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TWG Tea celebrates the freshest first flush harvests from the coveted region of Darjeeling, and shows Tatler how to make the best brew
There are many ways to indulge in the good life, but none is as easy and particularly luscious as curling up on the couch with a good book and taking your time with a freshly brewed pot of tea. Even better, a pot of the best Darjeeling, affectionally known as the “king of black teas”.
In short, fine tea is like a blend of solace and luxury in a cup. And the good thing is that while the finest harvests are by nature a rarity, getting your hands on some of the finest teas is as simple as making a trip to a TWG Tea Salon & Boutique. Granted, you don’t need a special reason or a specific season, but one of the best times to splurge on a uniquely precious brew is in spring, when premium teas are harvested, and when you can savour gems such as the limited-edition Darjeeling Nouveau from the TWG Tea’s Haute Couture Tea Collection.
(Related: TWG Tea's Taha Bouqdib And Maranda Barnes Talk Tea And Global Ambitions)
Dubbed the first flush, which is essentially the first harvest of spring, this delicate yet complex expression of this tea variety is highly coveted, particularly those from plantations located in the northeast region of India in West Bengal, up in the foothills of the Himalayan Plateaus. This unique setting, located as high as 2,000 metres, also boasts an advantageous microclimate, where abundant sunshine meets the cold Himalayan air. Boosted by an equally distinctive soil type, tea grown in these areas and altitude is exceptional in taste and quality, merits that TWG Tea preserves by ensuring that the leaves are hand-picked and dried using only traditional methods.
This meticulous process also helps safeguard a high percentage of downy silver tips, and, as such allows the prized characteristics of the tea to shine. Feted for its outstanding notes of ripe fruits and nuts with a lingering aftertaste of freshly cut grass, this light-coloured infusion’s more distinct qualities include elegantly sweet notes that are balanced by mild tannins and a floral aroma.