Darjeeling First Flush
Floral and brisk, with green grape and citrus and an almost green brightness.
Editor's score
In season now · October 2026
Teas in season
What the tea gardens are picking this month, from each tea's harvest calendar in the guide. Dates move a little each year with the weather.
Picking now 32
Assam
Assam, India
Starts this monthOct to Nov
Winter
Dong Ding Oolong
Lugu, Nantou, Taiwan
Starts this monthOct to Nov
Autumn
Assam CTC
Assam, India
Starts this monthOct to Nov
Winter
Alishan High Mountain
Alishan, Chiayi, Taiwan
Starts this monthOct to Nov
Winter
Jin Xuan (Milk Oolong)
Alishan, Chiayi, Taiwan
Starts this monthOct to Nov
Autumnal
Nepal Ilam
Ilam, Nepal
Starts this monthOct to Nov
Harvest
Hibiscus (Karkadé)
Western Sudan, Sudan
Starts this monthOct to Dec
Winter
Li Shan Oolong
Lishan, Taichung, Taiwan
Starts this monthOct to Nov
Autumnal flush
Darjeeling Autumn Flush
Darjeeling, India
Starts this monthOct to Nov
Coffee harvest
Cascara
Various regions, Ethiopia
Starts this monthOct to Feb
Rainy seasons
Usambara Black
East Usambara, Tanzania
Starts this monthOct to Dec
Autumn
Tieguanyin
Anxi, China
Last month of pickingSep to Oct
Autumn
Dian Hong
Fengqing, China
Last month of pickingSep to Oct
Later flushes
Sencha
Shizuoka, Japan
Last month of pickingAug to Oct
Later harvests
Hojicha
Uji, Japan
Last month of pickingJul to Oct
Autumn
Sheng Pu-erh
Xishuangbanna, China
Last month of pickingSep to Oct
Picking
Shou (Ripe) Pu'er
Xishuangbanna, China
Last month of pickingJun to Oct
Third flush
Rize Çay
Rize, Turkey
Last month of pickingSep to Oct
Summer and autumn
Taiwan Ruby 18
Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan
Last month of pickingJun to Oct
Hips ripen
Rose Hip Tea
Central Anatolia, Turkey
Until NovemberSep to Nov
Summer and autumn
Thai Nguyen Green
Thai Nguyen, Vietnam
Last month of pickingJun to Oct
Picking
Liu Bao
Cangwu, Wuzhou, China
Last month of pickingApr to Oct
Autumn
Bancha
Shizuoka, Japan
Last month of pickingSep to Oct
Growing season
Yingde Black
Yingde, Qingyuan, China
Last month of pickingApr to Oct
Rainy season
Sylhet Black
Sylhet, Bangladesh
Last month of pickingApr to Oct
Flushes
Sikkim Temi
Temi, Namchi, India
Last month of pickingApr to Oct
Growing season
Lahijan Black
Lahijan, Iran
Last month of pickingMay to Oct
Growing season
Lankaran Black
Lankaran, Azerbaijan
Last month of pickingMay to Oct
Growing season
Kangra Black
Kangra, India
Last month of pickingApr to Oct
Summer and autumn
Taitung Red Oolong
Luye, Taitung, Taiwan
Last month of pickingJun to Oct
Flushes
Darjeeling Oolong
Darjeeling, India
Until NovemberMar to Nov
Rainy seasons
Uganda Black
Various regions, Uganda
Until NovemberSep to Nov
Also picked all year: Ceylon Uva, Kenya Black, Nilgiri and 15 more.
Coming up
Countdown to the next picking, by month.
