First Flush Darjeeling

Just as wine lovers eagerly await the late November arrival of the new Beaujolais, tea lovers anticipate the springtime arrival of the first flush darjeelings. The Darjeeling region of India is in the foothills of the Himilayas. The harsh weather conditions result in slower growth of each year's tea crop and only three to four pluckings occur each year. The first plucking, after the early spring rains, yields the first flush darjeelings. Like early season wines, early season teas tend to be lighter and fruitier with some astringency.

This past year, drought conditions in the Darjeeling region resulted in great concern over the quality of the 2009 Darjeeling harvest. But I'm very happy to say that despite this concern, the Risheehat estate has produced a wonderful 2009 first flush Darjeeling, and I have some (so you can have some too).

Light and delicate, this tea has characteristic astringency and really nice tropical and stone fruit flavors. It's also available at a very reasonable price.

My webstore is in the midst of a major overhaul, so I don't yet have it available there, but it's in the shop right now, and if you stop in, I'd love you to try a little. And if you'd like to order some online, just send me an email and we can arrange it.