Name: Assam TGFOP1 - Corramore
Brand: Fine Tea
SKU: ASS125
Price: 4.25 GBP
Availability: InStock

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TGFOP1: Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe #1

Abbreviations can be a little confusing. I thought TGFOP1 stood for “Thank God For Oscar Peterson’s 1st Symphony”. Only when I became a …erm… tea aficionado did I learn it means Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe #1 (number 1 denoting the very finest grade), and even that at first seemed about as clear as a gluten-free brownie. However, a quick glance on our Nerd Zone tab (above) will reveal that it’s not all double-Dutch.

Assam is well-loved as a delightful, astringent black tea. Our choice is from the Corramore Estate, near Bhutan in the Darrang district of Assam in NE India. The leaves are large, twisted, warm brown and flecked with gold tips (a bit like a footballer’s highlighted perm from the mid-80’s). The infusion is such a stunning mid-amber colour, that were Da Vinci alive, he would most likely dip his is paint brush into it and start on another Madonna and child canvas. And the taste is rich, sweet, malty and smoother than a Peter Stringfellow one-liner. The cup is bright and clean. Enjoy ideally naked or with lemon or milk (Peter might take this too literally!). A great way to salute a new morning.

Country	India
Origin	Assam
Farm	Corramore
Leaf	Large, twisted, warm copper colour and flecked with gold tips
Aroma	Floral aroma with a hint of soft leather / hay
Liquor	Mid-amber / copper colour
Cupping Notes	Delicate, clean cup, smooth, slightly malty, notes of apricot
Brewing Tips	2.5g in 200ml of water at 100c. Steep for 4-5 mins

About the Assam Region:

This region of India is location in the NE of the country. Assam literally means: “Land of the one-horned rhino” and is a stunning area of dense forest and rolling hills where the vast Brahmaputra River carries rich fertile soil from Tibetan mountains to the agricultural plains that flank the river. It’s a bit like the Lake District without shops selling Kendal Mint Cake and the bank holiday traffic.

Assam is the largest tea-growing area of India, accounting for over 55% of India’s total tea production (around 850,000 tons).

The Brahmaputra Valley borders China, Myanmar and Bangladesh, although Assam teas are as different to Darjeelings as Liverpool fans are to Man Utd’s. Rainfall is extremely high in Assam, (80-120 inches p.a.). It’s not uncommon for a foot of rain to fall in a day and the temperature can reach 40°C on the plantations. The tea plants adore this humid, hot weather and they grow from spring to late autumn, before the cold weather slows their growth.

The grades for whole leaf orthodox black tea are: Ceylon orange pekoe (OP) grades'

OP1	slightly delicate, long, wiry leaf with the light liquor
OPA	bold, long leaf tea which ranges from tightly wound to almost open
OP	main grade, in the middle between OP1 and OPA, can consist of long wiry leaf without tips
OP Superior	primarily from Indonesia, similar to OP
Flower OP	high quality tea with a long leaf and few tips, considered the second grade in Assam, Dooars and Bangladesh teas, but the first grade in China
FOP1	as above, but with only the highest quality leaves in the FOP classification
Golden Flower OP1	higher proportion of tip than FOP top grade
Tippy Golden FOP	the highest proportion of tip, main grade in Darjeeling and Assam
TGFOP1	as above, but with only the highest quality leaves in the TGFOP classification

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