This Darjeeling is actually a Ging Garden Tea 2nd Flush FTGFOP-1, which in layman’s terms means “yummy”!  This deep mellow golden brew is spectacular no matter how you take your tea.  I really cannot emphasize how delicious this tea really is.  Since it is a 2nd flush Darjeeling, it was picked later in the season and has a deeper amber color than a 1st flush, and has a more full-bodied, malty flavor.

There is really something special about this tea that is hard to capture in words. I could drink this tea every day for a week and not get bored of it.  A very aromatic tea, the fragrance is alluring and golden, with hints of fruit and smokiness that echo in it’s flavors.

The Boston Tea Campaign describes this tea as:

Darjeeling tea that comes from one single, especially exclusive tea garden is called Garden Tea. Garden Teas can be First Flush or Second Flush. They are highly prized among tea connoisseurs.

Second Flush refers to the second harvest of the year, leaves picked from the beginning of June till mid-July. It produces an amber-gold liquor that is fuller and stronger in taste than First Flush.

This specific Darjeeling comes from the Ging Tea Estate.  The Ging Tea Estate is located in the Darjeeling West Valley, or the Lebong Valley, of Darjeeling. It has a planted area of 253 hectares and produces 175,000 kgs of tea.  As you can see from the photo on the right, it is a gorgeous tea estate.

Darjeeling tea is often called “The Champagne of Tea” because Darjeeling is to tea what Champagne is to wine, in more ways than one.  Only about 1% off all the tea harvested in the world is Darjeeling.  And it is for this reason that not only are there limited quantities of Darjeeling tea, but it also demands higher prices than most other teas.  However, the Boston Tea Campaign makes 100% pure Darjeeling affordable.  As stated on their website:

A few, cost-effective principles are the secret to our success:

*  We specialize in Darjeeling tea.
*  We sell in large packages.
*  We sell directly to the customer, online.

Costs saved on packaging, storage, and transportation are invested into:

*  The strictest measures for assuring product quality and purity;
*  Socially responsible projects in the region of Darjeeling.

All our teas carry the Tea Board of India’s seal and license number, which guarantee 100% genuine Darjeeling tea.

This beautiful Darjeeling tea is of the utmost quality, and has a delicious, memorable flavor.  This is my favorite Darjeeling tea of all the Darjeeling teas I’ve tasted, and I highly recommend it to those who are both new to Darjeeling, or looking for something special in a tea.