Darjeeling FTGFOP1 is the highest grade of tea produced in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India — a UNESCO-recognized tea region at elevations between 600 and 2,100 meters in the Himalayan foothills. The letters stand for Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe First Grade, indicating whole-leaf orthodox tea with abundant golden tips and exceptional quality. Darjeeling grows primarily the Chinese sinensis variety, which at altitude and in the cool, misty climate of the Himalayas develops the characteristic muscatel grape note — an aromatic quality found in no other tea-growing region on Earth.
Second flush Darjeeling (May–June harvest) is the most prized, producing the deepest muscatel character and the amber-orange liquor that tea connoisseurs seek. The processing is fully orthodox: hand-plucked two leaves and a bud, withered, gently rolled, oxidized, and fired to lock in the complexity.
In the cup, this brews a bright amber liquor with an immediate muscatel aroma — complex, floral, and subtly astringent. The body is medium-light, the finish clean and long. Drink it black; milk mutes the delicate florals.
Brew at 195°F for 3–4 minutes. Use 2.5 grams per 8-ounce cup.