black teas
Organic Darjeeling (Second Flush) Black Tea
Darjeeling teas are grown in a very defined district at the foothills of the Himalyan mountains. Tea which has been plucked and packaged at a tea garden located in this area has a distinctive, natural aroma and taste with a light almost floral tea liquour imparted by the soil, weather, and elevation. There are typically two harvests, early spring (March-April) Darjeeling tea is known as First Flush while late spring (May-June) is a Second Flush.
The Makaibari Tea Estate is over 140 years old at the base of the Himalayas and has been committed to growing tea naturally since 1945. Their organic and biodynamic practices have earned them prestigious awards in the tea farming community as well as consistently producing award-winning teas. A second flush Darjeeling has a more rounded body, slightly less floral and less astringent taste than the first flush. For those new to Darjeeling teas we recommend starting with the Second Flush and then trying a first flush Darjeeling whose delicate flavor requires more attentive brewing.
How to Prepare Organic Second Flush Darjeeling Tea
Heat water (filtered if possible) to a boil 212˚F and allow to cool slightly to around 190˚F. Add one rounded teaspoon of loose leaf tea per cup (apprx. 8 ounces). Infuse the tea leaves for 3–4 minutes depending on taste preference. Do not over brew the tea or else the natural astringency in the teas leaves will become too pronounced. Drink plain - Darjeeling teas subtle flavors do not hold up well to added milk or a sweetner.
INGREDIENTS: Organic black tea. Origin: Makaibari Estate, India.
Note: Darjeeling teas are much like "Kona" coffees from Hawaii in that they are grown in a very limited geographic area and the amount sold every year exceeds the actual harvest. Darjeeling teas account for less than 1% of all the tea produced in India. The typical Darjeeling tea bush must be hand-plucked and each plant only yields around 4 oz. of processed tea per year.
In the case of "Kona" coffees sold outside of coffee specialty shops, many are a mixture of a small percentage of actual Kona coffee blended with a large amount of other coffees that are then sold under the Kona name. The same is the case with many "Darjeeling" teas sold in larger markets. An amount equal to four times the amount of the annual Darjeeling tea harvested is being blended and sold as "Darjeeling" tea. Our Darjeeling teas are tracked by lot numbers back to the growing estates and are 100% Darjeeling estate teas.
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