This week, we've been tasting samples of 2015 Darjeeling First Flush from Rohini and Gopaldhara to choose which ones to buy for the coming year.  We've been sent 11 samples of different invoice numbers (batch numbers harvested and processed one after another) , which we need to taste as soon as possible so that we can reserve them before they sell out.  Usually we have to reserve the teas within a few days of tasting the samples otherwise the batch sells out.  Each invoice number can greatly vary in taste/flavour and price so we have to make a decision based on what we think about the taste/flavour vs the price.

We have been tasting samples of Rohini "Jethi Kupi" FTGFOP1 (Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe 1) tea, Rohini standard First Flush FTGFOP1 and Gopaldhara First Flush FTGFOP1 Tea.  All of these are outstanding. Jethikupi is a word from the Manipuri dialect and it means 'jasmine flower.'  In the Nepali (gorkhali) dialect the word 'jethi' means the eldest girl child while 'kupi' is a funnel or cone shaped. So it points out to the earliest first flush of any Darjeeling garden.   This tea is out of this world with strong tropical fruit aromas and flavours.  We're getting a very small amount of this tea so watch out for it when it arrives.

Gopaldhara is one of the highest tea estates in Darjeeling with elevations between 5500ft up to 7000ft.  It has been planted with mixed clonal teas bushes which produce some of the worlds most rare and exquisite teas including Red Thunder and Wonder Tea.

Rohini estate was closed for 38 years between 1962 and 2000 so most of the current tea bushes have not reached maturity yet.  The teas that are produced from Rohini are always of the highest quality. producing amazing first and second flush teas.

We are very lucky to be able to buy these teas direct from the gardens in small quantities ensuring that we bring you the freshest teas at the best prices.