Darjeeling Black Tea: easy guide, top 10 best teas

Last updated: February 19, 2020 at 11:36 am

What is Darjeeling tea?

Darjeeling tea comes from the Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India. Best Darjeeling teas are harvested, processed and packed and shipped garden fresh straight from tea estates.

Tasting notes

Darjeeling teas are bright and aromatic with a light floral flavor often referred to as “muscatel”. With mild astringency and honey-like aftertaste the Darjeeling completely justifies its name The Champagne of Teas.

Darjeeling Tea Pinterest Design

Tea tips

Know your teas. When shopping for the best Darjeeling tea, look for the following terms in the descriptions

      • Flush (harvest). There are two main tea harvest seasons in India. The first flush is harvested in spring. This tea is very light in color and has a gentle aroma and mild astringency. The second flush is harvested in summer and produces an amber, full bodied, muscatel-flavored tea. Besides these, there are Monsoon and Autumn Darjeelings that are harvested during the rainy seasons. These tend to be heavily oxidized, have a fuller body, and are often used as a base for chai and other flavored teas.
      • Darjeeling Gardens. The name ‘Darjeeling’ is legally protected. For a tea to be labeled ‘Darjeeling’, it has to be grown in one of the tea gardens of Darjeeling district and produced according to its standards. There are 87 tea gardens (estates) in the region.  Each estate produces teas with their own character, taste, and aroma. The best Darjeeling teas are processed, packed, and shipped directly from the source to preserve their freshness and authenticity.
      • Oxidation. Traditionally, Darjeeling plantations have produced some of the best black teas available on the market. Today, however, tea from this region is also available in the green, oolong, and white varieties.
Darjeeling Tea Infographic Pinterest Design
Gopaldhara Wonder Darjeeling Black Tea First Flush

Gopaldhara Wonder Darjeeling Black Tea First Flush

This is a tea which can be enjoyed anywhere, anytime and will definetly take you in the misty hills of Darjeeling! The leaves are well-rolled, pale, blackish-green and with some olive flakes. The infusion is lightly toasty and is marked by notes of cooked spinach, dry bell pepper, and hint of cream in the undercurrents.
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Jungpana Exotic Spring Clonal Black Tea

Jungpana Exotic Spring Clonal Black Tea

Fine first-plucked spring flush Darjeeling from the lush gardens of Jungpana, this tea makes a bright and lively cup. It is fruity, floral, and crisp around the edges, yet very balanced and smooth. This first offering of spring is perfect to start a year in an upbeat note.
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Glenburn Special Spring Oolong Tea

Glenburn Special Spring Oolong Tea

The best conditions for a good oolong are a fine patch of the right chinary or clonal tea bushes at an altitude with temperatures from 5 to 20oC. And this one's got all of those. High-grown in spring from the best clonals, this oolong has the makings of a Taiwanese Bozhong. It is enjoyably crisp with lively flavors which are long, restrained, and come together ..
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Castleton Exotic Summer Muscatel Black Tea

Castleton Exotic Summer Muscatel Black Tea

Castleton is the original home of the muscatel, and every year, all eyes are on it to see if the tea meets expectations. We've never been disappointed. And as we do every summer, this season too, we have a beautifully turned out muscatel, light bodied and exceptionally good.
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organic
The Tao of Tea, First Flush Darjeeling Black Tea, Loose Leaf

The Tao of Tea, First Flush Darjeeling Black Tea, Loose Leaf

This First Flush Darjeeling is grown in the Mirik district (about an hour’s drive from the town of Darjeeling), at a Certified Organic tea garden. Due to its location and the age of the plants, the garden typically produces very robust, flowery teas. The term “First Flush” refers to the first plucking season of the year, which is March to mid-April. Teas from the First Flush are generally more fragrant and lighter than those from the following second flush. Within the First Flush, tea gardens will generally produce many batches, as the tea pickers work daily to cover the vast garden.
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Darjeeling Puttabong Summer

Darjeeling Puttabong Summer

Black tea from the famous Darjeeling region of India. This summer harvest tea comes to us from one of our favorites, Puttabong Estate. These tea gardens are some of the highest in the world, at 6000 feet above sea level. At these high altitudes, the tea leaves grow more slowly, and have more time to develop their unique Darjeeling flavor. This one has sweet, white gra..
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Organic White Tea Leaves from Darjeeling, Sourced Direct from the Okayti Tea Estate

Organic White Tea Leaves from Darjeeling, Sourced Direct from the Okayti Tea Estate

Handpicked from the most delicate and tender portions of the tea bush, early morning and just before sunrise, this Indian White Tea  from the Okayti tea plantation in Darjeeling, is a class apart. The fluffy silver needles of this white tea Darjeeling tea are manufactured to perfection and display an opulence only found in certain select White teas. The nose to the i..
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1st Flush Margaret’s Hope Darjeeling “Limited Edition”

1st Flush Margaret’s Hope Darjeeling “Limited Edition”

This wonderful Indian Darjeeling is the best first flush that we have ever had the privilege of tasting, and is available in very strictly limited quantities, so don't miss out! We only have limited stock quantity of Darjeeling Margaret's Hope First Flush available, and it is already proving incredibly popular, so be sure not to leave it too late to buy. Darjeeling Ma..
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Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling Tea

Smooth black tea from the Darjeeling province. Enjoy the classic taste of this traditional Indian brew with our organic Darjeeling tea. This popular black tea variant is known for its delightful fragrance, golden color and rich flavor, and is enjoyed by many cultures around the world.
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White Darjeeling

White Darjeeling

White tea from the Darjeeling region of India. A rare treat from the Rohini estate, nestled along the picturesque slopes of the Himalayas. Similar in appearance to the White Peony tea of China, the Darjeeling version is equally sublime. This early spring tea offers young leaves and delicate unopened buds. Dry leaf aroma is crisp with hints of fruit and floral. The..
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Arya Pearl Darjeeling First Flush Organic White Tea

Arya Pearl Darjeeling First Flush Organic White Tea

An exclusive and extremely rare spring White Tea from one of Darjeeling's flagship organic plantations, Arya. Handpicked just before sunrise, the Arya Pearl populars retains the 'two leaf & a bud' look, contrary to white teas which generally bear a silver needle appearance. Manufactured from ‹superior clonal bushes, the tea boasts of a fresh & floral aroma with a br..
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