TGFOP, FBOPF, Broken Leaf grades, Whole leaf grades, Orthodox manufacture, CTC - over the years the grading of finished black tea has become a highly refined and often bewildering process. Nowhere is this more so than in the jungles of Assam in North Eastern India. Assam’s plantations produce in the range of 30 different commercially available grades, each with their own distinct characteristics. Interestingly, the process of grading tea is actually very simple and comes into play during the final stage of production. This is sorting, when the dried finished leaf is run through large sifters that separate the larger leaf varieties from smaller ones the way grains of sand slipping through your fingers leave behind larger stones. As we shall see, it took quite some time to get from the wild untamed jungles of Assam to the refined product you will enjoy when you order this tea.

In 1823, the East India Company, a British firm in charge of developing commerce throughout Britain’s eastern empire, received word that wild tea plants were growing in Assam. The evidence, hearsay from local tribal leaders, was not to be confirmed until 1834. (Things moved slowly in the 19th century) In that year, British planters, believing the wild variety wasn’t refined enough for commercial purposes tried unsuccessfully to grow tea bushes using seeds from China. Over the next four years a man named Alexander Bruce, a former lieutenant with the Royal Navy, began locating wild plants and clearing the jungle around them to start plantations. This proved successful and the first Assam tea made the London auction in January 1839. During these early days, planters generally gave more thought to clearing jungle by hand, fighting malaria, tigers and making the arduous trek inland to the wild tea, than they did grading and sorting their finished product. As such Assam teas were rather coarse compared to the refinements of the present day.

Thanks to the efforts of these early planters we’re pleased to bring you this superb organic FBOP - Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe. FBOP is a broken leaf grade meaning it contains broken leaf pieces and some tips. The resulting cup is bright and full bodied with deep malty notes and a slight hint of fresh toast. One of Assam’s finest offerings, we suggest adding a splash of milk to help open the nuances of the cup.