Second To None: Darjeeling 2nd Flush Harvest

In March and then again in June each year, our buyers embark on the journey into the Golden Valley of famed Darjeeling teas with our partners at Chamong Tea Group. There is a peak quality period of the Darjeeling 2nd Flush between the last few days of May into the first part of June. When the Darjeeling 1st Flush harvest is light and bright with high floral, citrusy, or delicate stone fruit notes, then the 2nd Flush will exhibit with a ripe and coppery, juicy, nectar-like presence. 

Our anticipated Darjeeling 2nd Flush crop features teas with a deeper, amber golden infusion compared to the brilliant golden infusion of the Darjeeling 1st Flush. The two flushes of tea follow a very similar processing style beginning with harvest, followed by a carefully-monitored indoor wither, rolling, oxidation, which the tea makers skillfully evaluate. The process concludes with oven baking to finalize the drying process. 

Though the steps in processing are nearly identical, there are a few elemental differences. During the summer months, the climate is much warmer, with higher ambient temperatures found in the processing rooms, which affects the oxidation during these stages. The change in temperature increases the rate of oxidation, as well as the nuance of the piling and the amount of tea rolled at a time. The second flush has much larger rollers with more pressure applied to reveal the succulent caramelized fruit notes, as well as developing the rich, deeper color of the tea when brewed.

The tea pickers work diligently and joyously, climbing the steep ridges of the gardens. Tons of laughs and positive vibes are shared, which is something we value. It is important to connect and share time with those who are so intimately related to the quality and energy of the tea we all love and enjoy. Every two leaves and a bud pluck is selected by these amazing tea pickers before the manufacturing process described in the previous paragraphs can even begin.

Each lot is very unique, and this year we are offering a selection from the Lingia and Pussimbing garden. While cultivar selection is a factor, the real complexity of Darjeeling teas is to be explored in terms of the terroir. The differences of elevation, the grade of the slope and the amount of sun exposure lead to distinctive differences in character. Each garden has a signature aroma profile.

The Lingia Tea Estate’s history began in 1867 with two German missionaries planting tea on the land. Formerly, the area was called Ling-ge a Lepcha word, meaning “triangle of 8 peaks,” and the estate’s altitude ranges from 850 masl to 1830 masl.

Most of the tea bushes we find in this garden are the China leaf variety, which is genetically most similar to the rose bush of all tea plants cultivars. The tea in this garden is renowned for its rose flavors and aromas that are not produced in any other Darjeeling property.

Lingia is, as are all of the other gardens in the Chamong Estate, fueled by hydro power plants.

Pussimbing is more than a century old and is a classic Darjeeling tea estate where river streams and springs flow through wilderness. The tea gardens are shrouded and shaded under high mountain mists all year round. Pussimbing Estate consistently produces some of the most prestigious organic teas in Darjeeling from its steep and sloping valley gardens. Pussimbing has been certified organic since 1994.

The tea gardens of the estate have biodiversity and rich soil structures that nourish bold and aromatic teas. Some vintages have rich muscatel and ripeness, and others exude a characteristic minty and spicy note found in their second flush lots. Legend remarks that a monk named Pasang found abundant water springs and tea in Pussimbing. In the local Lepcha language, Pussimbing means "the source of water."

The place where the monk discovered the spring on Pussimbing was called Mingoo (“valley hidden in the fog”). Nowadays, Mingoo is one of the famous garden divisions on the Pussimbing Estate. The tea gardens of Pussimbing Estate are located in the Tiger Hill region of Darjeeling which has a panoramic view of Mount Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga. The high mountain energy and character shine in this tea.

During the 2nd flush, just before the monsoons, many of the gardens are partially attacked by thrips, which are slender, tiny insects that feed on the water and succulence in the tender stems, new buds, and leaf shoots of the tea plants. The leaves that are attacked by these insects are plucked and included in the total garden’s daily harvest. The insects are part of the artistic tea process to create fruity teas and their attacks initiate a unique withering process that activates before the leaves are plucked. The leaves that are nipped by thrips begin to wither and oxidize on the bush.

The insect-attack anomaly has been studied in Darjeeling’s 2nd Flush harvest and in a couple Taiwan oolong, all of which are made with leaves that have been consumed by these insects. The tea leaves develop unique “fresh leaf volatiles “ and result in Muscatel grape and stone fruit flavors with flowery essences in Darjeeling and wildflower honey flavors and lan hua xiang orchid aromas found in Taiwan Eastern Beauty Oolong and Taiwan Dong Ding Gui Fei Oolong.

These “fresh leaf volatiles”, as researchers call them create the famous “Darjeeling Muscatel” note and are similar to volatiles found in neroli, rose, jasmine, a range of citrus, mango, and even varied tropical flowers and orchids. The Darjeeling 2nd Flush teas are quite extraordinary and the thrips’ anomaly is only one of the many factors that shapes the peak quality Darjeeling character. 

Darjeeling tea is a Geographically Indicated product. The World Intellectual Property Organization defines a GI by: “a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to origin… Since the quality depends on the geographical place of production, there is a clear link between product and this original place of production.”

We hope you can experience the majesty of nuance of these truly special teas.