first flush darjeeling

type: black

origin: india

region: darjeeling

ingredients: organic black tea leaves

caffeine: strong

price level: $$$$

This First Flush Darjeeling is grown in the Mirik district (about an hour’s drive from the town of Darjeeling), at a Certified Organic tea garden. Due to its location and the age of the plants, the garden typically produces very robust, flowery teas. The term “First Flush” refers to the first plucking season of the year, which is March to mid-April. Teas from the First Flush are generally more fragrant and lighter than those from the following second flush. Within the First Flush, tea gardens will generally produce many batches, as the tea pickers work daily to cover the vast garden.

Each batch is different due to the mix of leaves, and therefore unique in its flavor. The batch size can vary from 60 kgs to 200 kgs (it takes about 3-4 pounds of raw leaf plucked to make 1 pound of finished leaf). The garden areas plucked first are generally those where plants have new leaf growth. Darjeeling tea gardens also enjoy several varietals (native and clonal) as well as diversity in plant age. We work with a particular garden to select leaf from a consistent varietal and age for our First Flush Darjeeling. Also, as a guideline for the processing, we prefer the First Flush to be less oxidized (thus maintaining a greener leaf profile) and to comprise more tips, giving it a complex texture and bounce in flavor.