Freshly plucked: Our pick of the most exotic teas this season

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With the onset of the summer season starts the plucking of tea leaves in different parts of the country. From Assam to West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, tea sommeliers and experts go looking for the finest qualities of tea to add to their roster of offerings.

Forbes India lists some of the most exotic new teas and blends this season. 

Castleton Premium Darjeeling First Flush Black Tea
First flush teas from Darjeeling are amongst the most flavourful black teas. They are sought-after for their unique freshness and lightness, which only comes from the newly sprung tender leaves and buds that appear with the first showers of spring in early March. This tea by Vahdam is from the Castleton estate in Darjeeling and has fragrant notes of citrus blossoms and a hint of the sweetness of honey. It is priced at Rs1,699 for 100 gm.

Jungpana Exotic Spring Clonal Black
This black tea has lifted notes of white orchids, hyacinths and green mango along with subtle green and citrusy accents. This light gold tea, available on Teabox, is smooth, brisk and has floral-fruity attributes. The fresh, sweet fragrance of hyacinths and white orchids coats the palate right at the start, which gradually subsides to reveal flavours of green mango and furtive green undertones shore up around the edges, finishing on appetising notes of white peach. It is priced at Rs3,199 for 40 gm.

Margaret's Hope Exotic Spring White 

At Rs3,194 for 50 gm, this tea by Teabox is one of the most indulgent teas out there. Margaret's Hope Exotic Spring White tea is an intensely fragrant Darjeeling cup, smooth and bright with floral-fruity notes of lilies and peaches. The tea is made with fine pubescent leaves and buds. 

Upper Namring Spring Black

 This Teabox tea, priced at Rs2,299 for 50 gm, is a light-bodied, smooth tea with fresh, floral attributes and hints of muskmelon, white lilies, geranium, and raw mangoes. It is grown on the Upper Namring tea estate, which dates back to 1855 and is located on the foothills of Mount Kanchenjunga. This year’s spring produce, this tea is best savoured as an iced tea. 

Rohini Honey Oolong Spring

This Gopaldhara Tea Estate tea is a rare first flush oolong tea made from the best quality AV2 bushes, which have very finely plucked tippy whole leaves with a silvery appearance. It has a sweet aroma with a finish of honey and zero astringency aftertaste. It’s priced at Rs615 for 25 gm. 

Spring Moonlight Gem Darjeeling White Tea

This Golden Tips tea is well-nurtured and delicately plucked. It is the Darjeeling new season 2021 very early spring flush from the Rohini estate, one of the youngest tea estates in Darjeeling. In this tea, the clonal flavour combines with the mellowed grassiness to make for a pleasant and smooth cup of limited-edition tea. It’s priced for Rs1,208 for 40 gm. 

White Elixir Tea

A spring launch, The Infused Kettle’s White Elixir Tea is a wellness tea and said to have natural anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. It is priced at Rs1,185 for 50 gm.

Himalayan Hand Rolled Oolong Tea

The Himalayan Hand Rolled Oolong Tea is a semi-oxidised tea that can be placed mid-way between green and black teas. This gives it the body and complexity of black tea, while retaining the brightness and freshness of green tea. The leaves, grown on Dharamshala Tea Company’s tea estate, situated over 4,000 to 6,000 feet in altitude, are withered and then hand rolled instead of being rolled in roller machines. It has a smooth and creamy texture. It’s priced at Rs625 for 50 gm. 

Vanilla Waltz

This brew by Celes Te is a mix of oolong tea, strawberry, marigold, rose petals and vanilla and has mellow floral tasting notes with a sweet, lingering finish and hints of sweet sourness. It’s perfect for those who like their cup sweet. It is priced at Rs899 for 50 gm.  

Another option for those who would like a tea for dessert is the Choco Spice, priced at Rs799 for 50 gm. This smooth mix has oolong tea, chocolate, cinnamon, cardamom, cocoa nibs, ginger and hops with sweet muscatel and chocolatey tasting notes with a hint of spice.

Cocoa Japanese Matcha Green Tea

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This low calorie, keto-friendly and vegan tea by Vahdam India has the rich sweetness of cocoa and woody kick of cinnamon. It is a culinary grade tea from Japan, blended with Indian origin cocoa that is sourced from Kerala. It costs Rs699 for 50 gm.