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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 golden hay and aged oak. Enjoy it hot or cold brewed tea, it is wonderful!
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.
This is a smooth, slightly sweet tea that has the overtones of honey to me. It is my favorite darjeeling tea! I have already ordered the larger size!
I’ve bought so many varieties of tea from Herbs and Kettles ever since I saw them at the farmers market. Each one is delicious, I’ve reordered many already. The Darjeeling muscatel is no different, it’s so good! I will definitely be ordering again. I love making an oat milk latte with this tea but it’s good in any form.
Today im drinking it both hot and iced, this is the first time im trying darjeeling, and this tea is delicious, i brew it at 212 for 2 minutes then poured over ice then did a second steep for my hot cup, these leaves unfolded beautifly, upon opening the bag theres is a pleasbt sweet smell the stay pretty similar once brewed, the color brews to a nice golden orange, these teas taste not hugely differnt hit and cold but noticeably so, hot has a subtler taste not as sweet or fruitness broght out its a little more dry on the the tounge, iced is a wonderfull change its got a honeylike sweetness suddenly appearing and the fruityness comes out a little more, the website says dried mago peach and grape, i dont really pick up on a spefic fruity flavor it does have a fruityness, the tea has a nice pleasnt lingering aftertaste, its not super astringent, its sweet enough that i dont feel like either version needs any sugar added to it, its nice and smooth and a delightful plesant taste, i really enjoyed this tea and will probably be reaching for it often as the summer months approach as it is really nice and refreshing iced
Summer is definitely my favorite season, and I certainly couldn’t help but pair this summer muscatel darjeeling with my beautiful butterfly mug (one of my favorites, and perfect for summer sipping!)
I always try to taste a tea before I read what the tasting notes are supposed to be - I think it does influence the experience, or maybe that’s just me 😂 anyway, I did get the subtle sweet fruit notes that the tin promised, and I thought the pale yellow hue of it was rather pretty and not what I expected from a darjeeling black tea - but I love the unexpected! It was smooth, too, and all around a gentle blend that I think might be pretty great iced as well. (Is that blasphemous to say about a pure tea??) In any case, I’m so glad I got to try this!
Darjeeling Golden Muscatel
The dry leaves of this second flush Darjeeling have a fruity fragrance. Upon brewing western style the tea is more of an amber color and not the darker colors associated with many black teas.
This is a sipping tea you take the time with to really enjoy the flavors. It’s an experience to savor. The tea is smooth tasting with hints of fruit. I attempted a second steeping and left the leaves in longer this time. The longer steep time made for richer flavor and had more of a mouthfeel which I ultimately preferred.
I have been provided this tea for review but all opinions are my own.
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.
