea has super floral notes. It is a lateharvest brew, and is among the top-of-the-line Darjeeling whites. The dry leaves have the aroma of fresh nuts, vanilla, white chocolate, oak wood with soft floral nuances. It is available for ~45,000 a kilo from Teabox. White Bud Yin Zhen is a white bud-flavoured tea from the Yin Zhen region in China. It is similar in appearance to Silver-Needles, and comes with a mild fragrance of fresh-cut hay. This tea is grown in close proximity to mandarins and apricots, which give it a uniquely fruity bouquet. Indian brand The Good Life sells it for Rs 28,000 a kilo.

White Velvet, an exquisite variety from Darjeeling, has a velvety, smooth taste. The pale liquor comes with an earthy flavor and its magic lies in its subtlety. It costs ~20,000 a kilo from The Good Life Company.

Teabox's MIM Exotic Spring white tea is a limited-edition variety, rare as it is plucked only after a hailstorm. A shower of hail gives the bushes a surge of natural nitrogen, improving the flavour and richness of the leaves. The dry leaves have qualities of hay, toasted almond, milk chocolate and licorice with a gentle fragrance of geranium. It costs ~50,000 for a kilo.

Ice Wine tea from China has white, downy leaves with a fruity flavor. This variety can be infused with raisins and grapes to almost imitate white wine. It costs ~12,000 for a kilo from The Good Life. Blacktea

Vintage Cha Qi is known to be a famous black tea variety from the northern Himalayas. The tea is plucked early in the mornings at the end of winter and start of spring. It is manufactured and stored the same day in earthenware to avoid any loss of aroma. It matures as it ages. It has a burnt sugar and rich toffee flavour and exudes malty notes. It costs ~55,000 for a kilo from Anandini Himalaya Tea.

Exotic winter frost black tea from the Nilgiri hills is plucked during the winters from the estate and is highly aromatic. The liquor is dense with sweet fruity notes, wintergreen oil, wildflowers and dried apricots. It costs ~18,000 for a kilo from Teabox.

Pu-erh is a limited-edition black tea from Southwest China. It is a variety of fermented tea from the Yiwu mountain of Yunnan. This type of black tea is different from what is known as black tea in English and considered red tea in China. It costs Rs 2,425 from Anandini Himalaya.

Greentea

Matcha is considered one of the most expensive green teas in the world. Matcha tea is used in Japan’s formal tea ceremony. The lighter green varieties of

Matcha are sweeter. It is finely powdered processed green tea leaves, and dissolves in water. The top-grade Matcha comes in a bright shade of green. The traditional way to brew a Matcha is using a whisk made of bamboos. Tea Trunk offers its own blends of Matcha, such as charcoal matcha, mint matcha and coco matcha. These cost ~26,650 a kilo.

Infusions

Lavender White tea is a form of white tea infused with lavender flowers, orange peel and mint. It has a floral, citrus and velvety taste. It costs ~13,500 for a kilo from Tea Trunk. Wulong Mun Peak is a rare smoked tea, handmade from the first leaf plucked in the beginning of March. The leaves are peach-wood smoked and then sun-dried. It has hints of peach with smooth buttery taste and notes of chestnut. It costs ~70,000 for a kilo from Anandini Himalaya.

Most of the luxury tea brands are available online. They are also available in companies’ own tearooms, retail stores, and also restaurants and cafes. “Tea could be the next single malt. It has everything that single malt has, an even more,” says Dugarr of Teabox. Possibly, yes.