There are Darjeeling teas, and then there are Ultra First Flush Darjeeling teas
In the shadows of Mt. Everest and Mt. Kanchengjunga, sandwiched between Nepal and Bhutan, is the region of Darjeeling. Here, where there are only mountains and valleys, tea bushes trace their roots to both main cultivars of Camellia Sinensis, i.e. sinensis (native to China) and assamica (native to Assam, India), and a host of hybrids between the two.
Due to the high altitudes and cooler climate, the tea bushes are dormant between November and March. In the spring, as the weather warms, new shoots are sparse but full of ‘pent up’ flavours. The new growth is called the “Ultra First Flush”, the very best from the first two weeks of the growing season. This small window of time produces only a very limited supply of the region’s highest quality hand-crafted tea.
Lighter in body and colour than a traditional black tea, one sip and you'll know why Darjeeling is known as the 'Champagne of Teas'.