THE CHAMPAGNE OF TEAS

Darjeeling is renowned for its captivating delicacy and its distinctive seasonal characteristics. Each season, or flush, has a defined flavour profile.

During the first flush of spring, the tea has a very different profile from the rest of the year. It’s flowery and fruity, with a lingering hint of citrus. The liquor is light with a hint of green. First flush is Darjeeling’s most exclusive tea.

In the second flush, Darjeeling’s famous muscatel, or “grapey”, flavours come to the fore. The tea is round-bodied and robust.

During the monsoon, usually June to August, when the bushes are in their growing phase, the tea has much promise but is not as high in quality.

“When a bush is under stress, the tea is of a good quality,” says Parveez Arshad Hussain, manager at Glenburn Tea Estate. “When it’s growing fast, as a general rule, the tea is not as flavourful.”

In autumn, the tea is again flowery, but stronger and sweeter.

“As the weather changes, the temperature drops and there’s a crisp feeling in the air – the tea has a unique character, strong and sweet,” says Hussain.

During winter, the tea bushes go through a dormancy phase with no new shoots, until the rains come again in spring. No tea is produced in Darjeeling during these months. This limits the production of Darjeeling tea further, adding to its exclusivity and accounting for its status as one of the most expensive and sought-after teas in the world.