Customer Reviews

Darjeeling Tea, 125g

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I discovered Whittard of Chelsea many years ago on a visit to London, and have since made it a habit to stop by one of their stores whenever I am in Britain. I'm delighted to see, though, that their products are now also available over the internet.

Unquestionably the most refined of teas, Darjeeling comes from a region in the Indian (West Bengalese) Himalayas close to the Nepalese border, 7000 ft above sea level. Originating with the small-time, private, mid-19th century plantations of a British civil surgeon named Dr. Campbell, tea has long since transformed the region into a major economic center, with over 80 running gardens producing over 10 million kgs (over 22 million lbs) of tea on a total area of almost 20,000 hectares (approximately 75 square miles), and employing over 50,000 people on a permanent basis, with a further 15,000 being hired during the plucking season (March - November). The area's natural climate with its mixture of rainfall, sunshine and rich soil makes for a very distinctive flavor, and to be called "Darjeeling," tea *must* have been grown *and* processed in that particular region.

Darjeeling tea comes in several harvest varieties or "flushes": the lighter Easter harvest or first flush, and the stronger Spring harvest or second flush, which has an unmistakeably fruity, Muscatel-like note. (There is also a Summer harvest or third flush, which is even stronger than the tea from the second harvest, but it is somewhat less refined and therefore less popular than the first two varieties.) In their stores, Whittard sell several kinds of both first and second flush Darjeelings; the only variety available here, though, is their house blend, which is a second flush creation with a nice, aromatic and quintessentially Darjeeling perfume. Highly recommended, to established tea lovers and newcomers alike!