Food & Travel: 2014 Darjeeling First Flush Is In!
Irene Khin Wong
I am an aficionado of great tea. When I found out my good friend Sebastian, who is a tea connoisseur, just returned with the first flush of Darjeeling, I just had to walk over for a tasting; luckily his tasting room is not too far from my studio. I have been on several trips with Mr. Beckwith and tasted some remarkable tea. Here is the recent newsletter he published.
Picking tea leaves at the estate
It’s one of the season’s most anticipated harvests: Darjeeling First Flush has arrived! This mountainous region in West Bengal, India, has been producing this heralded spring delight since the mid-1800s. One of the lightest-bodied styles of black tea, first flushes are the initial picking of the year, and are sought out for their refreshing balance of floral and vegetal flavors.
Tea pickers leaving after a day’s work
Our 2014 Darjeeling First Flush, Goomtee Estate has beautiful notes of balsam and marigold; try steeping in a vessel like our side-handled glass pot to watch the liquor deepen to a rich golden infusion. Enjoy this limited lot while it lasts!