Tasting Notes: Crafted solely from tender buds which delivers a gradual waves of Himalayan florals and honeysuckle. Silky yet surprisingly full-bodied, it glides with refined honeyed sweetness. The finish is long, nectar like, layered, and hypnotic, echoing in elegant waves long after the cup is gone. If one tea defines the season, it is this.
Detailed Description
Dry Tea Leaf:
Appearance: It is composed of downy, fragrant silver buds, hand-plucked exclusively from young AV2 shoots. Carefully withered, gently rolled in an 18-inch roller, and meticulously dried, it reflects over four decades of refined craftsmanship. Produced as a small, exacting batch, it received unwavering attention from tea maker Mr. Ratan Gurung through the night of April 6 into the morning of April 7—honouring the precision of each picker, who hand plucked just 170 grams of buds in a day.
Fragrance: The buds exude a sweet, floral fragrance layered with a bouquet of wildflowers—a signature of finely crafted AV2 teas, elevating this Silver Needles into a truly prized offering.
Liquor:
Appearance: The liquor gleams with bright, shimmering lemon hues, reminiscent of champagne’s lively brilliance.
Fragrance: The liquor opens bright, gradually unfolding into a lush, garden-like bouquet of Himalayan wildflowers, returning in soft, inviting waves that envelop the senses and linger long after each sip.
Flavour: A gradual unfolding of Himalayan florals and honeysuckle defines the cup, with quiet intensity and enchanting peaks that elevate the tea taster’s palate. Silky yet surprisingly full-bodied, it glides with refined, honeyed sweetness. The finish is long, nectar-like, layered, and hypnotic—echoing in elegant waves well beyond the last sip. A seven-minute infusion releases an enchanting aroma that gently fills the room. Vividly floral and smooth, it unfolds in graceful, shifting notes, revealing a cascade of wildflower nuances—soft, lingering, and dreamlike.
Remarkably resilient, the leaves yield up to four infusions at 7–8 minutes each, with consistently excellent results. From the second steep onward, the flavours deepen and become even more expressive, revealing greater nuance with every cup.
If there’s only one Darjeeling First Flush of 2026 to experience, let it be this.
No of infusions: 4
About the Garden
Margaret's Hope formerly known as Bara Rington, is a tea estate located in the northern valley of Kurseong of the Darjeeling disctrict. The elevation of the garden is 2800feet to 5500feet. Moonlight is their signature production.
This garden was established in 1864 and is known to produce one of the best teas from china cultivars and tops the chart as the best AV2 tea producer of the region.
