This is the last first flush Darjeeling I ordered in 2023. (I have three 2023 second flush Darjeelings to go!) The name refers to the estate’s founder, Basant Kumar Birla, and “basant” is also a word for spring in many Indian languages. I steeped 3 g of leaf in 150 ml of 180F water for 2.5, 3.5, 5, and 7 minutes, followed by a couple uncounted steeps.
The dry aroma is of honey, lemon, peony, spring flowers, herbs, and wood. The first steep has notes of lemon, apple, honey, caramel, spring flowers, herbs, minerals, and wood. It’s somewhat reminiscent of lemon pound cake. The next steep is a little more brisk and nutty with pronounced herbaceous undertones. However, there’s still a lot of sweetness, florality, and fruitiness to enjoy. The next couple steeps lose much of the fruitiness, but are still nutty, floral, and sweet. The final steeps are a bit floral, but are predictably more astringent, herbaceous, and mineral.
This tea is lemony and sweet for a first flush Darjeeling and has a lovely aroma. I enjoyed its honey, caramel, and spring floral notes and appreciated the relative lack of astringency. I highly recommend it if it ever comes back in stock.
Flavors: Apple, Astringent, Caramel, Floral, Herbaceous, Honey, Lemon, Mineral, Nutty, Peony, Sweet, Wood
