A Closer Look At Darjeeling Tea & Why It Might Be The Best

After delving into black tea, which I thought I knew so much about, I discovered that black tea isn’t as straight forward as I thought!

That’s because I stumbled onto the wonderful world of Darjeeling tea.

Darjeeling black tea stands out because there are several harvests throughout the year. And these harvest drastically change the Darjeeling tea properties.

So this is my journey of discovering Darjeeling tea and differences between each harvest, and why it’s considered to be the Champagne of teas!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Where Does Darjeeling Tea Come From?

Darjeeling tea comes from the Himalayan mountains of West Bengal India (in Darjeeling).

It’s one of the highest elevation tea producing mountains (up to 4000 feet above sea level). The elevation matters because this will protect the tea plant from different elements such as weather and bugs.

So right off the bat, Darjeeling tea has an advantage over other types of black teas (p.s. see other types of popular black teas in my post here).

Why Is Darjeeling Tea So Special (A.K.A. The Champagne Of Teas)

Darjeeling tea is known as the Champagne of teas. To understand what this means, you first have understand what Champagne is.

Champagne is sparkling wine from Champagne, France. It has to be from Champagne, and can only be made with three specific types of grapes.

Due to Champagne having an optimal environment for growth, the sparkling wine is has become the best on the market.

The same goes for Darjeeling tea. It has to be from the Darjeeling mountains as the growing environment directly impacts the flavour of the tea…

For starters, the soil in the mountains is slightly acidic. The Darjeeling mountains also have a sub-tropical climate with a good mix of sun and clouds. All this allows the plants to take their time growing – which results in a more balanced tea. Read more here.

On top of all this, it’s a very specific region that produces this tea. So, now add in limited quantity to the mix and you get the Champagne of teas!

What Is Darjeeling Tea – 5 Types Explained

The types of Darjeeling tea are directly linked to the harvests of the Camelia sinensis plant. You can harvest the Camelia sinensis plant 5 times between Spring and Fall. That means, you can get 5 types of Darjeeling tea.

The timing of the harvest changes the flavours and compounds of the leaves (like caffeine levels). It also changes how much each tea will sell for…

There are three main harvests throughout the year: Spring, Summer, and Fall. These are known as first flush, second flush, and autumnal harvest respectively. And they’ll be the most expensive types of Darjeeling tea.

Depending on the Camelia sinensis plant, you can also have two extra harvest during the year. These will happen between the spring and summer harvest, and the summer and fall harvests. These are known as the in-between flush and monsoon flush.

Continue reading to find out more about each individual harvest and how the timing of the harvest changes the tea!

Darjeeling First Flush Tea

Darjeeling first flush tea is quite a unique black tea… in fact, when you first see it, you might not think it’s black tea at all – I know I didn’t!

Although it’s still considered a black tea, it is actually closer to an oolong.

Darjeeling first flush comes from the first harvest in the Spring which can last from the end of winter until mid-May.

Why Is Darjeeling First Flush More Like An Oolong Than Black Tea?

You might notice, as I did, that Darjeeling first flush tea doesn’t carry any of the typical characteristics of a black tea.

The leaves are more of a dark green than brown. The liquor, when steeped, is yellow rather than red. And the leaves are also in smaller pieces instead of being long twisted leaves.

This is all because the first flush is a semi-oxidized tea (like Oolong). It only oxidizes from the time it stops being rolled until it’s brought to be dried.

Also, the flavours resemble more of a green tea in my mind. Offering fresh grassy notes that are floral which isn’t in line with the typical nutty and woodsy flavours of black tea.

In-Between Flush – Darjeeling Tea Black

The in between flush resembles the first flush but the leaves will be slightly lower quality (as the best ones were already used for the first flush!). So because of that, it will also be cheaper.

Not all tea plantations will have an in-between flush. It’s a way to harvest some of the leaves before the second flush.

Darjeeling Second Flush Tea

The second flush is the best quality Darjeeling you can get. The harvest is from mid-May until mid-June.

It’s starting to look more like the black tea we know and love. That being said, it’s still has a very different flavour profile than you might be used to from black tea!

It brews a nice amber colour but the tea leaves still aren’t that dark brown colour you’re looking for. Instead their a mix of the dark green and brown, creating an almost purplish hue.

Like I said, the second flush Darjeeling tea is actually the most prized of the three main flushes. That’s because the leaves have now had time to fully develop their flavours.

The second flush ends up being more complex, known for a fruity and muscatel flavour (I’m still not sure what a muscatel flavour tastes like though to be honest…).

I very much enjoyed the Second Flush Darjeeling tea. It surprisingly tasted very different from the Darjeeling first flush. The one I tried had a nutty flavour profile that almost reminded me of buttery popcorn!

Read more about Darjeeling second flush tea here.

Monsoon Flush

The second in-between flush is known as the monsoon flush (and for good reason). The monsoon flush is harvested during the rainy season in the Darjeeling mountains. So it can also be known as rain tea.

For the monsoon flush, the leaves are plucked between mid-July and mid-September.

If you ever see a Darjeeling tea in a blend, it’s most likely using tea leaves harvested during the monsoon flush. There are a lot of leaves that grow during this period, they’re the most bold in flavour and colour.

If you’re looking for that classic black tea, it’s most likely the monsoon flush that you should try.

Autumnal Harvest (Third Main Flush)

The autumnal harvest happens from late October to November. This is the third main flush and the lowest quality of the three – but still higher quality than both in between flushes.

The autumnal harvest is also the shortest harvesting period so it will likely yield the least number of tea leaves.

To me, the Darjeeling autumnal harvest had the most black tea characteristics. Larger, darker tea leaves, it brews a more amber liquor, and a much stronger cup taste.

Similar to the second flush, it does have some nutty notes to it but it will be more robust.

Read more about the Darjeeling tea here.

Darjeeling Taste Test

If you’re interested in tea, trying Darjeeling is a must. But even more than that, try comparing the three main flushes. It’s a worthwhile experiment and you can see the differences for yourself!

It’s interesting to see how these three teas that come from the same mountain be so different!

Don’t forget to pick up one of my tea tasting guides to help with your tasting. Check out my tea passport, tea tasting journal, or even tasting aromas and flavours guide. Or pick it up as a bundle here! It’s fun to taste each one, take notes, and compare.

Read More Related Posts

• 11 Popular Types Of Black Tea You Should Try (&Why!)
• Tea Basics: The Different Types Of Teas Explained
• Yerba Mate Tea: What You Need To Know
• The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide To Matcha

Click Image To Share Or Save This Post

Last update on 2024-05-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API