May 2024: Darjeeling Spring Magic – Herbs & Kettles
Beautiful tea garden in the hills of Darjeeling located in the foothills of the Himalayas

May 2024: Darjeeling Spring Magic

Teas: Darjeeling Spicy White Tea, Darjeeling Spring Treasure Tea, Darjeeling Green Jade Tea
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Spring is a glorious time for Darjeeling with a flurry of activity. After months of no tea production, farmers produce for the first few prized batches of exceptional teas, and we eagerly wait to try them so that we can select the lots we want for Herbs & Kettles. These micro ghani (extremely small batch) teas were made by a small boutique farm in Kurseong Valley in Darjeeling which is renowned for its superb teas. Handpicked, each artisanal tea is made with utmost care to ensure that it is whole leaf with beautiful and sublime aromas when stepped.

Darjeeling Spicy White Tea

We tried it first in 2023 and loved it and this year we knew we had to introduce it in our tasting box, it’s so different from any white tea we’ve ever tried! This exceptional Darjeeling spicy white tea made in April 2024, at 2500 ft above sea level is made from a local unnamed clone that gives notes of ginger, black pepper, ginger and green chill! Yes, you read just right, we know it sounds rather daring and odd in a white tea, but it’s absolutely delicious and gives such a nuanced complexity. There’s also a wonderfully base note of nectarine and magnolia that is lovely. It’s so different from the Darjeeling White Peony and The Meghalaya Silver Needle if you have had those!

Steeping Instructions:

Gongfu: 5-6 g in 4-6 fl oz of water at a temperature of 165-170°F for 10-15 seconds for the first steep, then carry on for multiple steeps.

Western: 3 g in water at 165-170°F for 1-2 minutes. Re-steep to enjoy 2-3 infusions.

Darjeeling Spring Treasure Tea

Made in March 2024 by AV2 clones in a small boutique high altitude farm in Mirik Valley, this lightly oxidized black tea is a favorite among many of you. This year, it has notes of lettuce, fermented green peach, lemon balm, and spring meadow. You can definitely appreciate the fresh spring notes that are characteristic of Darjeeling. This is one of our most treasured batches that we can't wait for you to sample.

Steeping Instructions:

Gongfu: 6-8 g in water at 180-185°F for 5-10 seconds for the first steep, then carry on for multiple steeps.

Western: 3 g in water at 180-185°F for 1-2 minutes. Re-steep to enjoy 2-3 infusions.

Darjeeling Green Jade Tea

This unrolled green tea was made just for us from Yabukita bushes in March 2024. It has a wonderful umami taste with notes of edamame, seaweed, pine nuts, citrus peel, and soba noodles. Gentle with a lovely sweetness, it is definitely a splendid green tea from the Indian subcontinent, which is not well-known for producing good green teas! We would say our Darjeeling Emerald Green & Nilgiri Green Twirl are also exceptional teas that we have found to be superb.

Steeping Instructions:

Gongfu: 4-6 g in 4-6 fl oz of water at a temperature of 170°F for 10-15 seconds for the first steep, then carry on for multiple steeps.

Western: 3 g in water at 165-170°F for 1-2 minutes. Re-steep to enjoy 2-3 infusions.

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