Known as ‘The Champagne of Teas’ this high mountain First Flush Darjeeling has an incredibly complex flavour profile that seems to evolve from sip to sip.
Grown in the high elevations of the Himalayan hill region, this tea drinks more like a partially oxidized oolong rather than a black tea. It has strong notes of melon, grapes and pear.
Known in the tea world as an ‘FTGFOP1’ – this is the highest grade of tea in India. This acronym stands for ‘Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe’ although, some tea connoisseurs joke that it stands for ‘Far Too Good For Ordinary People’. The First Flush or Spring Harvest is considered the finest of all the harvests as the leaves are still young, very flavourful and incredibly nutrient rich.
Darjeeling is well known for its small and gentle leaves as it comes from the Camellia Sinensis Sinensis varietal rather than the more common Camellia Sinensis Assamica varietal.
Darjeeling tea cultivation has a relatively short history and only began when civil surgeon Arthur Campbell began planting some Chinese tea seeds in 1841. Shortly after, the British began planting nurseries and establishing a tea industry in order to compete with China.
Tasting Notes: Muscatel Grape, Malt, Pear
Region: Darjeeling, India | Elevation: 1200m
Serving: 3g | Temp: 90C | Steep time: 2-3min
Ingredients: black tea