THE SUMMER FLUSH: DARJEELING IN 2025

[Editor's note: Find all of Terry's Tea Thoughts here.]

Don’t expect the explicit muscatel “attack” we had with the 2024s. I liked that, it was fun, but at times it was so uniform it felt like it was grafted on. Still, the few ’24 teas I have left are a reminder of why the term “muscatel” exists at all; the teas can be overtly grapey. I noticed its absence when the first ‘25 teas arrived, and thought it might be a problem, but these teas have deeper and more inscrutable tricks up their sleeves.

In general 2025 2^nd-flush are rich teas with less up-front flourish but more mid-palate opulence and umami. They feel essentially riper than the ‘24s were. You could say “sunnier.” They do not announce themselves the way last year’s teas did, but theirs is a confident depth, an allusive generosity I found even more deeply satisfying once I began to understand it. Now I relish it. When I can compare the two “vintages” directly, ’24 has more “hook” but ’25 has more sumptuous harmonies. I see it as a markedly successful season, especially among the vendors who launched their offerings early. I can’t explain why that might be, but empirically it has proven to be (mostly) true.

But watch that “mostly,” because there are times when 2024 was simply better. This morning I drank Jungpana from Teabox, the ’24 and ’25 side by side, and it was plain and obvious the ’24 was the better tea. And yes, I understand that it cannot be a direct comparison because one tea is a year old and has developed. We allow for that. So a day later I had a trilogy of Castletons, the ’25 and ’24 from Thunderbolt and the ’25 from Teabox. Both Thunderbolt teas were superb, as they ought to be, but while I found them “equal” in quality I liked the ’24 more, specifically for its greater focus. The Teabox was beautiful, almost buttery, with the suggestive depths of ’25 at its best.

After many years of assuming freshness was the sine qua non of desirability, I’ve modified that view. I can be charmed by the vividness of a fresh new tea – and with some of the vendors you can drink a tea that was on the bush two weeks ago – but tea is subtler than that. Some teas expand with time and others contract. I don’t know which are which or if it’s garden-specific or vintage-specific, but it’s why I wait until November to write these things, because a tea that was gangbusters in July may have faded in the interim, whereas a tea that seemed only “quite okay” in July may have unfurled into splendor in the interim. And even taking such care as this, I’ll still get a few of them wrong. That said, I have a feeling the ‘25s may not be long keepers – but we shall see.

AROUND THE GARDENS

“Gardens” are the producers. (The Germans call them “Plantagen.”) There are many, many gardens but most of them we never see, as they sell their production in bulk. And some we only see in certain places, as they have exclusive arrangements with tea merchants in this market or that. The vendors from whom I buy are a who’s-who of the most selective merchants directly in (or near) Darjeeling, constituting a noble fraternity of conscientious tea merchants. Imagine there were a half-dozen wine merchants located in Bernkastel through whom much premium Mosel Riesling was sold throughout the world. (Alas, you have to imagine it because such a thing is impossible when dealing with “alcoholic beverages…”) The internet has been a boon for the tea amateur.

But the market between the gardens and the merchants is…untidy. It entails a good deal of flux, and in many instances any “favorites” you may have learned to look for may or may not be there to be found. But a kind of baseline exists and seems to stand on fairly solid ground. Some gardens have “agreements” (formal or otherwise) that teas will be offered to the retail merchants (who could be called the “boutique” or elite vendors), and in such cases the gardens send out samples as the harvest gets underway. One merchant told me “I get a sense of how the production will turn out going forward for each garden from the first few invoices, based on quality, timing of harvest, weather patterns & weather forecasting...”

(A reminder: an “invoice” refers to a specific lot of tea, and most of the gardens make two “invoices” per day, one from the am and the other from the pm plucking.)

In other instances the merchant will initiate contact with the gardens. My friends at Teabox told me “the process of sourcing teas is actually quite collaborative. Our team maintains close relationships with several tea estates across regions. Sometimes, we reach out to specific gardens, for example, when we’re looking to explore a certain flavor profile or seasonal lot (like Thurbo or Puttabong). Other times, estates themselves send us fresh samples from their new harvests, inviting us to taste and select what aligns with our quality standards.” When demand outstrips supply, the vendors need to “knock on doors” to secure the teas they want. Thus you’ll encounter a core group of names you may not see everywhere but will always see somewhere. Others will appear and disappear according to how excellent they were or how eagerly they’re looking for business.

If “Glenburn” (for example) is excellent one year and you seek it out the following year, maybe you’ll find it and maybe you won’t. It could depend on whether their (for instance) French importer is ready to order again after skipping a year.

