Darjeeling first flush: what the first harvest means
How Darjeeling first flush differs from second flush, where the pale infusion comes from and how to brew spring Darjeeling so it isn't astringent.
1 min read, 14 October 2026
Darjeeling is a region in northern India, in West Bengal, at the foot of the Himalayas. Its tea gardens lie at altitudes from around 600 to over 2000 metres. In the European Union, Darjeeling is a protected geographical indication: only tea from this region may carry the name.
Harvests, or flushes
The bushes in Darjeeling give several harvests a year, and each one tastes different.
- First flush (spring, usually from March to April): young leaves after winter. A light infusion, floral and fresh, with notes of green apple and citrus.
- Second flush (May and June): fuller and darker, with a characteristic muscatel note.
- Monsoon and autumnal (summer and autumn): milder, more often used in blends.
Is it still black tea?
Formally, yes, but first flush is oxidised more lightly than typical black tea, and some of the leaves stay greenish. That's why the infusion is light, the colour of apricots, and tastes best without milk or lemon.
How to brew it
3 g of leaves to 250 ml of water at 85–90°C, 2–3 minutes. Boiling water and long brewing draw out astringency. Second infusion: the same amount of water, one minute longer.
In our shop: Darjeeling First Flush 2026. It's also in the Explorer Set, alongside teas from Japan, China and Taiwan.
