Darjeeling teas are best known for their black teas and distinctive muscatel aroma, but what exactly is that? For decades, people thought it was simply due to the exceptional terroir, climate, and the tea bushes' unique genetics. After exchanging scientific insights with Taiwanese tea masters, they solved the mystery. The delicious honey, citrus, and muskatel flavors come from indigenous bugs, mainly jassids and thrips, that nibble on the young tea leaves. Naturally, the tea plant doesn't take this lightly and defends itself with a cocktail of biosynthesized compounds that give bug-bitten tea its unique character: aromatic, honeylike, sweet, and citrussy. With this tea, you get to not only explore a true bug-bitten beauty, but also gain insight into the seasonal nature of teas from the Himalayas. Himalayan Beauty comes from the same AV2 cultivar as our Spring Blossom, picked from the same hillside just one season later. While our Spring Blossom is floral and high-pitched, complemented with notes of citrus and ripe persimmon, its summer variety, Himalayan Beauty, is dense and spiced. The same bush, read twice, and this is precisely the essence of Darjeeling that is hardest to explain but easiest to taste. If you want to understand cultivars, the cultivar guide covers what AV2 does across the year. Candied orange peel and muskmelon, over a texture that stays creamy and alive rather than settling. It gives you the same range cold as it does hot, which is unusual, as most teas lose their edges in cold water. This one keeps them. Made by Sonam, from the same garden as our GABA Oolong. A limited micro-batch of one summer. Sensory Profile Aroma: Spiced and fragrant, with the honeyed note the bite leaves behind. Palate: Candied orange peel and muskmelon. Mouthfeel: Creamy and vibrant, with a long finish. Technical Specifications Origin Darjeeling Hills Altitude ~1,700 m Harvest Summer 2026 (Second Flush) Cultivar AV2 Processing Bug-bitten oolong Rarity Limited Micro-Batch Brewing Suggestion Temperature 87°C Water 150 ml Leaves 2.5 g Steeping Times 1 min │ 2 min │ 2 min Infusions At least 3 times Cold Brew: 1g tea leaves per 100ml water (room temperature), stir gently to prewet all leaves, and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. last updated: August 2026
