To recapitulate, Tea Connoisseurs call the Darjeeling Tea growing seasons as First Flush (Spring), which is the period from March to April, Second Flush (Summer) from May to June, Monsoon (Rainy season) from July to September, and finally, Autumnal (Autumn) from October to November.

Accordingly, the characteristics of tea from even the same plant vary as we progress from First Flush, commencing in March, right through to Autumnal Flush, starting in November.

Amazingly, Darjeeling Tea, often called “Champagne of Teas”, is a unique tea with Chinese genetics, grown on Indian terrain under harsh Himalayan conditions, which gets it to evolve into a tea that tastes like French grapes!

At Taj Mahal Tea House, we are delighted to talk about our unique Single Estate Second Flush Darjeeling Tea. This tea is a black orthodox (long, wiry, twisted) style tea, which is grown organically and procured sustainably from one of the finest high elevation tea estates in the world.

As Darjeeling Tea is widely popular across the globe, many unscrupulous traders sell imitations. To give you an example, it is estimated that globally 40 million kg of Darjeeling Tea is sold whereas only 10 million kg is actually produced! To avoid disappointment, please, ensure you buy genuine Darjeeling Tea from a trusted source such as Taj Mahal Tea House, which is owned by Hindustan Unilever Limited.

The leaf has a brown-blackish colour, is artistically wiry and well-rolled in shape to preserve the aromatic flavours. Presence of bright “Silver” tips, that actually carry a lot of the goodness and hence the premium value, is visible in between the tea leaves.

To preserve these exquisite flavours, we recommend that you brew this tea in hot water that is not boiling. Brew it for 1 to 2.5 minutes in a closed vessel. After steeping the tea, inhale the coppery brown infused leaf. You, in all probability, will be captivated by the “out of this world” aroma profile.

The liquors are amber or reddish, clear, bright and lively with the trademark “Muscatel” grape taste that is prized by tea aficionados! The term “Muscatel” is derived from Muscat grapes that are used extensively for wine making. Possibly, one of the earliest Tea tasters felt that Darjeeling Second Flush tea tasted like wine from Muscat grapes and hence the description of this tea became etched in stone!

Other descriptions Tea Connoisseurs give for this taste are “Musky, fruity or Winey”. Some descriptions are more extravagant such as “like dried raisins with a hay like finish” or “Fruity with a planty finish” or “Complex flavours that seemed to change with each sip with a Muscatel like flavour evident in the after taste”.

Interestingly, this Muscatel flavour is believed to be developed through the action of sap sucking insects, which act on the young leaves. The Tea plant then produces terpene as an insect repellent. The higher concentration of terpene produces the famed Muscatel flavour, which is unique to Darjeeling Tea.

This tea is best had without milk or sugar, as this allows the flavours to come through more distinctly.

While Tea lovers would prefer to drink this tea without any accompaniment, you can still pair this tea with light, fruity pastries, jam sandwiches and cut fruits. In particular, if you visit Taj Mahal Tea House, you can best indulge your Darjeeling Second Flush Tea supplemented with a Paneer Sandwich / House Sandwich to make your time of solitude and contemplation more memorable.

We wish you a happy festive season!