DARJEELING FIRST FLUSH 2015
THE EAST INDIA COMPANY IS THE FIRST IN THE UK TO OFFER THE 2015 FIRST FLUSH DARJEELING BLACK TEA
DISCOVER THIS SEASON'S FINEST TEA, DARJEELING FIRST FLUSH 2015
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Darjeeling First Flush 2015 Loose Black Tea Pouch 40g
£20.00Add to cartDarjeeling First Flush 2015 Loose Black Tea Pouch 40g
£20.00 Product Code FGTE13370.
In stock
Read MoreA bright, clear cup of Darjeeling tea with a touch of floral, light earthy and fruity notes. Marking the beginning of spring, Darjeeling First Flush loose tea represents the start of the new tea season. The tender ‘two leaves and a bud’ are as close as we come to ‘tasting nature’ in its purest form, and for all of those who appreciate tea, this is always one of the highlights of the tea season.
Where it’s from
Darjeeling, IndiaWhat it tastes like
When properly brewed, this greenish silver tippy leaf is bright and light in the cup. It has a hints of floral, fruity and light earthy notes. It also has a gentle sweetness with a hint of pleasant astringent character.When to enjoy it
Throughout the dayHow to brew it
2g (approx. 1.5tsp) per 200ml cup – add fresh water at 85-90 degrees and brew for 4 minutes. Enjoy without milk or sweeteners. -
Darjeeling First Flush 2015 Loose Black Tea Pouch 80g
£35.00Add to cartDarjeeling First Flush 2015 Loose Black Tea Pouch 80g
£35.00 Product Code FGTE13371.
In stock
Read MoreDarjeeling First Flush’s unique quality results from the leaf growing in intense sunshine but in the cold, crystalline Himalayan air (called the ‘Darjeeling Mist’) of early spring. Darjeeling tea enjoys a reputation for being a nuanced, flavourful tea, very light in the cup allowing for it to be enjoyed without any milk or sweeteners.
Where it’s from
Darjeeling, IndiaWhat it tastes like
When properly brewed, this greenish silver tippy leaf is bright and light in the cup. It has a hints of floral, fruity and light earthy notes. It also has a gentle sweetness with a hint of pleasant astringent character.When to enjoy it
Throughout the dayHow to brew it
2g (approx. 1.5tsp) per 200ml cup – add fresh water at 85-90 degrees and brew for 4 minutes. Enjoy without milk or sweeteners.
DARJEELING FIRST FLUSH 2015
The first shoots of spring in the Himalayan foothills signal the arrival of one of nature’s treasures – Darjeeling First Flush tea. Dormant for over five months, tea bushes burst into the bright green buds and leaves warmed by the spring sun and watered by the mists drifting over the Darjeeling hills. This year, the conditions have conspired to allow us to bring the first picking forward by a few weeks, and our 2015 Darjeeling First Flush tea will reach the UK in early March, the earliest picking in recent memory.
So what makes Darjeeling First Flush so special, and such an important event in the tea calendar?
Darjeeling tea enjoys a reputation for being a nuanced, flavourful tea, very light in the cup allowing for it to be enjoyed without any milk or sweeteners. The characteristic we most prize in the Darjeeling First Flush is a grassy, earthy, freshness, almost as one would find in the best green teas, and this is one of the key criteria when we select our Darjeeling First Flush tea for the season.
For those who already love Darjeeling Tea, but have not experienced the Darjeeling First Flush, we encourage you to try this unique vintage. Avoid missing out by ordering yours now.
DARJEELING FIRST FLUSH BLACK TEA
FROM THE NAMRING UPPER ESTATE IN 2015There are 87 tea estates throughout Darjeeling, growing thousands of Kilos of tea at various heights and with differing soil, climate, and crop husbandry practices. The climate, method of picking, and processing affect the final tea quality significantly, and finding the teas which we are proud of takes time and perseverance. Each year, after tasting samples from almost all of the estates, our tea master selects his first invoices – this spring, he has selected 90 Kilos of crop from the Namring Upper Estate, which we feel represents our ideal quality, and this will be our 2015 Darjeeling First Flush.
THE NAMRING UPPER ESTATE
• Elevation: Between 3500ft to - 5000ft above sea level, 448.34 hectares
• Picked and processed in February 2015
The Namring Upper estate covers 400 hectares in the Darjeeling region, and our teas are picked from a section of the tea gardens between 4000 and 5000 feet in elevation, one of the highest in the region. Teas grown in higher elevations tend to be rarer as the tea bushes have a lower yield - the tea leaves bloom more slowly, allowing for more flavour to develop in the buds and leaves than lower grown teas. Additionally, given the early picking, our tea master has worked with the estate to adapt the picking to drying process, which has led to a longer, fuller leaf with fewer broken parts than in previous years, and this is clearly evident when viewing the 2015 Darjeeling First Flush tea leaves prior to brewing.
THE TEA LEAVES
• Succulent tea leaves were picked; two leaves and a bud
• Evenly rolled tippy leaf
• Silvery appearence
TEA MASTERS BREWING TIPS FOR DARJEELING FIRST FLUSH 2015
A BLACK LOOSE LEAF TEA2 GRAMS OF TEA LEAVES
/ 1.5 - 2 TEASPOONS
Due to the the larger loose tea leaves, our tea master recommends up to 2 teaspoons of loose tea leaves per person
210ML OF WATER
AT 85-90ºC
This black tea is not fully oxidised, hence it must be brewed at a lower temperature than a classic black tea
4 MINS
BREWING TIME
A bright, clear cup of tea with a touch of floral, light earthy and fruity notes. Gently sweet with a hint of pleasant astringent character
A NEW SEASON OF TEA: THE EAST INDIA COMANY’S DARJEELING FIRST FLUSH
Darjeeling’s importance in the tea calendar cannot be overstated, as it marks the beginning of spring, and the start of the new tea season. The tender ‘two leaves and a bud’ are as close as we come to ‘tasting nature’ in its purest form, and for all of those who appreciate tea, this is always one of the highlights of the tea season. We hope you take the opportunity to visit us in store or online to try the limited 2015 Darjeeling First Flush, and explore the 2014 vintage to compare the subtle changes and variances in the crop from year to year.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email our tea master at service[at]eicfinefoods[dot]com
