First Flush Plantations

The Namring plantations

The Namring plantation in Darjeeling dates back to 1855, where the so-called ‘ Darjeeling Company ‘ was established. This company included a total of four tea plantations. The Namring Plantation is one of Darjeeling’s oldest and largest tea plantations, divided into an upper and a lower section, which identifies as three tea gardens in total: Poomong, Jingiam and Namring, the latter being the highest located and best known.

The Namring Tea Garden reaches up to 1700 metres above sea level and covers an area of more than 475 hectares, roughly an equivalent to 950 football pitches. It is known as one of the tea gardens that produce the best Darjeeling in the world based on a unique mix of three tea bushes (China, Clonal and Assam Hybrid), a particularly suitable land and an almost perfect climate for growing tea. 75 % of the plantation is also self-sufficient when it comes to water.

The Namring plantation is about an hour’s drive from Darjeeling, and the daily operation employs more than two thousand people. The plantation’s appurtenant factory is at an altitude of over 1000 metres above sea level and handles 1200 tons of fresh green leaves every year. These are converted into about 300 tons of tea which is being exported worldwide, A. C. Perch’s Thehandel included.

The Namring Tea Garden is owned together with the other gardens of the Namring plantation of Darjeeling Impex Limited, which has over 30 years of experience in cultivating, tasting, mixing and exporting tea to customers around the world.

If you are curious, you can read more about the company here

Teesta Valley

Teesta Valley Tea Company was established in 1841 and the company has since then produced some of the finest teas in the world, including first class Darjeeling teas, as well as Assam and Dooars teas. It is possible, among other things, because the company cultivates its tea in one of the most famous tea gardens in the area, Teesta Valley.

Teesta Valley is named after a lively mountain river in the area. The tea garden was gradually expanded over a 15-year period beginning in 1841 and at the same time as the nearby tea garden Gielle, which also shares a name with a local mountain river. Carefully selected tea bushes were planted in the years up until 1856.

The Teesta Valley is ideally located for growing tea, since it stretches across the area’s cool, sunny mountain sides from about 760 metres altitude and up to over 1900 metres of altitude. Teesta Valley spreads over mountain sides blessed with cool fog, bright sunshine and Kanchenjunga’s dry winds – conditions that when put together create the ideal circumstances for cultivating a complete Darjeeling.

Thurbo

Thurbo is now a fairly well-known name among Darjeeling enthusiasts. As is the case with many Darjeeling tea gardens, there is a unique story associated with the slightly special name that this plantation carries. The name Thurbo is based on a historical event. The British actually had a camp in the plantation when they were planning to invade Nepal. The mountain sides and peaks of Nepal are visible from the Thurbo plantation, located in the shadow of the mighty Kachenjunga. Small currents mark the boundaries and orange orchid fields add an exotic charm and fine fragrance notes to the tea.

The term for ‘making camp’ was ‘ Tombu ‘ in the local dialect – and the locals found that this was an appropriate name for a plantation that was actually used as a camp. Over the years, the name evolved from ‘ Tombu ‘ to ‘ Thurbo ‘ – the name the plantation has today. Thurbo’s teas has a unique character that is characterized by their delicate scent and fine bright color.