Tea Review: Darjeeling Mary's Hope 2nd Flush (Perennial Tea Room)

Darjeeling Mary's Hope 2nd Flush

Perennial Tea Room
Type: Black
Origin: India, Darjeeling, Margaret's Hope Tea Estate
Product Description: 

This second flush comes from one of the most famous Darjeeling estates. It brews a darker amber cup than its first flush counterparts with notes of muscat grapes and a complex floral aroma. It is medium-bodied and smooth. Since this is not a heavy tea, we recommend a squeeze of lemon instead of milk during your afternoon tea break. The second flush is a later harvest in late spring and early summer, while the plants are going through a period of rapid growth. It contains larger, more mature leaves with a purplish hue and silver tips or leaf buds. These larger, fast-growing leaves yield a stronger yet smoother flavor for the finished tea. Second flush Darjeelings are known for their full-bodied, muscatel, and fruity flavor. The garden where this tea is grown came to be known as Margaret's Hope Estate in 1927. Margaret was the daughter of the tea estate owner and, as the story goes, she fell in love with the garden. Before traveling back to England, Margaret promised to return; unfortunately she fell ill and passed away on the voyage. Her father renamed his estate to honor the memory of his daughter and her love for the land.

Temperature: 195° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaves have aroma notes of wood, nut shell, and muscat grapes.

The copper orange infusion has an aroma of fruit, muscat grapes, and a hint of floral and green vine notes.  The taste is mild-to-moderately astringent with notes of muscat grape and a long dry finish.

I found the perfect balance of astringency and flavor for my preference followed by a lovely finish by brewing for 2 minutes.  For those who prefer something bolder, a longer steeping will produce great results.  The fullest flavor was in the first two infusions with the astringency picking up notably by the second followed by a much mellower third infusion.

This tea was purchased by me.