Flowery Darjeeling Risheehat

I got a sample of this fine tea from Salsero (thank you again!) today, so when I get to office and sat down I decided not to drink oolong today, but darjeeling tea instead.

This Indian tea from Darjeeling province is, according to information provided by Salsero, sold by Tea Emporium as Flowery 2nd Flush SFTGFOP Darjeeling tea from Risheehat tea estate.

Second flush (second harvest, mostly in June) of darjeeling teas is quite different from first flush. While the nature of first flush teas is much more green and fruity, the second flush teas I encountered before were closer to black teas. Judging from the color of leaves the fermentation in this darjeeling gone quite far. On the other hand, the “flowery” attribute turned on my imagination.

The tea makes dark orange color brew with distinctive fresh smell. While I found 2nd flush darjeelings quite heavy for my taste, this one is much lighter, though I will call it “fruity” instead of “flowery”. I can smell apricot and passionfruit in the brew. The taste sticks on tongue and leaves a light aftertaste behind.

It’s lovely and enjoyable tea, a welcome change in my everyday tea-life.

As always with the darjeeling teas, I prepared it in cast iron tetsubin using small amount of leaves with longer infusion time.

Darjeeling FF Thurbo Tippy FTGFOP1

Today at work I decided to try another Darjeeling. This one is from Thurbo plantation in India. The FTGFOP acronym could mean Far Too Good For Ordinary People, but actually it is Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe.



While the definition of Orange Pekore is used to identify a large leaf size characterized by long, thin, wiry leaves, the actual leaves are quite small. They are very colorful with emerald green leaves and much darker and very hairy tips.



The liquor is orange, not as dark as red teas should be, but this darjeeling certainly fermented more than a green, white or yellow tea would. The seller declares that this tea is fermented for about an hour and half, total fermentation is 65-70%. As I experience darjeelings, they are each year greener and greener.



It’s an OK tea, tasty, fruity. It lives long enough for three good infusions; I like to drink it at office, when I do not have either time or opportunity to prepare something better.

2007 Darjeeling Thurbo Oriental White Delight First Flush

By the end of March arrives the tea that is one of the most favored in Czech Republic and Slovakia – the Darjeeling’s. This typical Indian tea is harvested from two to three times a year. While the second and third harvest – called second and third flush – are typical light black (red) teas with some floral smell, the first flush is much greener.

It’s still black tea, but retains some characteristics of green teas. The fermentation is light leaving the tea green and floral. And today the tea producers following the taste of tea drinkers make first flushes of darjeelings greener and greener.



This Darjeeling tea from Thurbo plantation is sold by local vendor tealand.sk for $23/2oz. According to information provided by the vendor, this tea was collected on March 22nd this year from northern hills facing the famous Kangchenjunga. The tea leaves were withered for two days.

The greenest Darjeeling I tried this year shows lots of hairy tips and nearly non-fermented leaves. The aroma of the dry leaves is very strong, very green and wild. It reminds me of freshly scythed meadow. Please, click the picture to see, how beautiful the leaves are!



The liquor is very light, very bright with just a touch of yellow. I prepare this tea with quite cold water (85 Celsius, 185 F) making three or four infusions, first starting at 1 minute and then each subsequent infusion is one minute longer than the last one.The tea is very aromatic with familiar Darjeeling fruity smell and taste – sweet, slightly acidic, hiding the aroma of dried apples and grapes.


Actually, even when this tea is sold as Darjeeling tea, I believe that this is white tea made in the area of Darjeeling. I like it a lot; it’s a simple but cheerful companion for warm spring evenings.