Baozhong (Wenshan)
Pinglin, Taiwan
to go
Starts November
Rainy season
Malawi Black (Mulanje)
Mulanje, Malawi
to go
Starts November
Winter
Muzha Tieguanyin
Muzha, Taipei, Taiwan
to go
Starts November
Winter
GABA Oolong
Various regions, Taiwan
to go
Starts November
Harvest
Lemon Verbena
Various regions, Peru
to go
Starts December
Harvest
Rooibos
Cederberg, South Africa
to go
Starts January 2027
Harvest
Honeybush
Eastern Cape, South Africa
to go
Starts January 2027
Flowering
Chamomile
Nile farmland, Egypt
to go
Starts February 2027
First flush
Darjeeling First Flush
Darjeeling, India
to go
Starts March 2027
Pre-Qingming
Longjing (Dragon Well)
West Lake, Hangzhou, China
to go
Starts March 2027
Black
Fully oxidised leaf. Malty, brisk or fruity, from Assam breakfast cups to smoky Lapsang and the muscatel of Darjeeling.
See all black teas (37)→Darjeeling First Flush
Assam
Darjeeling Second Flush
Dian Hong
Keemun
Ceylon Uva
Kenya Black
Lapsang Souchong
Nilgiri
Assam CTC
Ceylon Dimbula
Ceylon Nuwara Eliya
Golden Monkey
Nepal Ilam
Rize Çay
Taiwan Ruby 18
Yunnan Gold
Ceylon Kandy
Darjeeling Autumn Flush
Malawi Black (Mulanje)
Rwanda Black
Ceylon Low-Grown
Georgian Black
Java Black
Jin Jun Mei
Nepal First Flush
Yingde Black
Tanyang Gongfu
Sylhet Black
Azores Tea
Sikkim Temi
Lahijan Black
Lankaran Black
Kangra Black
Uganda Black
Usambara Black
Cornish Tea
Green
Heated soon after picking to keep the leaf fresh. Grassy, nutty or marine, from pan-fired Longjing to shaded Japanese Gyokuro.
See all green teas (31)→Longjing (Dragon Well)
Uji Matcha
Sencha
Gyokuro
Hojicha
Huangshan Mao Feng
Nishio Matcha
Genmaicha
Gunpowder Green
Shizuoka Matcha
Bi Luo Chun
Jasmine Pearl
Korean Sejak
Lu An Gua Pian
Tai Ping Hou Kui
Xinyang Maojian
Kabusecha
Kukicha (Twig Tea)
Thai Nguyen Green
Vietnamese Lotus Tea
Shincha
Tamaryokucha (Guricha)
Bancha
Darjeeling Green
Lu Shan Yun Wu
Anji Bai Cha
Kamairicha
Jeju Green
Guizhou Matcha
Georgian Green
Kenyan Purple Tea
Oolong
Partly oxidised, anywhere between green and black. Floral and creamy, or deep and roasted from the Wuyi cliffs.
See all oolong teas (17)→Tieguanyin
Da Hong Pao
Oriental Beauty
Dong Ding Oolong
Alishan High Mountain
Jin Xuan (Milk Oolong)
Phoenix Dan Cong
Rou Gui
Shui Xian
Baozhong (Wenshan)
Li Shan Oolong
Muzha Tieguanyin
Shui Jin Gui
Korean Balhyocha
Taitung Red Oolong
GABA Oolong
Darjeeling Oolong
White
Simply withered and dried. The gentlest of teas: delicate, sweet and honeyed.
See all white teas (6)→
Pu-erh & dark
Fermented or aged teas from Yunnan and beyond. Earthy, woody and deep, and often kept for years.
See all pu-erh & dark teas (6)→
Herbal
Tisanes made from other plants, not the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Most are caffeine-free.
See all herbal teas (23)→Rooibos
Ginger Tea
Honeybush
Mugicha (Barley Tea)
Peppermint
Chamomile
Hibiscus (Karkadé)
Rose Hip Tea
Yerba Mate
Tulsi (Holy Basil)
Guayusa
Sobacha (Buckwheat Tea)
Lemon Verbena
Lemongrass
Linden Flower
Sage Tea (Ada Çayı)
Butterfly Pea Flower
Nettle Tea
Lemon Balm Tea
Cascara (Coffee Cherry Tea)
Lavender Tea
Elderflower Tea
