India - Tea by Origin
Country Statistics & Tea Overview
Our India Origin Teas
Stock Darjeeling Teas
There are four distinctive picking seasons and over 70 gardens to choose from in the Darjeeling tea-growing district. The G.S. Haly Co. purchases teas primarily from the First Flush (February/March) and Second Flush (June/July) because of the distinctive characteristics of the first two flushes of the growing season.
First Flush is purchased in limited quantity. Teas purchased during the peak of the season are flown into San Francisco, delivering the freshest tea anywhere in the world outside of the growing region. First Flush teas have a very bright floral cup and are often compared to the young, Beaujolais production of wines.
Second Flush production is the primary base for stock Darjeeling inventories. The G.S. Haly Co.'s mission is to find the classic muscatel character, for which Darjeelings are famous. Darjeeling offerings range from the heavier TGBOP types right through to the lighter, more floral TGFOP teas.
Blacks
Ambootia Estate FTGFOP - Item: A1100 – Standard Min: 44 or 73Lbs [Kosher, 100% Organic, 100% Darjeeling, Fair Trade Optional]
Origin: Ambootia, Darjeeling, India. A mellow delicate cup Darjeeling that also has a fancy leaf.Ambootia Estate Fannings - Item: A1201 – Standard Min: 55Lbs [Kosher, 100% Organic, 100% Darjeeling, Fair Trade Optional]
Origin: Ambootia, Darjeeling, India. This tea is cut specifically for bags.Bannockburn Estate TGFOP - Item: T002701 – Standard Min: 44Lbs [Kosher, 100% Darjeeling]
Origin: Bannockburn, Darjeeling, India. The Estate teas are known for their very fresh, almost effervescently fresh and bright cups of Darjeeling and this tea is no exception.Ghoom Blend – Item: 597 – Standard Min: 50Lbs [Kosher, 100% Darjeeling]
Origin: Ghoom, Darjeeling, India. Well balanced, whole leaf blend, 100% Darjeeling blend.Mirik TGBOP - Item: CB091 – Standard Min: 61Lbs [Kosher, 100% Darjeeling]
Origin: Mirik, Darjeeling, India. This Darjeeling has a distinctly sharp, berry character with good color.Tigerhill Blend TGFOP - Item: CC081 – Standard Min: 50Lbs [Kosher, 100% Darjeeling]
Origin: Tigerhill, Darjeeling, India. This Darjeeling is full-bodied with a very traditional muscatel, floral character.Darjeeling FTGFOP Decaff – Item: 3261 – Standard Min: 66Lbs [CO2, 100% Darjeeling]
This tea is decaffeinated with a natural process that leaves no chemicals, unlike other processes.Greens
Ambootia Estate GFTGFOP1 - Item: 247-GSH – Standard Min: 44Lbs [Kosher, 100% Organic, 100% Darjeeling, Fair Trade Optional]
Origin: Ambootia, Darjeeling, India. This tea is light and refreshing as a green with many of the Darjeeling characteristics. Drajeeling with a twist!Ambootia Estate GBOPF - Item: A2202 – Standard Min: 55Lbs [Kosher, 100% Organic, 100% Darjeeling, Fair Trade Optional]
Origin: Ambootia, Darjeeling, India. This green organic tea offers a strong, sharp clean fresh cup with a green/amber liquor.Ambootia Estate Fannings - Item: A2201-2 – Standard Min: 55 or 61Lbs [Kosher, 100% Organic, 100% Darjeeling, Fair Trade Optional]
Origin: Ambootia, Darjeeling, India. The green fannings, are specially made for tea bags. The same sharp clean fresh cup with a green/amber liquor comes through.
Stock Assam Teas
All our Assams are orthodox production and are purchased from June through August. Our stocks include BOP and FOP blender types along with "tippy" self-drinking lines. Typically the blender-type teas have good weight and color in the cup with a low flavor profile. Teas in this category are an excellent choice for supporting English and Irish breakfast blends. The flashy high end Assams have a better balance of weight and flavor. The more tip, the lighter and sweeter the cup.
