{
    "id": 1070268,
    "title": "Darjeeling autumn flush: the season nobody talks about",
    "slug": "darjeeling-autumn-flush",
    "type": "page",
    "url": "https://teas.co.uk/wiki/darjeeling-autumn-flush/",
    "modified": "2026-09-18T00:45:34+01:00",
    "excerpt": "Autumn flush Darjeeling is picked in October and November: darker, rounder and spicier than the famous spring pickings, and usually better value.",
    "content_text": "Darjeeling gets picked in waves, and the autumn flush \u2014 picked from around October into November, after the monsoon has passed \u2014 is the one that rarely makes the marketing. First flush gets the fuss, second flush gets the muscatel reputation, and autumnal quietly turns out the most drinkable everyday Darjeeling of the year.\r\nWhat it tastes like\r\nAutumn Darjeeling is darker, rounder and gentler than the spring pickings. The cup is coppery rather than pale, the aroma leans towards ripe fruit, light spice and wood, and the brisk, green edge of a first flush is gone. It is the Darjeeling that takes a splash of milk without falling apart, though it is still best tried plain first.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFlush\r\nPicked\r\nCharacter\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFirst\r\nMarch\u2013April\r\nPale, brisk, green and floral\r\n\r\n\r\nSecond\r\nMay\u2013June\r\nAmber, muscatel, fruity\r\n\r\n\r\nMonsoon\r\nJuly\u2013September\r\nStrong, plain, mostly used in blends\r\n\r\n\r\nAutumn\r\nOctober\u2013November\r\nCoppery, round, gently spiced\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSee the four flushes of Darjeeling for the full cycle, and first flush vs second flush for the famous two.\r\nWhy it is usually cheaper\r\nNothing to do with quality. Spring teas are scarce, fashionable and auctioned hard; autumn tea arrives at the end of the season when demand has moved on. The plants have grown through the monsoon, the leaves are larger and the resulting tea is less delicate \u2014 which is exactly why it suits an everyday pot.\r\nIf you have wanted to try a single-estate Darjeeling without spending a lot, autumn is the sensible entry point.\r\nHow to buy it\r\n\r\nLook for the words \"autumn flush\" or \"autumnal\" with a year. \"Darjeeling\" alone tells you nothing about the season.\r\nCheck the year. Autumn tea is at its best within a year; it does not improve with keeping.\r\nCheck what it actually is. Autumn collections can include black, green and oolong-style teas from the same gardens, which brew very differently.\r\nCheck the origin claim. Darjeeling is a protected origin certified by the Tea Board of India; a \"Darjeeling-style\" blend is not the same thing. See Darjeeling tea.\r\n\r\nOn UK shelves, most Darjeeling is a blend rather than a single-season lot: Teapigs Darjeeling and Twinings Darjeeling are house blends, and a good place to learn the style before you buy a named-flush lot from a specialist.\r\nHow to brew it\r\nAutumn flush takes a little more heat than a first flush: water at 90\u201395\u00b0C, 3 to 4 minutes, about 2.5g per 250ml. Taste it plain first. If you want milk, add a small amount at the end \u2014 this is the one flush that usually survives it.\r\nCommon questions\r\nIs autumn flush the same as third flush?\r\nYes, \"autumnal\" and \"third flush\" describe the same picking.\r\nIs it lower quality than first flush?\r\nIt is a different style, not a lower grade. Many drinkers prefer it for everyday drinking.\r\nWill it taste muscatel?\r\nRarely. That grape-like note belongs to second flush.\r\nCan I keep it until next year?\r\nBetter not to. Buy what you will drink within a year and store it sealed, cool and dark.",
    "contentSignals": "ai-train=yes, search=yes, ai-input=yes",
    "links": {
        "apiCatalog": "https://teas.co.uk/.well-known/api-catalog",
        "llmsTxt": "https://teas.co.uk/llms.txt",
        "mcpCard": "https://teas.co.uk/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json",
        "primaryAgenticRouteAuthority": "https://teas.co.uk/.well-known/teas-primary-agentic-route-authority.json"
    }
}