Darjeeling Decaffeinated Black Loose Leaf Tea In Assorted Packs

Brewing: 1 tsp per cup ~ 100°C ~ 5-7 mins

Darjeeling Gives a warm and glowing start to the day but can be drunk at any time this one even late at night. The genus of the Darjeeling tea bush is the Chinese Jat, which gives it the distinctive muscatel character. Because the tea is grown at such high altitudes and in relatively cool weather the bushes do not grow quickly, and as such the production is limited.

The best time of the year for quality is during 'second-flush' (end May - end June). During this time Darjeelings are incomparable to any other tea in the world. The fragrance and taste is a complex bouquet that reaches right out of the cup. Some would describe the taste as nutty; others find it reminds them of black currants, but most often it is described as similar to the taste and fragrance of muscat grapes. Due to the superb taste and limited production of Darjeelings, these teas are quite expensive. There are many who wish to take advantage of the high prices and as a result, there are Darjeeling 'blends'.

Regrettably, these blends are quite often very poor facsimiles of Darjeeling and in some cases only contain 10% true Darjeeling teas; the balance made up from other production areas. A true estate Darjeeling is your guarantee of quality and genuine Darjeeling tea.

There are 3 main times of year for producing good quality Darjeelings:

1st flush - springtime harvested teas from late Feb. to mid April. The young leaves yield a light tea with generally intense muscatel with 'point'. A gentle afternoon tea.

2nd flush - Harvested in June, these teas are more fully developed. The liquor is bright and the taste full and round excellent muscatel. A superb afternoon tea that is especially good with scones and raspberry conserve.

Autumnal - Not always available depending upon the weather, they are typified by a round taste and coppery liquor. Excellent as a breakfast tea with milk.

The tea leaves are moistened with just water and placed under gentle pressure.

Pressurised and heated CO2 is passed through the tea leaves, where it bonds with the caffeine molecules. 

Finally, the now decaffeinated tea leaves are dried and packed. With all the leaves intact, full-flavoured and delicious. 

 

Iced Tea Brewing Method

Make as for hot, but add extra tea - a rule of thumb is to double the amount of tea leaves per cup. When the tea has cooled a little, pour over ice.
Alternatively, you can cold brew the tea by placing the tea leaves in a jug and adding cold water. Leave to infuse for a few hours (or overnight in the fridge), strain and enjoy. Cold brewing will give a smoother taste.