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Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling teas, often called the "Champaign of teas" are a variety of black teas that originate in mountainous Darjeeling, India, the most famous of all India’s tea producing regions. Darjeeling tea is classically known for its woodsy and nutty flavor with notes of honey and its liquor tends to brew to a distinctive golden color that is highly sought after.

Demand for Darjeeling is so high that most of the crop is still processed using the orthodox method which is highly labor intensive, instead of the more mechanized cut tear curl process (CTC).

Darjeeling teas are often categorized according to when they were picked during the growing season. First flush Darjeeling teas are picked early in the season, connoisseurs often use it to predict the quality of the later flushes and they have light almost green liquor, but are at the same time highly aromatic. Second flush picked during the summer is often the most sought after because of its flavor that tends to be more lush and mellow than the first flush with pronounced notes of muscatel. Third flush plucked in the autumn after the rains cease. Third flush Darjeeling teas are darker more coppery liquor with a sparklingly sweet aroma.

Because of the rising demand for green teas in the west, we are now seeing some Darjeeling estates produce a green teas as well.