Dooars—Approximate more to Cachars in style, color and general appearance, and are strong, rough and coarse in liquor, but pungent and pleasing in flavor, being a serviceable Tea for blending, as it imparts tone and character to any combination in it which it may be used.
Deradoon—Is a high-fired Tea, loosely made and deteriorating rapidly, becoming sour or rancid on exposure to the atmosphere in a very short time. The liquor is frequently “earthy” in taste and somewhat analogous to that of Ankoi Oolong, for which reasons they are not much sought after.
Kumaon—Is generally converted into Gunpowder, Imperial and Hyson Teas, all being prepared from the same leaf, the chief and only difference lying in their make and color, as they still retain all their Indian characteristics of liquor and flavor.
Chittagong—Is thick, heavy and strong in the cup, and what is termed “nutty” in flavor and are considered good, useful Teas for blending purposes from their great strength and positive character.
India Teas in general possess a sharp acid taste not to be found in any of the foregoing varieties, and a distinct but peculiar flavor, rarely liked by American Tea consumers, except when largely tempered with the softer and more mellow liquored Teas of China. In order to neutralize or offset this disagreeable peculiarity, it is at all times necessary to use only the best of the India grades in blending. Another very disagreeable feature of India Teas is that of the formation of an oily or gummy film which settles on top of the liquor after infusion. The loss of flavor and rapid decay in exposure is also greater in India Teas than in most other varieties. The grades most easily affected in this manner being the two highly-fired, light-liquored and open-leaf makes.
(Ceylon Tea Plantation.)
CEYLON TEAS.
Ceylon Teas—Are comparatively new Teas to commerce, and are known to trade as Matagalas, Mandulsumas, Rakuwanas, Kanda-loyas, Kandapole and Soocan-duris, but as with India Teas they are chiefly converted into silver and golden Pekoe, Congous, Souchongs and Pekoe-Souchongs. Their leaf, liquor and flavor like their India prototypes varies greatly in style and quality, according to the elevation at which they are grown, their uniformity also varying from year to year as in the India districts.