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Steve Smith knew how to make an entrance. From birth, he positioned himself at the pinnacle of everything he would later accomplish, often outsmarting and outpacing the world around him. Knowing what we know of him now, it stands to reason that he would manage himself a birthdate right at the epicenter of his favorite harvest season: Darjeeling.
Understanding the Darjeeling Flushes
Darjeeling season – for the highest quality teas – spans from March to June. First flush represents a very short window of the season, typically 2-3 weeks at the end of March and early April. Once done flushing, the tea bushes take a short nap to build up nutrients and energy to come barreling in with the caramelly, rich second flush teas that are most loved at the Smith Teaworks. These teas are harvested in May and June, the best of which often have the date May 29th stamped on their jute sacks.
As we stand at the crossing point between first and second flush season, we wanted to look back and ahead at how the harvest season is going.
Looking Back: First Flush 2026
First flush season was rife with challenges and was a tale of two seasons. From November to March, nary a raindrop fell on the tea estates. The driest season in decades was concerning for the farmers, save for the fact that the conditions concentrated the essential oils present in the plant which gives tremendous flavor to the end cup. But as March hit, it rained. And it rained hard. The tea leaves were abnormally sticky and difficult to work with, and the stressed plants couldn’t flush their typical volumes. But, as with all artforms, the teamakers that were able to harness the best of the leaves were able to make some absolutely incredible teas thanks to the concentration of flavor embedded in the leaves. We are fortunate to be highly selective with our buying, and we found three exceptional lots of teas from three different gardens for this year’s portfolio. Best of which was a Tumsong Estate tea that we’re delighted to have launched for Steve’s birthday this year.
Looking Ahead: Second Flush
Looking forward to second flush, our teamaker friends in Darjeeling are optimistic about the flush, though erratic weather has thus far been a concern. Because of the drought, we are also anticipating a later than usual start to the season, perhaps coinciding precisely with Founder’s Day. Thanks, Steve.