So, in no particular order, here’s who did what.

JUNGPANA – I only had three (Teabox, Nathmulls, and Tea Boutique) but all are markedly strong, especially the last. As a guy who’s never really grokked Jungpana, I don’t know if this constitutes a comeback for them or a tardy understanding for me, but either way you can trust the garden this year. Niranjan’s textbook offering (from Tea Boutique) is really everything the garden has ever been at its best.

TURZUM -  is about where it usually is; a very good tea in the “wine-y” idiom; enjoyable and not among the stellar – with one notable exception; a really fine invoice offered by Thunderbolt, a sumptuous, rich and “vinous” tea that continues to unfurl. Otherwise I have a few examples but didn’t buy every tea I saw. Sometimes I think Turzum may have depths that don’t reveal themselves until many months have passed. Benoy’s selection is the first time I’ve understood the “fuss” over it.

CASTELTON -  This justly renowned garden is All That in 2025. I have three teas, all of them superb, one of them utterly great – as good as 2^nd-flush Darjeeling can be at its most resplendently classic.

SELIMBONG – seems unique to Teabox, and the ’25 typifies the distinction between the two vintages; a superb tea that is less overt than the ’24 was, but when I have them side to side I find the ’25…nobler.

SAMABAEONG – Teabox and Tea Emporium now. For Teabox it’s the one tea in their tin-box “classic” series, and to date it has been too subtle for me to affirm the status they assign it. Tea Emporium’s is typical of the spherical nature of these teas. I like this garden a lot, but the teas are seldom showy.

SINGBULLI – Just one tea, from Emporium, and it’s atypically vigorous and punchy.

SINGELL – Two vendors have priced this at the top (Teabox and Emporium) and I strain to understand why. The teas are very good, and I relish their classic serenity and their allusive depths.  Teabox tells me “ This is a historic and prestigious estate in the Kurseong Valley, renowned for its vintage seed-grown Chinary bushes—some over 160 years old—which give its teas their unique character. The garden is committed to organic and biodynamic practices, which ensure authenticity and sustainability. Singell's 2025 summer muscatel black tea remains a premium, deluxe offering, recognized for its full flavor, muscat grape and peach notes, smooth medium-bodied texture, and refreshing astringency. Its premium pricing reflects its heritage and quality, and the estate is also known for its ethical and community-focused approach.” I can’t possibly dispute any of that, yet in the cup I find it a half-rung below the very top. The problem could be mine. I had it again today and started to see what the fuss was about, but it’s a tea of creamy depth rather than intensely focused flavors. Still, its aristocracy is growing more evident.

BALASUN – was offered by two vendors and the teas are quite nice in their clonal style.

GIDDAPAHAR – Wow, a possible comeback year for this venerable garden, if Teabox’s lot is anything to go by. That tea, by the way, is a insider-tip to put on your short list; it shows all the garden’s virtues, precision, intensity and class.

THURBO – Just one tea from Thunderbolt, and hard to assess it because I think it has TCA.

GLENBURN – Two from Nathmull’s, the better one called “Muscatel Wonder” and a somewhat oddly smoky one called “Summer Clonal Solace.” The first of these was ravishing when it arrived and has grown more demure over time. It’s a fine tea I’d have overrated if I’d written this report several months ago.

GOPALDHARA/ROHINI – Seemed to have reached some sort of pinnacle in 2023, from which they’ve slid down the last two years. The teas are “quite good” of their chocolatey type, but the heights of the previous “Plum Muscatella” or “Gold Thead Reserve” are only hinted at. “Gold Thor” is the best one I bought. Knowing what the garden(s) can do, I’ll keep buying, hoping they’ll do it again.

RINGTONG – Two examples (Tea Emporium and Nathmull’s), both of them powerhouses offering plenty of satisfaction for lovers of in-your-face teas. I think this is a garden to watch. Emporium’s is the richer tea, but Nathmulls’ is a sternly powerful Darjeeling.

ARYA – Arya is as Arya does; the “Ruby” and “Diamond” clonals are lovely and perhaps just a smidge below their utter best. I missed a basic Muscatel from Tea Boutique (and have always liked that tea) but if you like the Arya flavor you’ll be very happy with the two elite teas – and lest I forget, with the “Moonbeam” offered by Thunderbolt, which may be the pick of the bunch.

UPPER FAGU – Just one from Nathmull’s, and it’s a muscular fellow indeed.

PUTTABONG – as solid as usual in its just-below-the-top echelon. I like Puttabong, and the price is right, and the bug-bitten tea from Thunderbolt is well worth putting on your short list.

