My current favorite teas in the Deli are the Golden Yunnan, a Chinese black tea, and the new harvest of 2nd flush Darjeeling from Castleton Estate, an Indian black tea.

I love how the strong, full-bodied flavor of the Yunnan perks me up in the morning. It has a great balance of tannins, with a hint of sweetness in the finish, and it has been really consistent throughout the past few seasons. I haven’t gotten a second opinion on this, so I’m being entirely subjective when I say that it tastes great with a red grapefruit (but I’m partial to both things).

Castleton Estate’s ’09 2nd flush Darjeeling is on my list because this harvest is just really beautiful. It’s an elegant balance of fruity bass notes and hints fall leaves, and I find that it’s strong enough to brighten me up when I need it, but delicate enough to not overwhelm my palate in the later part of the day.