Blacks
Doomni Estate Blend TGFOP - Item: K83496 – Standard Min: 66Lbs [Kosher]
Origin: Doomni, Assam, India. The whole leaf is bold with some tip and brews a malty, flavorful cup.Jorhat Estate Blend TGFOP - Item: CA598 – Standard Min: 50Lbs [Kosher]
Origin: Jorhati, Assam, India. This classic Assam offers a heavy and bold cup.Kopili Estate TGFOP - Item: K01100 – Standard Min: 44 or 48Lbs [Kosher, 100% Organic]
Origin: Kopili, Assam, India. The Kopili Tea Estate takes it's name from the sacred River which meanders through these Hills of Assam and empties into the Mighty Brahmaputra in the plains. The soil in this region is predominantly similar to Darjeeling. Kopili Tea Estate is located in the Himalayan foothills at an elevation of around 2500 foot above sea level and is comparable to the Mid elevation Estates of Darjeeling. However, the climatic conditions are different from Darjeeling; the temperature being higher than comparable elevations of Darjeeling. The agro-climatic conditions of the region has also imparted a distinct flavor to the teas which are neither comparable to Assam Teas or to Darjeeling Teas of similar elevation. Above all the caffeine content in the teas is also significantly lower than comparable Assam Teas. This high-grown tea offers a mild and flavorful cup that allows it to be a genuine self-drinking Assam.Kopili Estate Blend TGFOP – Item: 1169 – Standard Min: 44Lbs [Kosher]
Origin: Kopili, Assam, India. This tea is a whole unbroken leaf, with a mild flavorful cup. It is the highest grown Assam.Kopili Estate Fannings - Item: KO1201 – Standard Min: 61Lbs [Kosher, 100% Organic]
Origin: Kopili, Assam, India. The same high-grown estate tea, but cut for use in bags. The fannings steep a medium bodied, very full flavored cup.Kalgar BOP – Item: 555 – Standard Min: 55Lbs [Kosher]
Origin: Kalgar, Assam, India. This Assam blend has a medium sized, curled leaf. Makes for a great Irish Breakfast blend.Satrupa Estate TGFOP - Item: K70882 – Standard Min: 88Lbs [Kosher]
Origin: Satrupa, Assam, India. This Assam is great as part of a blend or by itself provides a bright colored liquor with good body and a full flavor.Tezpur Blend TGBOP – Item: CC109 – Standard Min: 55Lbs [Kosher]
Origin: Tezpur, Assam, India. Medium sized black and gold leaf with a strong bold cup. Makes for a fantastic English Breakfast blend.South Indian Nilgiri Mt. Basin Teas
Known as “The Fragrant One” Niligiri teas in general have a good balance of flavor to cup weight/strength. The G.S. Haly Co. has selected an exceptional estate in the Coimatore area called Iyerapadi.
This lovely estate is nestled on the picturesque cloud-bathed slopes of the Anamallais, “Hill of the Elephants”. Which is apply named as the estate in also in the midst of Indira Gandhi’s Wildlife Sanctuary, a naturalist’s delight and a habitat for some of the most exotic wildlife including the endangered Lion-tailed Macaque and Great Indian Hornbill. But there is more to Iyerapadi than just rolling hills and wildlife … the tender hand-plucked leaves are cared for with some of the most advanced Organic scientific processes available for tea cultivation. The use of patented FBO (Fertilisation Bio-Organique) developed in France that enables Iyerpadi to nurture a rich soil ecosystem without the use of pesticides or other harmful chemicals. This certified 100% Organic estate not only believes in treating the Earth well, it also makes sure to treat its people well and as such is Fair Trade Certified.
Blacks
Iyerpadi Estate OP – Item: 6001 – Standard Min: 40Lbs [Kosher, 100% Organic, Fair Trade Optional]
Origin: Coimbatore, South India. This whole leaf tea, has a sweet, mild cup with a slight bite.Iyerpadi Estate BOP – Item: 6002 – Standard Min: 53Lbs [Kosher, 100% Organic, Fair Trade Optional]
Origin: Coimbatore, South India. The BOP tea offers a full bodied cup that finishes nicely.Iyerpadi Estate Fannings – Item: 6003 – Standard Min: 57Lbs [Kosher, 100% Organic, Fair Trade Optional]
Origin: Coimbatore, South India. Tea bag cut delivers a heavy but very balanced cup.
Country Statistics
Area: 1,148,000 sq. miles (2,973,000 sq. km)
Capital: New Delhi
Main Cities: Bangalore, Calcutta, Bombay, Madras
Languages: Hindi, English
Religions: Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish
Overview of India’s Tea Production
History
The East India Company, after losing the tea trade with China, started exploring the possibilities of cultivation of tea in British India, a colony of the then British Empire as early as 1600 A.D. However, commercial cultivation of tea in India began around 1837 A.D. only following the discovery of indigenous tea plants in Upper Assam in the year 1823 by the Bruce Brothers. The first Tea Estate established was CHABUWA (CHA - BUWA meaning Cultivation of Tea) in the year 1836. Large scale tea cultivation was taken up after 1857 and by 1900 almost all suitable land in the Assam Valley was brought under Tea. Simultaneously, cultivation of Tea was also extended to Darjeeling Hills and Dooars region (Himalayan foothills) of Bengal, the Surma Valley as well as South India. The then
British Planters, who braved all adversities, however avoided planting of tea in the hilly regions of North East India, primarily because of inaccessible terrain, thick forest cover, hard living conditions and mainly due to scarcity of workers, who were imported into N.E. India unlike where the manpower is locally available.
