No Products in the Cart
Each 1.06 oz Tin contains approximately 10-12 servings. Depending on steeping method, each serving can yield 2-3 cups, for a total of 20-30 cups per tin.
Mirik, Darjeeling
Second Flush, June
3000 ft
AV2 bushes
Whole leaf black tea
Golden Summer Darjeeling Muscatel tea is a second flush, loose leaf black tea. It has a marvelous, rich mouthfeel which is almost wine-like. Prominent notes of honey and fruit like dried mango, grape, and peach, intermingle with undertones of aged oak and hay.
This lovely muscatel is grown on a small high altitude Darjeeling farm in limited batches. In early June, before the monsoons arrive in Mirik Valley, the choicest two leaves and a bud are hand plucked from the tea bushes, and result in a full-bodied tea with rich aromas, minimal astringency, and lasting aftertaste . We recommend our Darjeeling Muscatel tea as a must-try if you are a tea enthusiast or aficionado. Let's raise a cup and toast to the wonder that lies at the heart of Darjeeling.
Loose leaf black tea
High-Moderate
Number of infusions per 2.5 g: 3-4
2.5 gms of tea (use a digital scale)
120-150 ml (4-5 fl-oz) or 1/2 - 2/3rd cup of water at 90°C - 95°C (or 195°F - 205°F)
This whole leaf Darjeeling Muscatel tea works great for the gongfu method of steeping tea as it helps experience all the wonderful flavors.
We recommend 5 gm of tea
100 ml water (approximate 10-20 ml of water per 1 gm of tea) at 85°C - 90°C (or 185°F - 195°F).
More on: What Do You Need To Steep Tea?
Origin
Mirik is a small, charming town nestled in the serene hills of Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India. At an elevation of 5000 ft., it is surrounded by lush tea gardens, orange orchards, cardamom plantations, and forests of tall, dark Japanese cedars. Mirik, pronounced as Mir-yok, means ‘a place burnt by fire’ in Lepcha. Its cool and moist climate makes it the perfect setting for growing tea.
Rich in Antioxidants: Protects cells from damage, reduces oxidative stress, and supports overall health.
Boosts Immunity: Strengthens the immune system with natural polyphenols that fight infections.
Supports Heart Health: Helps improve cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Reduces Stress and Improves Focus: Combines caffeine and L-theanine to improve focus, reduce stress, and promote a calm alertness.
Aids Digestion & Improves Gut Health: Acts as a natural digestive aid, alleviating bloating and promoting gut health.
Promotes Skin Health: The antioxidants help maintain healthy skin by reducing inflammation and signs of aging caused by free radicals.
Abe and Poorvi, practicing physicians in Atlanta, founded Herbs & Kettles, fueled by their love for wellness and a deep appreciation for exceptional tea. Poorvi, a certified ITMA tea sommelier, ensures that each tea is personally selected for its wellness benefits, aroma, and flavor.
We travel to different regions of India to collaborate with small sustainable farmers, directly sourcing single-origin, single-batch teas for your enjoyment. Each tea is exquisite, and a testament to our dedication to quality and wellness.
Meet
Red pandas dwell in the Eastern Himalayan region of India and also in China. They are skillful acrobats that are arboreal. They are mostly herbivorous and their name comes from a Nepali word “ponya” which means one who eats bamboo. Red pandas are endangered and there are about 10,000 animals left, of which over 50% live in India.
The teas are delicious and really beautiful. I can't wait to try other flavors!
This one was a surprise…deep, with a wine-like richness and a funkiness that reminded me of a good IPA (think Bear Republic’s Racer 5 or Maui Waui by Altamont Beer Works). It hits the honey and ripe fruit notes well. I’ve never had a tea quite like it.
Today was the perfect day to pop open my bag of Darjeeling Golden Summer Muscatel. I wanted a smooth but substantial, soothing but not boring, distinctive black tea. And voilá! This tea delivered.
The scent in the bag is bright and oaky; it’s the smell of walking through a sweet forest kissed by sunshine. The leaves in my strainer were also promising — earthy colors of brown and gold, tightly dried and scented of oak, but now with a slight fruity touch. I steeped the tea for approximately 2 1/2 minutes, and was rewarded with a lovely golden brew.
The taste is truly lovely. Straightforward TEA — rich but not bitter; strong enough to stand up to my avocado toast as well as my dark chocolate square. And, true to the name, once brewed there is a subtle taste of muscat grapes which lingers just long enough to be pleasant.
