Yep. Flush. When I first read this, I thought it was a silly nickname for the blend (or an unfortunate reference to toilets.) Upon further research, it's actually referring to the region and time the leaves were picked! Flushes seem to be a term only applied to Darjeeling teas (which are usually black teas.)
Darjeeling first flush means that the leaves were harvested in Spring (March to mid-April), from the Darjeeling region of India. The flavor tends to be floral and earthy.
Second flush means that the leaves were harvested during the summer, or second growing season. The flavor actually should have a sort of muscat (grape-like) flavor, along with the normal earthy tones. I can't say my tasting yesterday had any significant "grape" flavors that I noticed, but I am also new to this whole process!
Now that I have tried the latter, I really want to try the former. From pictures and descriptions, it seems the color is less rich and the flavor lighter, maybe even dryer.
Thank you About and the Tao of Tea for enlightening me!
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