A Year up in the Mountains
High in the Himalaya, the year unfolds in cycles that shape not only the landscape, but the character of tea itself.
At the beginning of the year, the mountains are still. The tea plants remain in winter dormancy, a period in which growth has paused and no leaves are plucked. During these colder months, the plants store energy and concentrate nutrients beneath the surface.
Only with the arrival of spring, as temperatures begin to rise, does this dormancy come to an end. Tea gardens in lower elevations are the first to awaken, and by April, across the Himalaya, the tea season has begun. The first new shoots emerge, enriched by everything gathered during winter. This is the moment of our Himalaya Spring, the first harvest of the year. Mornings and evenings remain cool, and this slow, gentle growth produces teas that are light, fresh, and aromatic, often processed with lower oxidation to encapsulate the freshness of the season.
One of the defining characteristics of the Himalaya is its dramatic range of elevations. Within just a few thousand meters, the landscape shifts from subtropical plains to temperate forests and up into alpine conditions. This elevation creates clearly defined seasons, winter, spring, summer, and autumn. At the same time, the region’s proximity to the equator brings alternating dry periods and monsoon rains. Together, these two forces shape a climate that is both seasonal and dynamic, giving the Himalaya its unique conditions for tea cultivation.
Here comes the Summer
After the first harvests, the monsoon begins to build. Rainfall replenishes the soil, and as the weather stabilizes into summer, the conditions change significantly. Days grow longer, temperatures rise, and humidity increases. With more sunlight and faster growth, the teas become fuller in body, rounder, and more expressive, often developing ripe, fruity notes. This is the season of the Second Musk Flush, where the intensity of summer defines the cup.
In Darjeeling, these conditions also allow for one of tea’s most distinctive transformations. Small leafhoppers, often referred to as green flies, interact with the leaves, triggering a natural defense response in the plant. This process contributes to the development of the characteristic muscatel aroma found in second harvest teas.
As the year progresses, rainfall returns intermittently, and the transition into autumn begins. Temperatures gradually drop, and the tea plants start to slow down once more, preparing for the coming dormancy. The character of the tea shifts again. Autumn harvests, such as our Autumn Flush, are quieter in expression, less driven by high aromatics, but offer a sense of balance and depth. Smooth, round, and comforting, they bring a grounded quality that lends itself to everyday drinking.
Going back to sleep
By the end of the season, the fields grow still again. Cooler air descends from the mountains, and the cycle returns to where it began. The plants enter dormancy once more, holding their energy until the warmth of the next spring calls them back to life.
In the Himalaya, tea is not just shaped by place, but by time. Each season leaves its imprint, and each harvest tells a different part of the same story.
