A Deep Dive into Organic First Flush Darjeeling 2023

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’, surrounded by the Darjeeling Golden Valley. The area is particularly scenic, with spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga – the world’s third highest mountain.  
 
The altitude of the garden 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.

Mr Yongs Red Dragon Garden in Xinmeng Yunnan China is run jointly as a cooperative with the workers

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: 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 a black tea, this batch of Organic Darjeeling First Flush also has an additional light oxidation. This has resulted in an 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 where a cold breeze encourages slow growth of the tea plants with accompanying complex flavours. 
 
Altitude: >1,000m 
 
Picking Season: Spring 2023 
 
Leaf: Neatly presented leaf and bud showing both 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, for its honey and fruit notes, with a quenching finish.

The flavour profile 
 
This year’s batch is really unique to Darjeeling, but 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 right time to drink it 
 
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 it 
 
Single Serve, One Cup Method using 250ml TeaiereTM and cup:
Firstly, heat your teapot before you add the leaves – it’s really worth doing with highly aromatic tea. All you need to do is fill the pot with hot water, swirl it around briefly, and then discard it. When you add your leaves, the heat will activate them and you’ll get a good blast of those floral aromas. For a single serve, I use 4g (or 3tsp) of tea for 250ml. 

Tumsong Garden is opposite the stunning Himalayan mountain range

As with all green teas, you need to make sure water isn’t too hot, as you’ll cover up or lose some of the high aromas. The easiest way to do this is 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 out 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 it for? 
 
This is a super satisfying, refined and even uplifting spring tea – and if you’re a lover of Darjeeling teas, then this one really does express the unique character of the terroir perfectly.