Castleton Premium Darjeeling First Flush Black Tea (DJ 03/2021)

Loose Leaf

An early Spring tea, harvested from the high-altitude sections, mellow and light, floral and fragrant, from a world-record holding tea estate in Darjeeling
$174.95 $87.47 250% off Sold Out

Inclusive of all taxes

  • 100% Certified Pure Darjeeling Tea under CTM No. DJ/590/27092016/T of the Tea Board of India
  • Invoice No. DJ 03/2021 exclusively available with Vahdam India
  • Unblended, Single-esate from one of the top Darjeeling tea-estate
  • Sourced Direct from the estate within days of plucking
  • Vacuum Packed and Sealed at source for garden-freshness & flavour
  • Get a free e-Book on Darjeeling Tea
About the Tea
Date of Picking/Harvest - 23rd March 2021
All VAHDAM® India Darjeeling Teas are sourced directly from the plantations within days of harvest, cleaned & vacuum sealed at source in India to preserve freshness & aroma. The teas are then shipped directly to our fulfillment centers in the United States and then delivered to your doorstep. Experience tea, as fresh as in the gardens.
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INVOICE NO.
DJ 03
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Grade
FTGFOP1
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SEASON
Spring/First Flush
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CAFFEINE
Medium Caffeine
About the Tea Estate
Castleton has a cult-like following amongst tea connoisseurs all over the world. It makes some of the most prized First Flush and Second Flush teas with a distinct character. It is the first Darjeeling tea estate to get the ISO 9002 certification, and is the birthplace of the famed Muscatel teas.
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Location
Darjeeling, India
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Bushes
China
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Altitude
5,000 ft
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Tasting Notes
Appearance - Dark coppery, black and bright green leaves that are well-rolled and well-made, adorned with ornate silvery tips
Aroma - Nutty and toasty, with a characteristic redolence of vegetal sweetness akin to ripened mangosteen, and light hues of peonies and nuts
Taste - Mellow and light-bodied, with a crip and smooth mouthfeel, accompanied with a pronounced floral sweetness reminiscent of grape hyacinths, and a glorious finish of mock orange and pine
Steeping Instructions
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Water - 180ml Use O2 rich water, running stream or RO filtered.

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Temperature 85-90 C / 194-212 F

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Leaves 2g

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Steeping 5 minutes

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Condiments Add sugar or honey as per taste

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To be served without milk.

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Best Consumed - Hot

100% Pure & Unblended Darjeeling Tea.
Certified the Tea Board of India under the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. Darjeeling CTM Licence No. - DJ/590/27092016/T
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Tea Board of India Licence

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Darjeeling CTM Licence

Most of the Darjeeling being sold across the world is blended with other region teas to earn higher profits. Always choose a trusted source for your Darjeeling Tea with a valid CTM licence.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is First Flush?

First Flush is the first harvest of the season. In Darjeeling, the First Flush teas are harvested with the onset of Spring around the first week of March.

What makes First Flush Teas highly-prized around the world?

First Flush teas from Darjeeling are highly sought after by connoisseurs for their signature freshness and fragrance. The young leaves are deligtfully green with silvery tips, and make a sweet, light and decadant cup with a distint hue of Spring flowers.

What is so speical about Single Estate?

Unlike teas blended with teas from many estates, Single Estate teas are from a single tea estate and not blended with any other teas. VAHDAM's Single Estate teas also mention Invoice No. and Date of Plucking of the teas - identifying the exact lot that is available only with VAHDAM and no one else!

Are these really from the famous Darjeeling tea growing region?

Yes! All 100% Pure Darjeeling Teas come with the Tea Board of India's DARJEELING TEA logo. This logo is allowed only for 100% genuine and authentic Darjeeling teas, and is a guarantee that you are buying a certified Darjeeling Tea.

How are the Teas packaged?

After sourcing our teas directly from plantations within hours of harvest, we bring them to our state-of-the-art tea facility in New Delhi, India. The teas then go through rigorous rounds of cleaning, sorting, quality testing to remove any impurities/dust/foreign particles. Post 10+ quality checkpoints for leaf size, aroma, liquor, flavors etc., these are vacuum-packaged in opaque aluminum-lined bags using sophisticated machinery. These vacuum-bags are then stored in a dehumidified, temperature-controlled warehouse which ensures that the teas remain garden-fresh and maintain their character. Further, required quantities are packed in smaller vacuum-sealed packs which are boxed in the retail boxes and then sent over to our own delivery centers located in various parts of the world.

Customer Reviews

Based on 1580 reviews
83%
(1311)
8%
(134)
3%
(46)
2%
(31)
4%
(58)
G
Gaurav Malhotra

Enjoying my cup of Castleton premium

S
Stuart Grant
prompt delivery excellent tea

As always, the Vahdam delivery time is exponentially faster than other Indian tea providers. Also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the premium first flush teas. I'll be ordering more of my highest quality Indian teas from Vahdam in future as well as the everyday Assams and blends I have been getting there for a while.

A
ANDREW
Immediate joy

Really good cup of tea especially after just a little experimentation to make sure you have the quantity and the time of brewing just right. I used to be a little dismissive of Darjeeling Tea and preferred Assam, even after being told very firmly by a Darjeeling taxi driver that Assam was all colour no flavour. Now, several years later I am so glad to have drunk Castleton Darjeeling tea - my first purchase with Vahdam - and so so so different from Darjeeling tea bought in the supermarket where I live in the UK.

J
Jim Von Riesen

Castleton Premium Darjeeling First Flush Black Tea (DJ 03/2021)

M
Mr. O.
Completely solid English Breakfast tea with lovely bouquet

English breakfast teas are not just one thing. Everyone has their perfect cuppa in memory and then goes searching for that. One of Vahdam's more affordable teas, this does the job for me. It's rich, malty, not too coppery, with hints of fig and grass. The bouquet is alluring. The only thing missing to my mind is a bit of smokiness. But that is a quibble. This is now a staple for me.

Added to your Bag

Castleton Premium Darjeeling First Flush Black Tea (DJ 03/2021)

Castleton Premium Darjeeling First Flush Black Tea (DJ 03/2021)

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