Pour a cup and the first thing you notice is the color: a light, pale gold that hints at how gently these leaves were handled. Lift it to your face and the aroma opens with flowers and green growing things, something close to a spring meadow. The first sip leans sweet and floral, jasmine and orchid up front, then tangy green apple and grape underneath that keep it from turning too soft. Toward the back there's a faint herbal, leafy quality with a light tannic grip, and the whole thing finishes clean and light-bodied rather than heavy. What lingers afterward is a soft sweetness that pulls you back for another sip.
This is a 2024 first flush from Risheehat Estate in Darjeeling, one of the region's founding gardens. British planters started it in 1859, among the first to put tea in the ground there, having judged the altitude and soil right for the crop. The estate has kept producing since, and in the early twentieth century it moved to farming methods that paid more attention to the land and to workers, a shift that shaped how it still operates. Darjeeling first flush teas of this kind are sometimes called the Champagne of Teas, a nod to how prized and delicate the early spring harvest is considered.
Risheehat now covers about 250 hectares across altitudes from 2,500 to 4,800 feet, terrain that suits high-grown tea. Tea & Coffee notes the garden farms organically, meeting national and international certification standards, and frames the estate as one that has held onto its traditions while staying consistent harvest to harvest.
For brewing, use filtered water rather than distilled or previously boiled water, since water quality shapes the final sweetness or bitterness. Heat it to around 80°C (175-185°F) — first flush leaves are delicate enough that hotter water can scorch them and dull the flavor. Use about a teaspoon, roughly 5 grams, per 8-ounce cup, and warm the teapot with hot water before adding the leaves. Steep for two to three minutes, adjusting toward the shorter end for a lighter cup, then pour without milk or sugar to let the floral, fruity character come through. Keep unused leaves sealed away from light, heat, and moisture to hold onto their freshness.
