Gopaldhara FTGFOP1 Clonal 2025 1st flush Darjeeling

General

Darjeeling is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal, on the lower slopes of the mighty Himalayas. The area is particularly famous for its black tea varieties, which are called the champagne of black tea. The tea gardens in the area vary in altitude from a few hundred meters to over two kilometers.

Due to the altitude and cool climate, tea cultivation is seasonal and tea is not picked during the cold season from November to January. This is because when tea picking begins in spring, the leaves have accumulated a large amount of flavorings. The spring harvest is of very high quality. Tea is picked from February to November. The most important time is the first two months of spring. Tea picked during this time is called first flush tea. It has the most delicate aroma, as the smallest leaves are picked from the bushes, which are at their peak of aroma after winter. First flush teas in particular are dried heavily, which is why the leaf does not oxidize completely during the oxidation stage and often remains very green. This very green style is favored in many Darjeeling tea market areas and for this reason most tea gardens produce first flush teas in particular as very green. The second harvest (second flush) is carried out during May and June. The tea is often processed a little darker and so they resemble more of a normal black tea. The tea is riper and heavier in aroma and taste than first flush. The second harvest is followed by the rainy monsoon season. Tea is picked also during this time, but its quality is usually poorer. After the rains, autumn flush tea is harvested.

This tea

This first flush Darjeeling black tea from Gopaldhara Tea Estate was picked in April 2025. The tea gardens are located at an altitude of 1600-2100m. Located in the Mirik Valley, Gopaldhara Tea Estate is one of the highest in the Darjeeling region. The tea is produced from so-called clonal material, which means that the tea bushes used have excellent characteristics and are maintained by planting new trees through cuttings, preserving the characteristics of the plant.

Taste

The aroma of the dry tea has dry graininess and juicy ripe fruitiness. The aroma in the cup is richly grainy and fruity. The taste is airy, almost bubbly with white wine-like acidity and floral and fruity tones.

Infusion

About a tablespoon of tea leaves is needed. You can use boiled water or let it cool slightly before pouring it over the leaves. A lower temperature will produce a slightly different result. If the tea is infused in a small teapot of less than 500ml, you can brew the same leaves a few times. In this case, the infusing time is about 1-3 minutes. In a larger pot, the brewing time should be longer: 3-5 minutes. In this case, you only get one good brew from the leaves.