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Darjeeling Black Tea

Wikipedia: Darjeeling_tea | Teaviews: darjeeling-tea 
Last Updated: Mar. 12, 2014 

About Darjeeling Black Tea

Golden-yellow tea in white teacup on dark wooden backgroundDarjeeling black tea, especially first flush tea like pictured here, can be much lighter in color and overall character than other black teas. Photo © Yoppy (Flickr), CC BY 2.0.
Darjeeling black tea, usually just called Darjeeling is one of the most well-known and highly-regarded varieties of black tea, produced in the Darjeeling district of India, located in the northeast of India on the border with Nepal. Darjeeling black tea is often categorized by flush, the time of year at which the tea leaves are harvested. Darjeeling tea is produced by different tea gardens, and the higher-quality teas from this region are often sold as single-estate teas, marked as originating from a particular estate.

Darjeeling tends to be lighter than other black teas, although teas from this region are diverse. For this reason, Darjeeling is often a favorite for afternoon tea, either on its own, or as an ingredient in lighter afternoon blends, in British tea culture. Some Darjeelings have an aroma that resembles muscatel grapes, a variety of grape sometimes used for wine. These Darjeelings share this quality with some bai hao oolong, a Chinese oolong tea that also often resembles muscatel grapes.

Loose-leaf tea with irregular, crinkly leaves, colors ranging from pale green through orange and olive to dark brown or blackThis Darjeeling, produced by Makaibari estate, shows a mix of ranges of oxidation, reflected in the leaf color ranging from silvery and pale green (low oxidation), through reddish and olive (mid oxidation), to dark brown and black (higher oxidation).
Unlike most black teas, Darjeeling teas often have a substantial portion of greener (less oxidized) leaves mixed in, which gives the dry leaves a diversity of colors. In some cases, such as with some high-grown first flush Darjeelings, the leaf is entirely green in color. Brewed Darjeeling tea has a wide range of color; many Darjeelings are an amber color, lighter in hue than most other black teas. Some Darjeelings, especially the highly-desired first flush teas, are less oxidized and are more like oolongs than black teas, although these teas are distinct from proper Darjeeling oolongs.

Teas similar to Darjeeling:

Other regions of India, such as Sikkim, and nearby regions outside of India, such as Nepal, produce teas in a similar style to Darjeeling tea. Teas from these regions are not referred to as Darjeeling, but are often categorized by the same system of flushes. These areas together form the Himalayan region of tea production.

Recent Darjeeling Reviews — RSS rss icon

80 / 100

The aroma is appealing, with a hint of fruit (peaches or apple). The liquor is a medium brown with a slight red. The flavor is wonderful, with a slight sweet after taste. This tea would be a great all day sip. I have just started exploring Darjeeling, very happy with this purchase.

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45 / 100

This is a very mild, bland tea. Lemon and sugar overwhelms it, but it is decent on its own or with a splash of milk - then it is pleasant and bready, with some mild tannins coming in to the mouthfeel. Priced too high given the quality, imo.

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79 / 100
Picture of Darjeeling Black Tea

Here's another new Rituals tea for me (and this website), also first sampled at the Days Inn in Hays, KS. As usual, and even though Hays water isn't bad, I also hauled a bag home to try on my well water for fair comparison with other ratings.

Upon ripping open the foil-lined package, the smell that greeted my nos...

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88 / 100
Picture of Darjeeling (Loose)

This tea is really good! It has a nice bready aroma and a delicate but full bodied flavor with chocolatey hints. The only reason I'm not giving it an even higher score is that it is a bit basic, however I still love basic teas when they are really high quality and good like this one. This tea is not too astringent or b...

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75 / 100

I decided to try something different. Instead of getting Upton's iced tea blend (which I like a lot) that is made from Ceylons and Darjeelings, why not get some Ceylons and Darjeelings and mix them together? This way I can also get to know the individual teas. This one did not let me down. It is on the mild side, b...

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Most-Rated Darjeeling

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Darjeeling

Brand:Twinings
Style:Darjeeling Black Tea
Region:Darjeeling, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
36
10 Ratings
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Darjeeling Black Tea

Brand:Bigelow Tea
Style:Darjeeling Black Tea
Region:Darjeeling, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
36
6 Ratings
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Darjeeling

Brand:Two Leaves and a Bud
Style:Darjeeling Black Tea
Region:Darjeeling, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Sachet
50
5 Ratings
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Darjeeling (Sachets)

Brand:Hampstead Tea
Style:Darjeeling Black Tea
Region:Darjeeling, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
83
5 Ratings
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Darjeeling (Loose)

Brand:Ahmad Tea
Style:Darjeeling Black Tea
Region:Darjeeling, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
9
5 Ratings

Top-Rated Darjeeling

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Darjeeling de Triomphe Black Tea

Brand:Teavana
Style:Darjeeling First Flush
Region:Darjeeling, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
90
3 Ratings
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Darjeeling (Sachets)

Brand:Hampstead Tea
Style:Darjeeling Black Tea
Region:Darjeeling, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
83
5 Ratings
Picture of Makaibari Estate Darjeeling 2nd Flush Black Tea

Makaibari Estate Darjeeling 2nd Flush Black Tea

Brand:Arbor Teas
Style:Darjeeling Second Flush
Region:Darjeeling, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
81
3 Ratings
Picture of Singbulli, Darjeeling Black Tea, First Flush 2014

Singbulli, Darjeeling Black Tea, First Flush 2014

Brand:Happy Earth Tea
Style:Darjeeling First Flush
Region:Darjeeling, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
81
3 Ratings
Picture of Singbulli Darjeeling DJ41

Singbulli Darjeeling DJ41

Brand:Harney and Sons
Style:Darjeeling First Flush
Region:Darjeeling, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
79
3 Ratings

Varieties, Kinds, or Types of Darjeeling Black Tea

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