Darjeeling Black Teas

Darjeeling Black Tea

Darjeeling black tea is the traditional tea of the town of Darjeeling. It is grown nearly everywhere in Darjeeling, and it's also where the tea plant goes through all the processing stages, from drying (withering) and rolling to fermenting and sorting.

Hence, Darjeeling black tea is a fully processed tea that is 100 percent oxidized and fermented, unlike other tea varieties. It has dark brown, near-black color, and its taste is more robust than other Darjeeling tea types.

The flavor profile offers distinct, sweet muscatel flavors with spicy, musky undertones. However, the flavor varies between the different flushes, with the first flush being milder and later flushes having greater astringent characteristics.

Darjeeling White Tea

Darjeeling white tea leaves only grow in specific areas on the Himalayas higher than 2,000 meters above sea level. The temperatures are constantly cold at such heights, making harvesting difficult.

Fresh Darjeeling white tea leaves are carefully selected, handpicked, sun-dried, and hand-rolled to preserve their original organic contents. They have a delicate aroma and light color, which yields a pale golden liquid with a tinge of natural sweetness.

If we look at Darjeeling tea prices, white tea variants are the most expensive. This variety has limited plantation areas, a harsh cultivation environment, a fine selection process, and a high international demand due to the soft aroma and unique taste profile.

Darjeeling Oolong Tea

Darjeeling oolong tea leaves are only cultivated in estates 1,000 meters above sea level, with a temperature between 41 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The farmers pluck delicate oolong tea leaves and expose them to sunlight and air for oxidation before pan-frying and hand-rolling them.

The semi-oxidized leaves give the liquid its light orange appearance with a tinge of gold. Often, the tea is steamed to retain more flavor and color. The tea offers mildly astringent and distinct muscatel flavors, much like Darjeeling black tea. Experts tout that Darjeeling oolong tea is the midway tea between Darjeeling black tea and green tea.

Darjeeling Green Tea

The unfermented Darjeeling green tea preserves the polyphenol content, which delivers the antioxidants that make green tea healthy and in high demand. Typically, Darjeeling green tea has 60% more polyphenol content than other types of black teas.

Darjeeling green tea has a flowery aroma and nutty muscatel flavor, and its brew has a yellowish-green hue. Unlike most green teas, you will taste superior notes of grass and herbaceous flavors. However, people new to loose leaf teas should make this light by adding more water because it can taste slightly bitter when brewed. High quality Darjeeling Green teas are not bitter in taste.

1. Darjeeling First Flush Tea

Also known as the spring flush, Darjeeling first flush teas is cultivated from March to May after the long-dormant winter period. The demand for first flush teas is usually high, so the first flush Darjeeling tea prices are the highest.

The spring tea leaves are light green and produce a light, clear liquor with distinct, mild floral aromas, a mild body, and the most delicate fruity flavors that make it such a unique and desirable flush.

2. Darjeeling Second Flush Tea

Also known as the summer flush, Darjeeling second flush tea is cultivated during the summer months from June to August. The larger, darker tea leaves have silver buds and produce higher levels of the main, signature muscatel flavor that makes Darjeeling tea so popular.

There are more colors in the liquor and distinct floral aromas. The overall stronger flavor profile, incredible aroma, and range of colors of Darjeeling second flush tea are enjoyed by many tea drinkers, keeping second flush teas in high demand.

3. Darjeeling Autumn Flush Tea

The third or Darjeeling autumn flush is cultivated from October to November in the harsh cold temperatures of the Himalayas. The color of the tea leaves is typically light brownish or coppery, which is why the liquor color has darker hues.

The flavor profile of Darjeeling autumn flush tea is distinctly different from all the other Darjeeling flush teas and leaves a strong and pleasant aftertaste. This is due to the creamier body and relatively bolder tasting notes.

Apart from these three main flushes, there are two minor flushes or "in-between" flushes. One is two weeks long between May and June, separating the first and second flush, and the other is during the monsoon in September, separating the second and third flush.

Since Darjeeling tea growth depends on the weather, the timing of these flushes may vary from year to year and location to location. Often, the rains of the monsoon period may shorten or lengthen the main second flush while doing the opposite for the minor monsoon flush.