Assam Tea at Tea-Direct

Strong, full-bodied and malty in flavour, with a lovely deep-red liquor, Assam teas are renowned the world over for their robust characteristics and versatility.

The flavours of Assam tea can range from earthy, woody and smoky, to sweet and spicy, sometimes with notes of cocoa, and it is these bold flavours that have made Assam an ideal base for breakfast teas and a much-loved addition to numerous tea blends, where it brings great depth and strength.

The World of Assam Teas

India is one of the largest producers of tea, with various tea varieties produced in around 20 Indian states, the majority of these located in the north, in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Assam is India’s largest tea-producing region, with over 2,000 tea farms. The region is known for the high quality of the teas it produces, with a strong market for both single-estate varieties, and CTC grades that are used for blending into black breakfast teas.

The regional climate and terrain of Assam make for ideal conditions for the growth of this wonderful tea leaf, with high altitude mountains and valleys that are sheltered by the Himalayan Mountains, high rainfall, particularly during the monsoon seasons, and a very humid environment, especially during the rainy season.

Assam loose leaf tea is usually harvested twice each year, during the ‘first flush’ and ‘second flushes’ of the season. The first flush starts at the end of March and continues until the end of May, and produces the more tender, lighter leaves, while the second flush (which produces tippy Assam) takes place around June and results in sweeter, more full-bodied teas.

Our Assam Teas

Assam Leaf Tea
This large leaf tea produces a delightful amber brew that reveals bold, full flavours. Perfect when prepared with milk and sugar, Assam Leaf makes for a delicious tea that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Assam Leaf is produced in the growing region along the Brahmaputra Valley River in Northern India, close to Myanmar and Bangladesh, where water is carried down from the Himalayas.

Assam Gingia Tea
Smooth, full-bodied and malty, our Assam Gingia creates a beautiful golden liquor and a complex, rich tea that makes for a wonderfully robust breakfast tea and is delicious when prepared with milk and sugar.

Sourced from the Gingia Estate in India, Assam Gingia is a large leaf tea that reveals fresh aromas of stone fruit peel, notes of toasted grains, and a good amount of tannin that can be expected from a high-quality Assam tea.

Assam PF Tea
Made from leaves that are grown in the warm, humid conditions of the Assam Valley, this strong black tea offers up rich and mature flavours. Top quality Pekoe Fannings provide added body to Assam PF, making for a perfect brew for getting you started in the morning.

The PF refers to Pekoe Fannings, a grading of tea that refers to the size of the dried tea leaves; "pekoe" refers to young leaves picked early in the season and "fanning" refers to the small size of the leaves.

Assam BOP Tea
This full-bodied black tea lends its strength to English and Irish breakfast teas, but when prepared on its own it produces a wonderfully strong tea with delightful malty flavours and a lovely bright colour.

The “BOP” refers to a particular grade of tea, “Broken Orange Pekoe”, part of the Orange Pekoe category of tea grade, one of the highest black tea grades available. BOP leaves are indeed broken, allowing for a faster release of flavours and aroma during the brewing process, resulting in a stronger and robust flavour.