Iranian Whispers

7 July 2014
Gilan Tea, Iran

95-deg, 5 minutes 

Gilan is a black tea cultivated in Iran and while Iran is the 8th largest grower of tea in the world, very little of Iranian tea ventures out beyond its boarders. The first thing I noticed when taking the leaf basket from the brewed liquid was a color that was very much like the cup of tea I had this morning. Earlier in the day I had accidentally left my English Breakfast tea to steep for somewhere between 8 to 10 minutes and the result was a very strong and dark tea. I was actually surprised that the tint was more in favor of polished mohagony than a more drab and simple wood. But color is where the semblance ended for me. The Gilan was very subtle on the nose and just as subtle on the pallet. There was slight acidity to accompany the very mild tea flavor. As my cup cooled I could almost say that the flavor more resembled a strong green tea than it did a mild black tea. For the next attempt at Gilan, I think I'll try a few more leaves and a little more time. I fear that my first brew just didn't do justice to the flavors unless a whisper is what makes an Indian sage spout with poetry.