MARGARET’S HOPE – A garden I’ve never cherished, but Niranjan at Tea Boutique made a believer out of me; a pointed, intense muscatel and a splendid “moonlight” tea that’s better than any Arya Ruby for the last five years. It was a delight to be proven wrong!

SEEYOK – Why the paucity of Seeyok this season?? The great 2023 from Teabox remains the greatest Darjeeling tea I have ever had (and I still have some more of it) and the ’24 wasn’t much worse. I looked in vain for the same in ’25 but there was only one excellent muscatel (from Teabox), and I must content myself with the supernal 2024 from Emporium – the unsung hero of the ’24 season. Upton’s has offered a (curiously nutty) one, while Camelia Sinensis has one which Kevin says he’ll send me.

NAMRING – this once well reputed garden is said to be making a comeback. I bought one from Tea Emporium and also got a sample from Nathmull’s. The teas are “solid” and perfectly good, but not remarkable. However, a first-flush from Teabox truly was remarkable, so the scuttlebutt may be true.

VENDOR-BY-VENDOR

It is said that I buy only from the “elite” sources, but I didn’t see much beyond those sources. Vahdam feels too commercial, and their “garden direct” series doesn’t have anything I can’t get from all the others. “Golden Tips” is just the same as Nathmulls (why?), and Jay Shree seems to be a clearing house for Turzum. Tea Lovers tends to be very late with their offering, by which time I’m loaded up.

The Grand-Cru vendors, in my experience, tend to be Darjeeling Tea Boutique, Teabox, and Thunderbolt. Barely below them – a super-2^nd if you will, is Tea Emporium. Nathmull’s is reliably solid with occasional high spots. Gopaldhara/Rohini is a garden from which you can buy directly, and I do, though the last two summer flushes have slipped below the standard prevailing through the 2023s.

Among the GCs the first-among-equals in 2025 was Tea Boutique. Niranjan’s is very much an artisan mentality, both in selectivity and in scale, and it is a pleasure to report he has the two best teas of the season.

Thunderbolt has been a moving target the last few years, but their offering was prompt this time and there were many excellent teas in Benoy’s wine-y savory style, especially that beautiful Turzum, which shows his palate at its most acute.

Teabox remains an impeccable source (and a model of superb customer service). The range was less assertive than it was last year, and I find I am “coming to terms” with the subtlety of the collection overall. That said, a couple gems are embedded therein.

Tea Emporium is the classicist; the teas convey a sense of permanence, flavory but seldom showy, utterly reliable, and the teas most likely to age well (in my experience). As his offering is among the earliest, he acts as a bellwether for the quality of the harvest. I have unqualified respect for Mr. Mitra. His Ringtong demonstrates why; it has an extra dimension of richness compared to the more straightforwardly intense invoice from Nathmulls.

THE BEST-OF LISTS

The very best among the teas – and not by a little – are two giants from Tea Boutique, a sensationally rich, deep Jungpana (the best I’ve ever had from this garden) and a simply staggering Castleton, that tastes like a great vintage of Chateau Latour (as if I would know what those are like….) or what I imagine Latour to be at its greatest.

So, the top-2 teas are:

JUNGPANA from Tea Boutique.

CASTLETON from Tea Boutique

Next up are a group of teas that would have been “best-of” except for the colossal quality of the two Leviathans from Tea Boutique. They are:

CASTLETON from Thunderbolt

CASTLETON from Teabox

SINGELL from Teabox

MARGARET’S HOPE from Tea Boutique

MARGARET’S HOPE “MOONLIGHT” from Tea Boutique

SEEYOK from Teabox

TURZUM from Thunderbolt

RINGTONG from Tea Emporium.

Other fascinating teas include SINGBULLI from Tea Emporium, GOLD THOR from Gopaldhara, RINGTONG from Nathmull’s, PUTTABONG “KAKRA” from Thunderbolt, and TURZUM from Tea Emporium. But candidly, if I wrote this again in 60 days I might have different teas in this group, as they shape-shift over time.

To conclude, one of the vendors paid me the compliment of saying my report is the most eagerly awaited. I felt both honored, and also sad. I am the one-eyed king in the country of the blind; I am barely qualified to assert any “authority” except to the degree I pay deep attention and have done for many years. The most praise I would accept is to be called a “talented student.” But of all the things I have “studied” over the years, the one that has given me the most engagement apart from wine has been tea in general and Darjeeling tea in particular. Thank you for indulging me this obscure proclivity – and get to know these teas!