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Located in South Asia, and bordered by China and India, Nepal is home to some of the largest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest which is the highest point anywhere on Earth. Although Nepal is comprised of 75 districts, tea gardens are mostly found in the eastern part of the country (dubbed the "Tea Zone), which borders the Darjeeling region of West Bengal, India, and enjoys the same soil and climatic conditions as Darjeeling. The five districts that make up the "Tea Zone" are Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar, Tehrathum and Dhankuta. The Mist Valley Tea gardens are located in Jitpur in the Ilam district. Ilam is located in the Mechi Zone in the easternmost part of Nepal. Jitpur is a small hilly village with pristine landscapes of sloped tea gardens, thick natural forests, and a unique culture that is still relatively untouched by the modern world. Until quite recently, Jitpur was primarily a farming community however today tea is now grown in addition to rice and vegetables.
In Nepal, there are only a handful of tea producers that own and operate their own tea gardens and processing facilities, and Mist Valley Tea is one of those few. Located at an altitude of 1300 meters (approximately 4,200 feet) above the sea-level, this garden produces delightful and distinctive teas. This beautiful uniformly styled, long-leafed, tippy, black tea brews to a light amber cup with a slight vegetal aroma. The taste tends more towards a traditional Darjeeling with nutmeg overtones.
Brew tea at 212º - steep for 3 minutes.
Nepal teas pair well with cheese, cream desserts, fruits, scones, and tarts (both sweet and savory).
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Pretty good |
| 6/1/2020 |
| Brew is medium in body; taste is sweet initially, with soft tannin on the finish. Flavor is dominated by a woody character when brewed at 212 (the temp recommended by S&V as of this review), which I don't find very pleasant. I have gotten better results brewing at 200 F, with more floral character. I don't detect much muscat flavor. Overall it's pretty good tea, but I've enjoyed other Nepal and Darjeeling offerings from S&V more. |
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A pleasant tea, but not a standout |
| 4/16/2020 |
| Brew method: 3 grams of tea in 8 oz water fresh off the boil. Brewed for 5 minutes in a mug with a lid.
The tea has a body, it doesn't seem thin. It has a clean finish. However, I read people getting notes of cherry and citrus but I'm not picking that up. If I do, very faintly. It is like a milder version of the Ilum Valley tea. Also, I don't get any malty-ness. I don't dislike it, but it is not very exciting, hence the 3 stars.
I would say this would be great for iced tea or afternoon tea. An inoffensive tea that can be enjoyed by many without milk or sugar, I'd imagine. |
| - Nick B, CT |
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Pleasant experience |
| 7/22/2018 |
| This is a fine tea, light and delicious. Having said that, I failed to find enough distinct notes to consider it memorable, since I could not find enough of the distinctive notes others have described. It think it would serve well as a light afternoon tea. |
| THOMAS Z |
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Great Tea |
| 6/25/2018 |
| I've been using the Nepal, Mist Valley as a replacement for my Organic Assam Tea. They have a similar flavor: https://www.restaurantsupplydrop.com/products/harney-sons-wrapped-organic-assam-tea-6-box-case |
| - Thomas, CA |
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Exceptional! |
| 10/3/2016 |
| I really love this tea! Saw a recommendation on Serious Eats and thought I would give it a try. This is definitely going into the main rotation!
A mild, syrupy mouth feel with medium body. Long, smooth finish. There are some citrus notes and bright, fresh flavors. Highly recommended. |
| - ANDREW, IL |
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Heaven for the lover of black tea |
| 9/2/2016 |
| This tea holds the title of my all time favorite black teas. The dark amber brew and earthy full flavor are perfect to jump start my day. |
| - DENA COOTS, TX |
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A hauntingly delicious cup! |
| 11/25/2015 |
| This one is tough to describe but so so good. I steeped for 3-4 minutes. It’s malty but it doesn’t have that deeper flavor. It’s a medium bodied tea. Maybe a tiny hint of tobacco. And I swear I keep smelling cherry cough drops, and there is nothing in the room like that, so it has to be this tea. And maybe a bit like rose petals. So recap: malty, tobacco, cherry, rose petals. Such an odd combination but good! This tea is almost haunting… because the list of flavors is almost like lingers of things a ghost might leave behind. Its not a cup I can forget soon! |
| C B |
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My go-to tea |
| 3/3/2015 |
| At the end of a long day at work my guilty pleasure is to curl up with a book and a warm cup of tea. In these special moments I insist that my tea have a full flavor for my enjoyment. My go-to tea is Nepal Mist Valley. I am no expert, but the teas grown in this climate are exceptional and I prefer them over all other black teas that I have tried. IF you have not experienced this tea, do not delay any longer. |
| - DENA COOTS, TX |
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Tea ... rriffic! |
| 6/3/2013 |
| Sorry for the pun ... especially since this is a seriously fine tea! To my palate its one of the best of S&Vs offerings. A bright cup with the distinct aroma of Darjeelings you notice immediately. There is an interesting after glow, a lovely spiciness that suggests bergamot and nutmeg. I am looking forward to serving this one to my clients and friends for sure. |
| - Brad Clark, MD |
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