The Perfect Cup of Margaret's Hope Darjeeling

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 tsp of tea for each cup into teapot. Add boiling water, cover and let steep 3-7 minutes. Add milk and sugar to taste, if desired. Many prefer to drink Darjeeling 'straight up' without milk.

Iced tea-brewing method: (1 quart/liter) Place 6 tsp of tea in a teapot. Add 1¼ cups freshly boiled water. Steep 5 min. Quarter fill a glass serving pitcher with ice water. Add steeped tea and fill with ice water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. (Please note: Top quality tea may appear cloudy when iced due to their naturally high flavonoid/polyphenol levels).

You May Also Enjoy...

Vanilla Cream Loose Leaf

Honey Flower Loose Leaf

Satemwa Loose Leaf

Superior Gunpowder Green

 

Margaret's Hope Estate Tea

Luxury Darjeeling Loose Leaf Tea

(Mount Kanchanjangha as viewed from the Darjeeling region in India)

During the 1930’s the garden was owned by Mr. Bagdon, who lived in London, but visited the tea garden regularly. On one trip, his youngest daughter Margaret accompanied him. She fell in love with the estate, the people and the area. She hoped that when she was older she would return to manage the estate.

Sadly, she developed an illness on board ship during the return trip to England and died soon after. In her memory, her father changed the garden’s name to Margaret’s Hope. It is believed that her ghost still wanders the garden. Margaret’s room was the guestroom of the bungalow and since her visit, overnight estate guests claim they have seen her ghost wander through the patio and garden.

The tea bushes at Margaret’s Hope are almost entirely the Chinese Jat (genus) accounting for the green leafed tippy appearance of the manufactured leaf and the superb fragrance. Because the tea is grown at such high altitudes and in relatively cool weather the bushes do not grow quickly, and as such the production is limited.

The best time of the year for quality Darjeeling is during the ‘second-flush’ (end May - end June). During this time the Darjeeling has a full bodied, richly smooth flavor. The fragrance and taste is a complex bouquet that reaches right out of the cup. Some would describe the taste as nutty; others find it reminds them of black currants, but most often it is described as similar to the taste and fragrance of muscat grapes (a sweet grape variety used for wine making).

Loose Leaf	Weight (Servings)	Price
Sampler		$3.95
Single Bag	100g (≈50 servings)	$10.95
Double Bag	200g (≈100 servings)	$16.95

 

Premium Darjeeling is picked only three times a year:

1st flush - Springtime harvested teas from late Feb. to mid April. The young leaves yield a light tea with generally intense muscatel with ‘point’. It is a gentle afternoon tea.

2nd flush - Harvested in June, these teas are more fully developed. The liquor is bright and has a full and round character of an excellent muscatel. A superb afternoon tea.

Autumnal - Not always available depending upon the weather. These are characterized by a robust round taste and coppery liquor. Excellent as a breakfast tea.