While our stock of last year´s First Flush from Darjeeling and Nepal slowly dissappears, we are getting information about upcoming spring season. And that is not very encouraging. It seems, that every year the news from Himalayan foothills repeat again and again…
Ladies – pickers
First Flush Tea
Every time we hear about disfavour of weather, about drought or labour union protests and it is always a sign of rising prices in a new season. Unfortunately those news are usually right and the situation really gets worse every year. Dry winters in last years brought weak seasons, yearly production of Darjeeling teas went down from 10.000 tons to 8.500 tons since 2010.
Unfavourous weather
This year´s winter was trully critical. There are consequent problems coming with the drought. Specially an outbreak of pests and bush diseases takes place. The new season 2017 started, neverthelless. At lowest altitudes in the very south of Darjeeling region, first leaves were picked last week already. Tea picking in this time is always very difficult, as the tea pickers have to carefully choose only few buds that sprout on each bush. After whole day´s work they bring just a fragment of the usual harvest.
We have tasted few samples from this year´s early First Flush production and decided to wait for a while. Tea was lacking typical spring freshness, it was rather dull and unimpressive. We will wait for teas grown at higher altitudes, with full himalayan teas character. Soon, more samples will come and we are sure there will be more options for a nice tea. And we hope for better news from Darjeeling.
For those who can´t wait
we recommend an Autumnal Nepal tea from Himalayan Shangrila garden. It was lightly processed, with slight withering and oxidization and it is very close to spring teas character and body, fresh tea power included.
