NEW WINE IN AN OLD TEACUP
Everything you always wanted to know about first flush tea but did not know whom to ask
Spring time is champagne time for tea lovers. It is important to clarify that the tea lovers referred to here are a palate apart from chai lovers. They are a growing niche of aficionados—those who prefer brewed tea leaves (known as orthodox tea) and raise their noses at the CTC chai drinkers.
Spring is when the fresh leaves and silver buds emerging from the tea bushes—all slumbering and wrapped in winter mists—are ready for the first picking of the year. This tea, referred to as first flush or spring flush, is produced mostly in Darjeeling and in select gardens of the Nilgiri Hills. It is crafted through an elaborate process of precise plucking and drying of the fresh new leaves. “It is perhaps the best example of something that is created with perfect teamwork between nature and man,” says Vikram Mittal, owner of Mittal Teas, Delhi’s watering hole for tea lovers.
The first flush teas hold a complex bouquet of rich flavours and produce a distinct light-bodied liquor—the colour of champagne. They are, well, also priced as such. A kilo of tea from well-known gardens—depending on the grade of leaves—could range anywhere from Rs 5,000 to Rs 60,000. It is sold at double this price in international markets. In 2019, Teabox, a premier tea brand promoting orthodox tea, released a special first flush Darjeeling tea priced at Rs 2 lakh a kilo, the costliest Indian tea yet. These are priced as such because, on an average, only 15 per cent of the total produce of a garden qualifies to be crafted into a first flush.
“Like wine, its character depends a lot on the terroir—the location, soil quality and weather conditions of the garden—as well as the tea cultivars, the specific tea bushes used to create particular teas,” explains Sonia Jabbar, the owner of the Nuxalbari Tea Estate. It is so coveted that the best of this tea is rarely available in the Indian market. Professional buyers throng the gardens for tea tasting sessions during picking time. It’s where they buy the best of the lot.
With a sizeable population of Indian tea drinkers now choosing orthodox and green teas, the first flush tea is becoming the sparkling wine for the teetotaler. We sourced and tasted the most talked-about first flush teas from some of the best-known gardens of Darjeeling to find out which are the best of the best.
The Clonal Spring Black from Upper Namring Estate
Supple, well-rounded with base floral notes and a strong hint of melon—a smooth operator.
Sold by Teabox at Rs 45,000 per kg; rating 4.5/ 5 First Invoice First Flush from Castleton Estate
Light golden with a toasty flavour, redolent with notes of cedar and wet moss—a lively first flush.
Sold by Mittal Teas at Rs 4,800 per kg; rating 4/ 5 Organic First Flush from Nuxalbari Tea Estate
Fine, medium-bodied with a nutty, umami aftertaste, trailing aromatic woody notes—a purist’s delight. Sold at (various outlets) at
Rs 5,000 per kg; rating 4/ 5 HIGH TEA (clockwise from left) First flush tea from Margaret’s Hope Tea estate; a tea tasting at Nuxalbari Tea Estate; the Moonlight Spring White tea from the Badamtam Tea Estate; and first flush tea being picked at a tea estate in Darjeeling The Moonlight Spring White from Badamtam Tea Estate
Pick of the season, comprising tender unopened tea leaves. Fragrant, with a lingering flavour of oriental lilies and mango flowers. A connoisseur grade tea.
Sold by Teabox at Rs 68,000 per kg; rating 5/ 5 Spring Bloom first flush from Turzum Sungma Tea Estate
Surprisingly robust with base notes of lilies and tropical fruits. Discovery of the season.
Sold by Mittal Teas at Rs 18,000 per kg; rating 4.5/ 5 Special Spring Black from Goomtee Tea Estate
A champagne-coloured tea with a refreshing fresh leafy spring sap taste. A classic first flush—also a visual delight.
Sold by Teabox at Rs 21,000 per kg; rating 3.5/ 5 Spring Flush Moonlight from Margaret’s Hope Tea Estate
A light, flavourful, amazingly smooth tea. Fresh, sappy taste with lingering notes of peach and orange peel. Most value for money where taste is concerned.
Sold by Mittal Teas at Rs 8,400 per kg; rating 4.5/ 5 Exotic Spring Clonal Black from Jungpana Tea Estate
A rich, golden yellow tea with a lasting aroma of raw mangoes and wild orchids. A taster’s choice. Sold by Teabox at Rs 32,000 per kg; rating 4.5/ 5 Vintage First Flush from Puttabong Tea Estate
A brisk first flush with hints of chocolate. A crossover tea.
Sold by Mittal Teas at Rs 5,600 per kg; rating 4/5 ■