This Autumn Flush Darjeeling is an absolutely incredible tea and one of Arya Tea Estate's prized offerings. It has many of the same characteristics of the finest second flush Darjeelings and would be a good substitute. It is very rare and hard to come by.
The dry leaves of this exquisitely crafted autumn flush tea are quite bold, large and elongated—very attractive in appearance. Well rolled and twisted they are accompanied by an abundance of lustrous silver and gold tips. This is very obviously a well made tea with definite bloom. Overall, the leaves are a dark purplish color with a mixture of both light and dark brown as well as some copper and green. The aroma is overwhelmingly sweet and fruity with hints of chocolate and Muscat grapes. The infused leaf is unusually large and leafy with a heady muscatel aroma that is most characteristic of a Second Flush. The cup is bright and lively, full bodied and buttery, sweet and fruity. This is definitely a tea to remember!
Ingredients: Artisan black tea
Origin: Darjeeling, India
Located in the foothills of the Himalayas of northeastern India, Darjeeling is renowned for producing the "Champagne of Black Teas". It is one of the four main tea growing regions in India and, at 6,000 feet, the highest in elevation. Formerly called Sidrabong the Arya Estate (which means “respectable” or “best” in the Indian language) is a relatively small tea garden that was established in the eighteenth century by a group of Buddhist monks, whose original dwelling is preserved on the property to this day. It is fully certified bio-organic and is strongly committed to environmental sustainability. The Estate actually has the distinction of having the first private hydro-power generator in Asia! As a small organic tea garden, Arya’s focus has always been on producing artisan teas of exceptional quality.
Water Temperature: Just off the Boil (205 degrees)
Water Quality: Best with Spring Water
Amount of Leaf: (per 6 fl oz water): 1--2 Tbl.(2.5 grams)
Steep Time: 2-4 minutes
Number of Infusions: 2
When measuring it is best to weigh your tea. (I use a small pocket scale. We have a few or you can get good inexpensive scales at Old Will Knotts) Measuring volume with a teaspoon or tablespoon is not accurate because whole leaf teas take up much more space than broken, graded teas.
We highly recommend brewing your tea in a teapot or mug with a removable infuser so that you can remove the leaves at the end of the steeping time. Whole leaf teas of this quality need room to unfurl and expand in the water in order to perform their "magic." However, leaving the tea leaves in the water will result in an over-infused, bitter tea. If you want a stronger cup of tea increase the amount of leaf rather than the steeping time. If you don't have a removable infuser, you can brew the loose leaves directly in the pot. At the end of the steeping time, pour all of the tea into a warm serving pitcher or pot.
