The price of the new season’s first flush Darjeeling tea has reached a new high of Rs 23,000 per kg. Golden Tips, a well-known tea brand, sourced and purchased these new season spring teas from Goodricke Group’s Badamtam tea estate.
Golden Tips paid Rs 23,000 per kg for organic white teas and Rs 21,000 per kg for moonlight tea, the season’s highest prices so far. Goodricke Group supplied Golden Tips with 10 kg of organic white tea and 5 kg of moonlight tea.
These teas were picked just a few days ago from an estate located at elevations of around 4500 feet above sea level, giving them a distinct character and quality.
The first flush is the picking of the brand new two leaves and a bud in the earliest spring growth of the plant, as early as February and often lasting through April. These early leaves are usually more delicate and tender and therefore more light, floral, fresh, brisk, and astringent in flavour.
Darjeeling first flush tea is some of the most prized and expensive on the market. It is so special and exclusive that tea connoisseurs consider the first harvest from this region to be the “Champagne” of teas.
“We are glad to once again procure the most exotic spring teas from the Goodricke Group’s Badamtam tea estate. Our relationship goes beyond procurement of teas and to the common vision of providing a world class tea experience to tea lovers all over the world, has made us natural partners,” said Madhav Sarda, managing director of Golden Tips Tea.
“Tender buds and leaves from the rare SY-1240 clone, found only in a few gardens, were used to manufacture these speciality teas,” said Subroto Sen, deputy general manager, Goodricke Group.
Golden Tips is looking for strategic partnerships to help it expand its operations nationally, through e-commerce, and through exports.
Golden Tips purchases tea both directly from plantations and through auctions. “Our expertise is in sourcing, sampling, selecting, packaging, and marketing the finest single origin teas, tea blends, and infusions from India and around the world.” “The company primarily operates through its retail outlets,” Sarda added.