An outstanding, full-bodied Second Flush Darjeeling produced by a co-operative that grows tea at the abandoned tea farm at Dawai Pani, now better known as Mineral Spring and processed at the factory on Singell Estate. It is made from seed-grown Chinese bushes descended from the cultivars brought over to Darjeeling from Wuyi in the 1800s.
The tea is aromatic and fruity with a pronounced muscatel/grape sweetness and notes of cacao and rose which are appropriately similar to those found in Wuyi oolong and black teas. For the price this is one of our favourite black teas of the year and we're very pleased to be able to offer a such a tea grown on small farms that easily competes with factory tea many times the cost.
Brew with freshly boiled water and a teaspoon of tea per cup. This tea can be taken with or without milk.
ORIGIN
432 Small Farmers, Mineral Spring Tea Farm, Darjeeling Town, Darjeeling, India
SIZE OF FARMS
1.5-2 acres (average)
PLANTS AND PROCESSING
Camellia Sinensis Sinensis. Chinese decended seed grown cultivars. Batch EX38 (130kg). Harvested Summer 2015.
BREWING
95-100°C, 3-4g per cup, with or without milk. 3 infusions.
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Mineral Spring was an abandoned tea estate where once there was much hardship and hunger. However several villages and their families united to sell their tea at a good price which guarantees a better future and pride in their own production. Unlike Darjeeling estates which are many hundreds of acres, the farms in Mineral Spring are on average 2 acres. Another big difference is their polyculture, Mineral Spring farmers grow oranges, peaches, taro, ginger, black cardamom, carrots, bitter gourd, squash, mustard greens, sweet potato, avocados, pomelos, carrots, corn, turmeric, beetroots, and guavas amongst other fruit and vegetables. Their farms really are a sort of Tea Garden of Eden.
