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Black · Grounding
A luminous first-flush Darjeeling with floral lift, muscatel character, and the composed warmth that anchors Sip Tea's Black Path.
Sensory Notes
Water
90–95°C (194–203°F)
Steep
3–4 minutes
Caffeine
Medium
Origin
India
The Expression
First Flush Darjeeling is one of the tea world's most anticipated seasonal events. Each spring, as the first new growth emerges from the Himalayan foothills, Makaibari Estate's skilled pickers collect only the top two leaves and a bud. The resulting tea is unlike any other black tea: lighter in color, almost amber-golden in the cup, with a brightness and muscatel grape character that inspired wine comparisons centuries ago.
Provenance
Makaibari Tea Estate, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India. Established in 1859, Makaibari is the world's first certified biodynamic and organic tea estate. The gardens sit at 2,000 feet elevation in a valley that channels cool Himalayan air and receives morning mist from the Teesta River. Makaibari has won international awards for both its tea quality and its conservation practices.
Context
Darjeeling tea cultivation was initiated by the British East India Company in the 1840s, partly as an attempt to break China's monopoly on tea. The first commercial tea garden was established in 1856. By the end of the 19th century, over 100 estates covered the Darjeeling hills, and the tea had gained a global reputation.
Our Approach
Darjeeling's tea identity grew from nineteenth-century Himalayan cultivation and generations of estate craft. Sip Tea treats that history as cultural context, not as a shortcut to health claims.
Ritual
Brew in a preheated white porcelain pot to appreciate the golden color. No milk—this is a tea that deserves to be seen. Drink it in the morning before the world fully wakes.
Pairing
Scones with clotted cream, shortbread, fresh berries, or contemplative morning silence.
Ingredients
Single-origin first flush Darjeeling, Makaibari Estate, West Bengal, India
Continue the Path
Green · Presence
A bright, pan-fired Longjing green tea with fresh vegetal lift, gentle chestnut sweetness, and the clean presence at the heart of Sip Tea's Green Path.
Fresh grass · Sweet chestnut · Buttery umami
Botanical · Ease
A rotating caffeine-free botanical infusion selected for aroma, balance and ritual versatility, from florals and citrus to rooibos, herbs and gentle spice.
Floral · Citrus · Herbal lift
Discovery Collection
Meet Sip Tea through all three expressions: Botanical for Ease, Green for Presence, and Black for Grounding, presented as one guided discovery ritual.
Botanical · aromatic and caffeine-free · Green · fresh and living · Black · warm and deep
