Mus·ca·tel
/ˌmʊskəˈtɛl/
tasting term
Tasting term
A grape-like sweetness prized in fine Darjeeling teas, developed through a specific insect-bitten leaf process.
Muscatel is the signature note of the finest second-flush Darjeeling teas — a wine-like, grape-forward sweetness reminiscent of muscat grapes. It develops when tiny insects called tea green leafhoppers bite the leaf, triggering a defensive chemical reaction in the plant that, after processing, produces this distinctive flavour.
Because it depends on a specific insect, season, and garden, a true muscatel character can't really be manufactured on demand — it's one of the reasons certain Darjeeling lots command a premium.