Margaret’s Hope Darjeeling Black Tea

Margaret's Hope Darjeeling Black Tea

Margaret's Hope Darjeeling is a 2nd Flush TGFOP black tea from India's Himalayan foothills.

This is a medium-sized whole leaf with lots of tips. Delicately astringent, bright cup with distinctive muscatel character. Hints of currant give an almost wine-like taste to this fine tea.

Nestled in the hills below the soaring majesty of the Himalayas is the Darjeeling growing area of Northeast India. Darjeeling means “place of lightning” and describes well the bolts of lightning that accompany the great monsoons that wash over the landscape yearly.

With elevations up to 7,000 feet above sea level, the combination of coolness and moisture produces a much lighter cup than the neighboring region Assam, where another of our bold black teas is sourced, Assam FBOP Black Tea.

Margaret's Hope

During the 1930s the Margaret Hope Tea Estate was owned by Mr. Bagdon from London. His youngest daughter, Margaret, visited with him on one trip and fell in love with the garden, the people, and the Darjeeling area.

She had hoped to return when older and manage the estate for her father. Tragically, she fell ill on board the ship during the long sail back to England and died shortly after. However, the estate was named in her memory.

The tea bushes at Margaret’s Hope are mostly from the Chinese variety of Camellia sinensis and grown at altitudes of 6 - 7,000 ft above sea level.

Growth is much slower in the cool weather at this altitude, producing limited crops. Almost green in appearance with a superb fragrance, this leaf is a second flush picked during May and June. This flush produces an incomparable tea quality; some describe it as nutty, others likening the taste to black currants or a fine Muscat grape.

However you describe this black tea, the proof is in the tasting. You will find a bright cup with delicate astringency, best appreciated ‘straight up.'

When brewing this Darjeeling Tea, we find 3 minutes long enough for the first infusion, though you may wish to infuse longer for a more astringent and deeper-tasting tea. This tea is the very embodiment of "Life is too short to drink bad black tea."

To enjoy our Margaret's Hope Darjeeling Tea at its absolute best, serve it in a pure white cup. Please refrain from adding milk and sugar, even though this may be your preference! 20 to 25 cups of tea can be made from 2 oz of loose-leaf tea.

Brewing Instructions for Margarets Hope Darjeeling Tea

Steep this tea multiple times. Loose-leaf teas have far more flavor than traditional tea bags due to their superior quality and freshness. Tea strength is a personal decision, so please experiment to determine your preferences.

Use boiling water and allow your Margaret's Hope Darjeeling Black Tea to steep as little as 3 minutes or as much as 6 minutes. For each of the following steeps, use boiling water and double the steep time.

This tea can be steeped at least 3 times and, depending on the steep times, as many as 5 times. Also, consider blending the first steep with the following steeps to balance the tea; if you do not want to drink all the tea, store it in the fridge for wonderful iced tea.

Store in a dry place.