Castleton situated in the Kurseong Valley is one of the most revered gardens in Darjeeling and is bought at great prices by Japanese merchants for its name alone. However, it takes more than reputation to persuade me to pay the substantial premium needed to capture one of Castleton's sought after offerings. This 'lot' epitomises the fine flowery style of first flush Darjeeling, which is skilfully created to please the Japanese market and is of such extraordinary quality it is termed a 'Supreme' tea. Only the finest spring pluckings are good enough to make this tea which are grown exclusively on old Chinese bushes at altitudes up to 7500ft. This uncompromising selection and a low yield guarantees the highly remarkable qualities grown at Castleton which was founded by Dr. Charles Graham in 1885. This magnificent example has a distinct, fine flowery liquor with a delicate sweetness and a pronounced, heady, muscatel aroma. The leaf is regular in shape with green spots and silvery tips. It is one of the best teas in the world. In 1996 the Castleton Estate became the first Indian tea garden to be awarded the ISO 9002 certificate of quality and continues to break world records for auction prices.