Glendale Exotic Twirl is one of the most unique Indian green teas I have ever tried. Picked only 2 days after New Year, this tea from Nilgiri is definitely one of the first teas of the year and offers countless of layers.

Name: Glendale Exotic Twirl Nilgiri Winter Flush Green Tea
Tea Vendor: Vahdam (India)
Type: Indian green tea

Honestly, I do not consider myself a huge fan of Indian green teas. They are certainly unique and offer quite a different drinking experience from the usual Chinese or Japanese teas, but I found there was always something missing, something that would get me hooked. And here it is – Glendale Exotic Twirl.

Glendale Exotic Twirl Nilgiri green tea

The Unatractivness of Glendale Exotic Twirl

I won’t lie. Just looking at the dry leaves won’t get you very excited. Leaves are small to medium, with quite a few white tips, ranging from yellowish white to greyish green color. They are straight, just a bit twisted. But, if you want to judge the tea by its leaves, you would miss out something very unique. This tea comes from Nilgiri, Glendale Estate and was picked on January 3rd. It’s not the first harvest of the year, but actually the fourth harvest (winter) of the previous year. Nevertheless, I think it’s a very good introduction into a fresh new year.

Glendale Exotic Twirl Nilgiri green tea

Dry leaves have a fresh smokey scent with only a hint of sweetness. They are quite similar to rest of the Indian green teas, except they have much more freshness and are a bit thinner to what I have seen so far.

And Then You Brew Them

Brewing: 3 grams, 150ml, 75 degrees Celsius, 2,3,5 min

In the heated teapot they have a sweet and smokey scent that reveals a bit of astringency. This is always good to know, not to over-brew tea later. If you allow yourself to take a deep inhale, there is a very fresh scent emerging from a background.

Glendale Exotic Twirl Nilgiri green tea

75 degrees and 2 minutes later – and oh my God – the most beautiful scent of the wet leaves I have ever experienced in some Indian green tea. A bouquet of scents, from sweetness to fruits, flowers and green freshness, even some subdued spiciness – it smells more like a dessert than just a tea. It’s amazingly sweet and light, refreshing. It gives the impression of being ordinary, but there are so many subtle layers in this tea that you just want to explore it over and over again. Color is pale yellow.

Glendale Exotic Twirl Nilgiri green tea

This tea has a very mild astringency that turns into a very nice sweetness that lasts very very long. Second infusion keeps all the characteristics of the first one. This tea is very light brewed in this way, but full of surprises. Although Vahdam recommends brewing with 80-90 degrees, I think that would be a bit too much – cooler water lets you explore all this flavors and prevents bitterness to get into focus. Pay attention to brewing as all your effort will pay off for sure.

What I like the most about this tea is the scent of wet leaves. Don’t forget to inhale every before each infusion. You won’t regret it.