01 · blend
Castleton Estate, India
Darjeeling First Flush — Castleton
- March harvest, Bucharest arrival within six weeks
- Muscatel and white grape, minimal oxidation
- Castleton Estate clonal selection at 1,800 meters
- 50 grams yields 20 cups at proper steep
- Steep 80–85°C for 2–3 minutes maximum
- Muscatel·
- White grape·
- Wildflower
The "champagne of teas" — picked in March, shipped within weeks, brewed soft.
- Gramaj
- 50 g loose leaf
Preț73 RON
1
În stoc · Pleacă în 48h de la prăjire
02 — The Story
Darjeeling First Flush arrives in Bucharest the way Beaujolais Nouveau reaches Rome: in a scramble, announced, perishable. Castleton Estate harvests these leaves in late March, when the Himalayan foothills shake off winter and the first tender shoots carry maximum aromatics and minimum tannin. We receive them in April, pack them in May, and expect you to finish the tin before summer. This is not the stuff of infinite shelf life. The character here is *muscatel*—that white-grape sweetness prized in the region's spring output—but softer than the famous briskness suggests. Castleton's terroir at 1,800 meters lends wildflower subtlety rather than the vegetal punch of lower estates. The liquor steeps pale gold, almost champagne in hue, with a perfume that dissipates if you overbrew or wait too long to drink it. Fifty grams yields roughly 20 cups at 2.5 grams per steep, though we find 2 grams per 200 ml more forgiving for those unused to orthodox leaf grades. Water temperature matters: 80–85°C preserves the floral volatiles that boiling destroys. Steep for 2–3 minutes maximum. The second infusion—30 seconds longer—often reveals white peach and lychee undertones absent in the first. This is tea for the morning espresso drinker who wants clarity without jolt, or the natural-process coffee enthusiast chasing fruit without ferment. Castleton's clonal selection (AV2 and P312 cultivars) has dominated auction records since the 1990s, and this lot continues that lineage. The estate's adherence to minimal oxidation during withering keeps the profile closer to oolong than to the malty second-flush Darjeelings that arrive in June. If you have drunk only breakfast blends or CTC dust, the delicacy here will surprise you. If you have chased Yirgacheffe naturals for their blueberry, the muscatel will translate. We do not restock First Flush after June; the spring window closes, and reprinting the label for next year's harvest feels more honest than pretending tea sits well for twelve months.
04 — FAQ
Questions, answered.
Why only 50 grams, and why the urgency?+
First Flush oxidizes faster than aged oolong or fermented puerh. The volatile esters—linalool, geraniol—that give muscatel and wildflower character degrade within 90 days of harvest. Fifty grams forces consumption while the profile stays intact. We would rather sell five tins across the season than one 250-gram bag that goes stale.
How does this compare to coffee in caffeine and body?+
Roughly 40 mg caffeine per 200 ml cup—half an espresso, two-thirds a pour-over. Body is thinner than washed Kenyan coffee but rounder than most white teas. The muscatel sweetness reads as fruit without requiring sugar, similar to a natural Ethiopia but without ferment funk or heaviness.
Can I cold-brew this or use an espresso machine portafilter?+
Cold-steep works: 5 grams per liter, 8 hours refrigerated, strained. The muscatel amplifies, the florals mute. Portafilter puck-steeping is a Tokyo iced-tea method we have tested—2 grams tamped, 60 ml at 85°C through the grouphead over ice—but requires VST-level distribution or it channels.
What is the difference between First Flush and the muscatel I have had in blends?+
Most blends use second-flush Darjeeling (June harvest) or Nepalese substitutes, which carry darker fruit and malt. First Flush is lighter, more perishable, more expensive, and never bulked into breakfast tins. Castleton's clonal selection also places it above regional averages—auction grades versus supermarket generics.
Should I store this in the freezer like single-origin coffee?+
No. Tea's lower oil content and higher surface area make it vulnerable to moisture absorption. Freezing risks condensation during thaw. Keep the tin sealed, cool (15–20°C), and away from light. Finish within 60 days of opening. If you must extend shelf life, vacuum-seal in 10-gram portions.
