Autumn in Darjeeling brings the last harvest of the year, picked in October once the monsoon rains have eased and the air starts to cool toward winter. With growth slowing down, the bushes put out leaf with more concentration and character than the summer flush — the resulting cup runs deeper and fuller-bodied, and some autumn pickings are held in as much regard as the famous first flush.
This is an orthodox loose leaf black tea graded GFOP, Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, grown on gardens set between 4,000 and 5,000 feet in the hills above Darjeeling, in the Indian state of Bengal. The route up from the plains at Bagdogra follows the narrow track of the old Darjeeling Railway, climbing through gardens scattered across the foothills of the Himalayas from just a few thousand feet up to well past 5,000. The growing calendar runs from a spring first flush in April, through a summer second flush, to this final autumn plucking.
In the cup expect orange and muscatel notes with a touch of spice, aromatic rather than heavy, settling into a darkish amber liquor. Steep it in freshly boiled water for three to five minutes; a slice of lemon suits it well if that is how you take your black tea.
Black tea in general has long been drunk for its antioxidants and treated as a refreshing, hydrating everyday cup, and autumn pickings like this one are prized for the fuller, more warming character they bring as the seasons turn.
