Description There is whiskey and there is single malt scotch. There are mushrooms and there are black truffles. And then there is black tea and there is Darjeeling. While we all love the “basic” versions of things, sometimes you want something with a little more depth, character, and elegance. This is why Darjeeling teas are called the “Champagne of Teas.” Darjeeling gets this flavor through its unique harvesting, rolling, and Indian terroir (that means soil to tea nerds like us). What you end up with is a tea that is lighter and less “bitey” than most black teas, yet more layered and complex than green teas. Tasting Notes Some call it “The Land of the Dancing Mists.” To us it's simply home to one of our favorite black teas which balances fruit, nut, and floral flavors with an unusual muscatel character. Sourcing This particular Darjeeling is known as an Autumnal Darjeeling from the famous Makaibari Tea Farm. The owners actually live on the farm and provide for over 600 families. In 1971, Makaibari decided to move to a “beyond organic” approach that believes the sum is greater than the parts. This means that instead of using chemicals to fertilize the plants, they allow native plants and herbs to grow alongside the plants instead of being pulled as weeds. The tea plants are then allowed to integrate into the overall ecosystem of the local rainforest to create a fully biodynamic and organic tea farm.