A fresh infusion of our Organic Darjeeling First Flush Supreme.
Fresh from the gardens of Tumsong comes the 2023 batch of our Organic Darjeeling First Flush Supreme. We’re proud to say that we’re always first to bring First Flush Darjeeling to market in the UK every year, and this year’s batch was grown especially for JING by the brilliant Naresh Pareek – a tea maker who knew exactly what we were looking for and produced just that.
The Misty Hills of Darjeeling, West Bengal, India.
Exploring the tea garden
Tumsong Garden was first planted in 1867 around a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Tamsa Devi. Today, it’s known to the locals as the ‘Garden of Happy Hearts’ and is surrounded by the Darjeeling Golden Valley. The area is particularly scenic, with spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga – the world’s third-highest mountain.
The garden's altitude elicits supreme aromas and renders a green-gold, light, and bright tea infusion. The cold breeze that hits the very steep slopes results in slow growth of the tea plants and complex flavours in the cup.
The altitude of the garden elicits supreme aromas and renders a light and bright tea infusion.
The vital stats
Origin: Darjeeling, West Bengal, India.
Cultivar: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
Name: The first flush refers to this being the very first picking of the bushes after their winter dormancy.
Style: Picked at lofty cool ambient temperatures and processed as black tea, this batch of Organic Darjeeling First Flush also has an additional light oxidation. This has resulted in a fresh infusion with a beautifully complex flavour profile that expresses the unique Darjeeling terroir with a distinct fruitiness and a classic China character.
Terroir: Steep slopes directly facing the Himalayas, from which a cold breeze encourages the slow growth of the tea plants, which in turn produces complex flavours.
Altitude: >1,000m
Picking Season: Spring 2023
Leaf: Neatly presented leaf and bud showing brown and green leaves with wiry silver tea tips.
Oxidation: 20%
Production: Organic
Infusion: A light, bright tea infusion with a gold hue.
Dewy morning on the cool slopes of the tea fields as the mist clears in Darjeeling, India.
This exquisitely rare black tea is a highly requested favourite, with a quenching finish for its honey and fruit notes.
The First Flush Darjeeling Flavour Profile.
The ‘First Flush’ batch is unique to Darjeeling, with a classic China tea character. Highly floral, it has honey and fruit notes in a crisp and clear black tea with a quenching finish.
The Perfect Time to Drink First Flush Darjeeling Tea.
Of course, there are no rigid rules when it comes to tea, so whenever and wherever you enjoy it – but we find it’s perfect for a late morning or afternoon pick-me-up. It’s also extremely refreshing and quenching, so you’ll enjoy it as the weather finally warms up!
The Best Way to Enjoy First Flush Darjeeling Tea.
Single Serve, One Cup Method using 250ml TeaiereTM and cup:
Firstly, heat your teapot before adding the leaves – it’s worth doing with highly aromatic tea. All you need to do is fill the pot with hot water, swirl it around briefly, and discard it. When you add your leaves, the heat will activate them, and you’ll get a good blast of those floral aromas. I use 4g (or 3tsp) of tea for a single serve of 250ml.
Tumsong Garden is opposite the stunning Himalayan mountain range.
As with all green teas, you need to make sure the water isn’t too hot, as you’ll cover up or lose some of the high aromas. The easiest way to do this is to add about 20% cool water to the leaves first, and then top up the rest with freshly boiled water to level out the heat. You can, of course, consider investing in a temperature-cold kettle instead.
Infuse for three minutes, and, as always, pour the whole infusion into a good mug or glass. Since it's already cooler, you’ll be able to drink it immediately, and it also means you can notice the flavours changing as it cools – you’ll get some honey as the sweetness concentrates.
This is our go-to method: 4g/2tsp per 250ml; 80˚C; 3 minutes per infusion.
Pair our One-cup Teaiere with our Glass Cup and Saucer for the perfect cup.
Who is First Flush Darjeeling Tea For?
This is a super satisfying, refined, and even uplifting spring tea—and if you’re a lover of Darjeeling teas, then this one perfectly expresses the unique character of the terroir.
