Perched high above the twinkling night lights of Kurseong, the Giddapahar Tea Estate feels less like an working tea estate and more like a living vantage point. The meaning of Giddapahar is “Falcon’s cliff”, a name that reveals itself fully only when you stand at it’s edge watching birds of prey circle effortlessly above a landscape where the tea bushes grow at altitudes of up to 1800 meters and the soil underneath your feet is a rich sandy/ loam mix.
Our first Darjeeling direct import of the year, Giddapahar First Flush DJ09 Clonal Delight is an elegant, floral first flush tea. But it is much more than that; it is a tea that tells story of place, lineage, and commitment to continuing the long family tradition.
Like it’s neighbour Goom Tea Estate and the beautifully situated Arya, Giddapahar is one of the few remaining tea gardens that did not evolve as part of a corporate or colonial system, passing through layers of British management. Founded by the Shah family in 1888, it has remained in their possession for over a century. Unlike many estates, where ownership is distant and managerial, the Shah family still lives on the land they cultivate. The estate is very much a home first and a business second, and co-owners Sudanshu Shah and his brother remain deeply involved in daily operations, supervising all aspects of the tea production from the fields to the factory.
Giddapahar’s tea growing areas are located on steep hillsides in the Kurseong Valley, starting at an altitude of almost 1.400 up to 1.800 meters. Although many plots are still rooted in the original China bushes introduced to Darjeeling in the 19th century, today, the estate maintains a thoughtful balance: roughly 75% China bush, 15% clonal varieties, and a small proportion of assamica.
The DJ09/2026 First Flush Clonal Delight eflects this diversity. It is a clonal tea with many of the characteristics of the widely planted AV2 cultivar, yet it carries a restraint and nuance often associated with teas made from older bushes.
The leaves used to make this batch of very rare “Clonal Delight” tea come from Ambari Vegetative 2 (“AV2”) clonal plants grown at an elevation of 2000 meters above sea level. Clonal teas made from the AV2 are often bold, immediate, and highly expressive of the modern day signature Darjeeling first flush character. In contrast, teas made from pure China plants demand patience and much skill to coax out the subtle layers and arrive at the right balance of flavour and bite.
This year’s DJ09 Clonal Delight walks a careful line between the two types of plant: aromatic and vivid, yet not overwhelming. It has delicate floral notes, a very light astringency, and a crystalline clarity that lingers on the tongue.
The dry leaf of this tea is of excellent quality, bright intact, with an overall white-greenish appearance with the fine silver fibres we associate with tips on most of the leaves. Skilfully rolled and twisted, the appearance is wiry and elongated with cylindrical twirls.
Infused for just three minutes the liquor is clear and bright and the infusion mild and floral, developing with a longer infusion to reveal a bright golden-yellow brew with a rich mellow liquor. Smooth on the first sip, as you roll it around your mouth various levels of complex fruity and floral notes come to the fore. As the tea cools it tastes sweeter and fruitier.
Giddapahar produces just 30,000–35,000 kilograms of tea annually – a fraction compared to larger estates, and teas like this excellent first flush are a very rare treat.
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