Assam Dufflaghur estate

Country of Origin: India
Region: Assam – East Boroi
Shipping Port: Calcutta, Haldia
Grade: BPS (Broken Pekoe Souchong)
Altitude: 1500 feet above sea level
Manufacture Type: Orthodox
Cup Characteristics: Also known as black gunpowder tea. It is rare and unusual for an Assam. The tea is bright and full bodied with a malty character prized by connoisseurs.
Infusion: Bright tending coppery
Ingredients: Luxury black tea
Information:
The Northeast region of India is the world’s largest regional producer of tea. The tea growing regions in the area are the Dooars, Cachars and Assam - Assam being the most important. In total, approximately 20% of the world’s annual production (Assam produces nearly 500,000,000 kilos of tea) is produced here. It is noteworthy to point out that the tea production only takes place for 9 1/2 months since the tea bushes are dormant due to cold weather from mid December to end February - sometimes into early March if it is an extraordinarily cold winter.
From May through to mid July, the scenery and aroma in this region is unbelievable. The area is a hubbub of activity - tea fields virtually festooned with the tea pluckers in Joseph-like multicolored garments, thousands of tons of green leaf being transported down country roads to the tea factories, a beehive of activity at the factories to process the green leaf at the ‘peak’ of its quality, markets, children coming home from school - it is truly an incredible scene.
Dufflaghur is an estate on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River in the central region of the Assam province called East Boroi. Dufflaghur is a ‘dual production’ estate - meaning it can produce both Orthodox and CTC teas. Generally orthodox teas are produced in the first 4 months of the new season corresponding to top quality and highest prices. This BPS grade is special and comparatively an unusual tea. It is actually a product of the orthodox manufacturing process but represents less than a quarter of one percent of Dufflaghur’s annual production - hence its rarity. The young leaves are tightly compressed into little balls during a rolling process during manufacturing thus retaining the inherent qualities of this very good Assam tea very well. It is interesting to see how this Black Gunpowder (or black pearls) uncurl.