Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling Tea

A fabled, coveted brew, Darjeeling tea is born from the beautiful slopes and nurtured through a carefully monitored production process.

There are four seasons or flushes through the year at varied points from February through October depending upon the elevation at which the bushes are planted. First flush teas are subtle, light on the tongue and light in colour; second flush teas a soft golden in colour, smooth and flavourful. Teas through the Rains flush are a little strong and heavy on the tongue, not quite the finest but then they develop into a lighter, aromatic liquor once again in the Autumn flush and that is the shortest season.

Leaves are hand-picked by skilled and extremely hardy pluckers, generally women, regarded for their dexterity. Everyday they’re collected at the processing factory and undergo a series of closely watched production steps. It begins with withering, or the removal of moisture in large troughs fed with air. That continues for several hours and by its completion, the weight of the leaves is considerably reduced. The second step is to roll the leaves gently in a regular motion so they rupture to release that well known aroma and flavour. Once they are rolled, the leaves are oxidized and then fired to make black tea. Of course, Darjeeling estates also produce green tea and a number of hand-crafted teas but what has been acclaimed for years is the Darjeeling black cup and the process of manufacture has hardly changed.

The Darjeeling leaf offers a unique flavour, but each estate has its own distinct teas and the flavour of a tea from Avongrove is unmatched given our obsession with consistent quality. We’re proud of our stable black tea but we dabble a fair bit and successfully in hand-crafted and hand-woven creations that complement the Avongrove flavour and aroma with a beautiful appearance in the cup.