The aromas and fury of a Darjeeling muscatel is tried and tested. It is the muscatels’ that has given Darjeeling its identity. We believe that any tea lover or a novice who comes across a True Darjeeling Muscatel will never forget the experience.
It is quite rare to come across a true muscatel because this tea is borne out of a balance of many factors involved in the making. The seasons, the harmony of time of pickings and the art of processing,  e.t.c.
It is a matter of pride for Tea masters from Darjeeling to mark their small invoices with this term because they know it is occasional. Only few invoices are marked so. All muscatels fetch a four figure digit prices even in the auctions.
Most muscatels are pre sold on prior arrangements with high end paymasters like Harrods.
It is not necessary that muscatels are produced only in the second flush or summer season but it is more pronounced then.
During this time of the year every garden in Darjeeling tries hard to make muscatels but few succeed.
The Gardens those are renowned for producing and exhibiting muscatels every year are Castleton, Margarets Hope, Balasun, Selimbong, Sungma, Jungpana, Makaibari, Ambootia.

My first experience with a muscatel was about 10 years ago during my first few months at work.I was asked by my employers (Tea Promoters India) to escort few guests from Makaibari to Selimbong.
Mr.Banerjee was quite not over discussing with the guests he invited me for a Darjeeling cuppa in his palatial living room.The guests were a third party evaluation team from Mercy Corps, Portland- on behalf of Tazo-an evaluation on Ethical Tea Partnership with associate partners in India.
Although I was not participating in the discussion but could make out the heat was on high notes.
Mean while, Mrs.Banerjee offered if we would like a round of tea. As a young enthusiast, tea with the legendary Rajah and his wife was a matter of chance.
Mr.Banerjee knew instantly from the glow in my eyes and ordered that the muscatel reserve which he specially makes for his Japanese client, to the bearer standing in the living room.
I had taken tasting lessons in Tea Research Association Clonal Proving Station (CPS) at Ging Tea Estate before I joined the industry, by then I could unmistakably distinguish clonal characters and had even tasted muscatels from other gardens.
But this was an experience that I will never forget. We did not taste or compare any tea; it was just a small shower of hospitality at Makaibari. As the bearer drew the tea cozy upward the aromas that coiled up along with the steam oozing out of the pot was filling the room with sweet grape like fragrance and it grew more persistent as tea was poured in our cups.
The cups were handed one at a time to each of us. Our eyes were fixed in the cups out of curiosity. The aromas were so overwhelming that I cleverly waited for my cup to cool for a while and then the wait was worth while. I tasted my first true muscatel. Layers of flavors embedded in synchronized harmony leaving a long finish in the mouth.
On our way back I wanted to think more about the making of this tea but the guests were throwing so many questions I hardly had time to think.
So even today whenever I have to think about defining a muscatel or selecting one-my parameters is pre-conceived.

This is a selection from the Gardens of Margarets’ Hope and pickings of the high grown maharani hills at altitudes of 6000 feet above sea level. This picking of pure china seed bushes is an exotic delivery. Harvested on October 14/2009 an autumn pick and manufactured and packed on the ides of October.

Make: The leaf is well twisted and consists of small bits and pieces of torn leaves and small twigs that we often come across an autumn harvest.

Visual: Dark leaves with red and golden textures which show it has undergone high degree of oxidation.

Feel: The feel of the leaves are dry crispy.

Dry Aroma: The dry leaves aroma is just alluring like fresh dry rose petals and nuts.

Good tea is a matter of Taste, so I start off with the preparation with two table spoons full of leaves in my guywan. My water is boiled and kept aside to cool, so that I can use it only after it cools down to just below boiling lets say 90-95 C.

Steep-1:  2 minutes
Full bodied liquor that shines like the sun, with a clear golden halo around it. Oops! The muscatel kick!
This tea delivers a subtle clean yet warm muscatel flavor with nutty undertone. It flaunts the sweetness of honey, dates and slopes towards almond. Multifaceted layers of flavor yet not aggressive. The wet leaf infusion has not really opened up so will go for a second steep.

Steep-2: 2 minutes
The liquor is lighter compared to the first cup, and the robustness lingering around. This second cup is delicate and emits a different character all totally; it is sweeter but now sloping towards more floral flavor and aroma. This type of Darjeeling makes you think of all it has done, for it is the muscatel that has made Darjeeling following an obsession for tea lovers.

All Hail Darjeeling Muscatel!!!

Darjeeling is so synonymous with black tea but our purpose is to share and educate our followers and readers about exotic Darjeeling’s. We would like to introduce you to a green tea variety that I found to be most exotic of all Darjeeling’s.

This tea is called “Emerald Green” because of the prominent deep green color it carries all through the steeps. This is a picking from a small family owned garden called” Gopaldhara”. Gopaldhara is tucked high up as 2121 meters above sea level in the Mirik valley of Darjeeling District. An estate that comprises of 172 hectares of gentle hills planted with tea. Among this plantation a small section of the garden about 8 hectares have been occupied by plants imported from Japan. ( 12000 nos tea bushes are planted in one hectare) It usually takes 8-12 years of grooming for a young tea plant to yield a standard harvest, in Darjeeling climatic conditions.

The producer, Mr. Saria claims that the origin of this plant variety is of very high quality Japanese seed culture and I do completely agree with him after tasting the leaves. The hard work Mr.Saria has put into to produce such a small quantity of tea is just amazing. Mr.Saria is one of the pioneer tea planters as well as a respected tea master of Darjeeling and his teas deliver and share with us more than 50 years of enduring experience in Darjeeling.

Emerald is a rare picking because these tea bushes flush or regenerate, periodically in a year. I picked the teas that came off an October first week flush, so in Darjeeling terms lets call it an autumnal green Darjeeling tea.

Dry leaves:

Make: The leaf is bold and flaunts that it is gently hand rolled. This is possible with emerald because it comes in small quantities.

Visual: Dark green chunky leaves with a mix of slight light green textures here and there.

Feel: The feel of the leaves are delicately crispy and if you apply some force to hold them the leaves may crack to bits and pieces.

Dry Aroma: I have this tendency to rub the dry leaves and consume the smell before I taste any tea. The smell is savory salty with a hint of lime.

Quite perplexed with the dry leaf smell, I start off with the preparation with two table spoons full of leaves in my guywan. Two table spoons full is a lot of leaves and nearly a quarter of my guywan is full. My water is boiled and kept aside to cool, so that I can use it only after it cools down to 70-80 C.

Steep 1 for 1 minute: The leaves have not fully unfurled but the liquor that steeps out is clear light green. The taste is light salty sea weed, vegetal like broccoli and has leaves a sweet hay like aftertaste. I must say that teas often carry qualities of their origin. I can relate a good Japanese gyokuro with this first cup.

Steep 2 for 1 minute: The leaves have unfurled into dark green whole leaves accompanied by green buds. The taste is mellower but now the sweet notes more prominent towards a citrus finish. Amazingly now the environment has taken its toll into the making of this tea. The cup is mellower and I can feel Darjeeling in my olfactory.

Most Darjeeling greens acquire a dry finish but emerald is a comfortable and smooth cup, enjoying this tea makes me wonder about this fusion. Japanese plants in Darjeeling? I wonder how and what made Mr.Saria to go to this length of importing Japanese tea plants all the way to Darjeeling to make few Kilograms of Emerald. As there are already many tea gardens selling green tea in the name of emerald. But it was worth the effort! My only suggestion to Mr.Saria is to give it another name…uh……like…..????

Still guessing!