Tea & Coffee's Nagri Farm Green Tea comes from the Rongbong Valley in Darjeeling, plucked during the first and second flush, from late March through June. The leaves are fine and tippy, hand-picked and then pan-fired rather than left to oxidise in the usual way, a step that holds onto the green colour and keeps the aroma fresh. The grade is Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe 1.
In the cup it's light and crisp, carrying the muscatel character Darjeeling is known for: something close to ripe grape and dried date, with floral notes and a thread of orange peel running through it. Underneath sits a soft vegetal base, with apricot and a touch of honey sweetness coming through on the finish. The texture is silky rather than sharp, and the finish lingers gently instead of cutting off. That muscatel quality is usually put down to the valley's particular terroir.
Darjeeling's tea gardens trace back to the British colonial period, when the region was opened up for cultivation and went on to earn the nickname "Champagne of Teas". Darjeeling tea also carries Geographical Indication status, a mark meant to guarantee that a tea sold under the name was actually grown there.
Caffeine sits lower than in black tea or coffee, typically around 20 to 30 mg a cup, so it makes for a gentler lift than a strong black brew.
To brew, use water around 80°C rather than a full boil, with one teaspoon of leaf per cup. Three minutes of steeping draws out the muscatel notes without tipping the cup into bitterness; strain it out once that's done. It's good on its own, or with a little honey stirred in. Keep the leaves in an airtight container, out of light and away from damp, and the aroma holds up well over time.