I quite enjoyed the Darjeeling Golden Summer Muscatel, and I’m certain anyone looking for a black tea which delights with every sip will find this tea their “cuppa tea!”
Darjeeling Golden Summer Muscatel
A high quality second flush Darjeeling, like ours, which is hand plucked and skillfully processed to ensure whole leaves, on steeping, gives an exquisite cup that can be enjoyed by itself. Remember to steep and re-steep. If you enjoy milk and sugar with your Darjeeling tea, please do so, as everyone has their special way of preparing tea.
Golden tips are the oxidized buds that you see in the dry leaves. Our hand plucked Darjeeling tea has abundant golden buds, which give a delicate, sweet aroma and honey notes.
Darjeeling Summer Gold tea is famous for its exceptional taste, premium quality, potential health benefits, and limited production, making it a prized and sought-after variety of Darjeeling tea. Our Darjeeling Golden Summer Muscatel is one of the most premium second flush Darjeeling teas as it is hand plucked processed to ensure the delicate leaves do not break during oxidation and are whole leaves with abundant golden buds or tips.
Muscatel is a term used to describe Darjeeling's second flush teas. It means fruity or grapey and is borrowed from Muscatel grapes that make Muscatel wines that are sweet with fruity, floral, and often woody flavor notes. Read more about Muscatel.
Yes, our Darjeeling Golden Summer Muscatel is a high quality, hand plucked loose leaf black tea.
The Gongfu steeping method originated in China and is a style of steeping tea using a high leaf: water ratio, shorter steeping times, and multiple steepings to enjoy many delicious cups. Learn more about the wonderful world of loose leaf tea.
Our single origin second flush Darjeeling Golden Summer Muscatel is sourced from a small boutique, high-altitude tea garden in Mirik Valley in Darjeeling.
Yes, we work directly with tea growers across India and personally select their best batches.
We focus on creating strong partnerships with farmers across India and personally selecting their best batches. Our teas are single origin, small batch, and directly sourced with a focus on flavor, season, and terroir. Our loose-leaf teas are all high quality with nuanced aromas and flavors, excellent for gongfu steeping or Western style steeping.
Unlike commodity teas or other Indian tea companies, which often sell broken teas, we offer whole leaf teas. When steeped, whole leaf teas provide a wonderful taste and flavor without the astringency and bitterness that comes with steeping broken teas.
We are tea sommeliers with strong connections to farmers across India. We select single origin, single batch, directly sourced teas with a focus on flavor, terroir, and season. By eliminating the middleman, we ensure that our teas are fresh, often weeks to months old, compared to commodity teas which can be years old.
Our focus on whole leaf teas ensures wonderful aromas and flavors that you will enjoy. Our customers enjoy our teas and we often hear from tea connoisseurs, “we did not enjoy Indian teas as much until we tried the exceptional teas offered by Herbs & Kettles.”
Our teas are farm fresh and packed at origin. We work with tea farmers who use organic farming methods and ensure that their tea workers are treated fairly, helping to uplift the entire community.
By working directly with tea farmers and maintaining strong partnerships, we eliminate the middleman. Our regional loose leaf teas are packed at origin, ensuring farm-to-cup freshness.
We purchase new lots every year, and our teas are often air mailed to us rather than shipped by ocean, ensuring they are weeks or months old instead of years old which is often a problem with grocery stores or commodity teas. We recommend trying it for yourself to appreciate the freshness and quality of our teas.
Yes, we share our passion for high quality Indian teas by offering seasonal and limited edition teas such as Darjeeling Yanki Red Oolong and Meghalaya Silver Needle. We buy new lots every year ensuring that each tea retains farm to cup freshness and also select new interesting teas for our collection.
Tea lovers may enjoy our premium subscription box - Herbs & Kettles Fine Tea Club, which includes fantastic, seasonal, limited batch teas that are often only weeks old, air mailed directly from our farm partners.
If you're looking for a Darjeeling tea based on the season or flush, we've chosen them with extreme care to ensure that each batch is exceptional and the best of the season.
For those who enjoy malty Assam teas, we have a premium collection, including innovative batches like Assam GABA and Assam Smoked Melody. Our Nilgiri Frosted teas are divine, and we also offer teas from lesser-known regions such as Meghalaya and Sikkim.
Additionally, we carry wild teas from Manipur and Nagaland in the extreme northeastern region of India, close to Yunnan. Can't decide? We offer tea samples to help you find your favorite teas.
