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The First Leaves of the Year

Harvested once, in spring, before the rains. This is Darjeeling at its most delicate.

Riverbeki Darjeeling First Flush Tea — High-Elevation Spring Harvest

First flush Darjeeling is the most anticipated tea of the year. After the winter dormancy, the tea plant sends out its earliest shoots — young, tender, and full of everything the plant has been holding in reserve. These leaves are harvested in a brief window between late February and April, from high-elevation gardens in the Darjeeling hills where altitude and morning mist produce a complexity that simply cannot be hurried or repeated.

Riverbeki's first flush is the Dawn — a Flowery Orange Pekoe grade, single-origin, high-elevation spring tea. Pale gold in the cup, bright and clean on the palate, with a natural freshness that is unmistakably the first season. If you have never tasted first flush Darjeeling before, this is where to begin. If you have, you already know why you are here.

What to Expect in the Cup

First flush brews lighter than second flush — pale gold to amber liquor, a light body, and an aromatic brightness. The character is floral, sometimes grassy, occasionally with a delicate muscatel hint beginning to form. It is best without milk, brewed at around 80°C, steeped for 2–3 minutes. A tea for mornings when you have a moment to pay attention.

• Single-Origin, High-Elevation Darjeeling — Sourced from gardens in the upper reaches of the Darjeeling hills, where slow growth concentrates flavour.
• First Flush — Once a Year — The earliest harvest window, available for a limited period each spring. Quality that cannot be replicated outside the season.
• Whole Leaf, FOP Grade — Flowery Orange Pekoe: full leaves selected for their character and aroma, not just yield.
• No Additives, Nothing Added — Pure Darjeeling, harvested and dried, nothing else.
• Low to Moderate Caffeine — Lighter than second flush, gentle enough for afternoon drinking.

🏔️ High-Elevation Darjeeling  |  First Flush Spring Harvest  |  Flowery Orange Pekoe  |  Single Origin  |  Nothing Added