Darjeeling Second Flush 2013, Preview

We have just finished sampling Darjeeling Second Flush 2013. My palate is singing and my heart is full. What a blessing it is to be able to partake of some of the earth’s best gifts!

The samples from Singbulli tea estate were all very fruity teas - recalling ripe peaches, citrus notes - and had a rich muscatel character. Darjeeling lovers will know that muscatel, or a flavor that is akin to the muscat grapes, is a defining character for second flush Darjeeling. It is a complex flavor that most simply can be described as a sweetness and smell of raisins.

The leaf of Singbulli DJ 305 (DJ is short for Darjeeling, and it prefixed to an invoice number), coming from clonal AV2 bushes were long, wiry and beautifully crafted. Good looking leaf adds so much to the enjoyment of tea. Of course the tea also has to taste good; not enough just to look pretty!

A bunch of samples from Sungma also arrived. Sungma has been one of our best sellers this year. The second flush tea from the garden, like Singbulli, were very fragrant with a rich muscatel character. The cup is full-bodied, with a complex character with hints of apricot, nuts (macadamia-like) and floral notes. Smooth and rich.

Tea from Turzum tea estate will be a new offering for our customers. Turzum and Sungma are actually located next to each other and run by the same superintendent. The same expertise can be seen in the tea in the beautiful appearance and taste. For a moment the deep rich flavors of this tea made me think I was actually drinking wine!

Our second flush offerings will be a couple of weeks before it will be available for buying. That is normally the time it takes for the tea to arrive here after the Customs and other formalities have been completed. So hold on to your dear cups until then!