You’re on your way out. Concerned, sympathetic faces let you know just how much you mean. A chilling wind sweeps through bare trees outside the cracked, foggy windowpane. Night draws in and the bitter cold permeates your dusty blankets and stained bedclothes. Winter has lingered, as have you, but not long now. But…. it’s teatime! And the choice is yours, from frothy green Japanese matcha tea to first flush Darjeeling tea to flowering Jasmine green tea. So, before squeezing out your final breath and having the final vestiges of life ushered out of your measly existence, what’s the best, last ever tea to be enjoyed on God’s green earth?
Japanese Matcha Green Tea
Matcha will naturally be a strong contender for your last ever tea. It’s creamy and satisfying and gently sweet and, done right, stands out for being, not only so distinct in its taste, texture and liquor, but for being at once both calming and invigorating.
First Flush Darjeeling Tea
There’s arguably no finer legal way to sit down and relax than with a perfectly steeped cup of first flush Darjeeling tea. Harvested in spring when mid-March leaves are fresh and buoyant, arguably the world’s finest black tea is soft yet robust, aromatic, delicately golden and beautifully balanced.
Jasmine and Osmanthus Flowering Tea
This most graceful of teas is as much a feast for the eyes as it is the nose and palate. Golden, orange hues make this tea one to remember, and, as with all great flowering teas, has a hypnotic aesthetic charm that is every bit as refreshing as its elegant flavours.
Deathbed Tea
As delightful and singularly pleasurable each of the aforementioned offerings are, there is no question that when it comes to your final breaths, they should be properly accompanied by a tea that offers not only gratification but gravity. You’re stepping out, and you may be some time, so mark the occasion with the solemnity and dignity it demands. Aged Pu-erh is as deep as the deep blue sea, dark, bold, complex, profoundly fragrant and the perfect drink for reflection.
