{"product_id":"velvet-muscatel","title":"Velvet Muscatel","description":"\u003cp\u003eOur Velvet Muscatel is a second flush bug-bitten oolong from the Darjeeling hills. It was made from seed-grown China-type bushes, at an average elevation of about 1,700 m above sea level. Bushes grown from seed rather than cuttings vary more from plant to plant, which can bring a wider range of rare aromas into the cup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBug-bitten means small insects, mostly leafhoppers, feed on the young leaves in summer. The plant answers each bite by making aromatic compounds of its own, and that is where the honeyed, grape-like muscatel character comes from. Our \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/tea-journal\/bug-bitten-tea-darjeeling-muscatel\" title=\"Bug-bitten tea and the Darjeeling muscatel\"\u003eTea Journal piece\u003c\/a\u003e tells the whole story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere our \u003ca href=\"\/products\/himalayan-beauty-oolong\" title=\"Himalayan Beauty Oolong\"\u003eHimalayan Beauty\u003c\/a\u003e leans to candied orange peel and muskmelon, Velvet Muscatel is creamy and aromatic. The first cup tastes of rice pudding and condensed milk, with spice at the back, and it gets sweeter with every steep: caramelised apples with cardamom and cloves, then grapes and dry mango in the later steeps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe named it Velvet for its texture, which is very smooth, round, and soft. Its savoury, mineral side also makes it a lovely cocktail base, if you want to try it that way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"custom-accordion\" open\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"accordion-header\"\u003eSensory Profile\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"accordion-content\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLeaf:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dark, short and compact, with a brownish hue and golden buds here and there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAroma:\u003c\/strong\u003e Muscatel and honey in the warm leaf, opening into cardamom and spice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Light gold to amber, with fine leaf hairs floating in the cup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePalate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rice pudding, caramelised apples, and dry mango, with cardamom and cloves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMouthfeel:\u003c\/strong\u003e Very smooth, round, and soft, with a lingering sweetness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"custom-accordion\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"accordion-header\"\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"accordion-content\"\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"border-collapse: collapse\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0 0 0 \/ 0.12)\"\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003eDarjeeling Hills\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0 0 0 \/ 0.12)\"\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAltitude\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e~1,700 m\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0 0 0 \/ 0.12)\"\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHarvest\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003eSummer 2026 (Second Flush)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0 0 0 \/ 0.12)\"\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCultivar\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003eChina type, seed-grown\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0 0 0 \/ 0.12)\"\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProcessing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003eBug-bitten oolong, hand-bruised\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0 0 0 \/ 0.12)\"\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOxidation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e~55–60%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRarity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003eLimited Micro-Batch (~7 kg)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"custom-accordion\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"accordion-header\"\u003eBrewing Suggestion\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"accordion-content\"\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"border-collapse: collapse\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0 0 0 \/ 0.12)\"\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTemperature\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e90°C\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0 0 0 \/ 0.12)\"\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e150 ml\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0 0 0 \/ 0.12)\"\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLeaves\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e2.5 g\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0 0 0 \/ 0.12)\"\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSteeping Times\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e2 min │ 1 min │ 2 min │ +1 min\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-key\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInfusions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"spec-value\" style=\"padding: 8px 0\"\u003eAt least 4 times\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"spec-note\" style=\"padding-top: 12px\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eKeep going after the third steep and add a minute each time. The later steeps are the sweetest.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"spec-note\" style=\"padding-top: 8px\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne 30 g pouch brews ~48 cups (2.5 g per pot, 4 infusions), about €0.31 per cup.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"desc-updated\"\u003elast updated: October 2026\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Himali Cup","offers":[{"title":"30g","offer_id":63853753172298,"sku":"LMT003_30G","price":15.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0989\/2118\/5610\/files\/velvet-muscatel-oolong-dry-leaf.jpg?v=1792625454","url":"https:\/\/himalicup.com\/products\/velvet-muscatel","provider":"Himali Cup","version":"1.0","type":"link"}