After nearly one and half century of commercial cultivation of Tea in India, for the first time in 1992, attempts were made to initiate cultivation of tea in the Himalayan foothills of Assam which was hitherto remained unexplored.
Today
Once the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter, India has recently relinquished the lead in exports, as domestic consumption continues to demand large quantities of its own product. India's tea production can be split between north and south. In the north, where tea is harvested seasonally, premium teas are harvested in Darjeeling, Assam and Sikkim.Less prestigious teas are grown in Dooars, Bihar, Tripura, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. The southern tip of India is home to the Blue Mountains of Nilgiri, which along with Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore and Kerala have traditionally produced medium to low quality CTC teas. The past decade has seen a shift as some estates move to whole leaf orthodox higher quality teas.
Key Tea Producing Regions
Darjeeling, North India
Legend has it that a thunderbolt of Lord Indra (the king of heaven in Hindu mythology), struck the earth at Observatory Hill. The Tibetan words, "Dorje", meaning the thunderbolt of Indra and "Ling", a place, form "Dorge-Ling" or "Land Of The Thunderbolt".
The planting of tea in the Darjeeling district was swift and dramatic. In 1841 Dr. Campbell planted the first seedlings outside his bungalow in the town of Darjeeling. By 1874, almost 15,000 acres had been cleared and replanted with tea, creating most of the area's current 85 plus gardens. Today the total area under tea is nearly 47,000 acres producing only 3% of the country's total annual output, yet the name Darjeeling is probably one of the most recognized names in all of tea.
Darjeeling's preeminence as India's foremost producer of premium quality black teas is due to a unique combination of factors. Higher elevation, soil type, hilly terrain with excellent drainage, weather pattern and age and diversity of bush all lend a hand in helping create a flavor profile which cannot be replicated anywhere else on earth.Assam, North India
On both sides of the mighty Brahmaputra river, lie the rolling plains of the world's largest tea growing area. The Assam region consistently produces more tea per acre than any tea-producing region in the world. Tea bushes cover nearly 500,000 acres giving the impression of a gigantic billiard table stretching as far as the eye can see. Around Assam's verdant tea bushes lay India's richest game reserves. Wild elephants, one-horned rhinos, swamp deer, wild buffalo and leopards are just some of the native wildlife in this area. And from this area grows nearly 600 million pounds of tea annually, yielding the strong, pungent, full-bodied liquor that has made Assam world-famous.
Assam is the birthplace of India tea. In 1823, Englishman, Robert Bruce discovered Camellia sinensis growing wild in this region. In 1839 the first eight chests of India tea were offered at the auction in London. All of the gardens in the Assam region are virtually on the same plain with an altitude of approximately 500 feet. The alluvial soil distributed by the river and the climatic conditions of the area, lend themselves ideally to tea cultivation. The basin gets between 80 to 120 inches of rainfall moderately distributed throughout the year with a heavy concentration of monsoon showers from August to mid-October. January and February being the only dry months, cropping begins in early March and extends almost to mid-December.
March ushers in the hectic plucking season. The dormant bushes come to life and the first leaves of the new season start sprouting. The picking of the first flush leaves will last 8 to 10 weeks. June begins the season for second flush teas.
Assam leaves are characterized by an excessive amount of silvery pubescence called "tip". The "tippy" Assam teas of both first and second flush produce top quality liquor with body and strength.
August to October brings the heavy rains. All vegetation grows at a tremendous rate during monsoon season. Rightly called Rains Tea, teas produced during these months account for almost 75% of the region's annual yield. Better suited for CTC (crush, tear, curl) manufacture, Rains Tea has enhanced characteristics of strength, grip and color and is often a favorite in countries where the preference lies in a good, strong cup with milk.
Most of the teas manufactured in Assam will be transported by truck or railway to the auction houses in Calcutta, India for sale abroad. A smaller, more convenient auction center has been set up in Gauhati for the sale of teas meant for consumption within the country.Sikkim, North India
Literally located across the road from the Darjeeling growing district. This area was once a separate country. Now a state of India, Sikkim produces teas that share many of the characteristics of its Darjeeling neighbor. Light, bright and flavorful, Sikkim teas are often confused with better quality Darjeelings.
Niligiri Mt Basin, South India
Nilgiri mountain basin teas are dark, intensely aromatic and have a mellow, light and clean flavor. Growing in the hills and foothills of the Nilgiri Mountains (Blue Mountains) into Coimbatore, near Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India. The tea gardens are situated among eucalyptus trees, blue gum and cypresses and vary in elevation from 30 to 2000 meters. These teas are hand-plucked throughout the year, however there are two big flushing periods: the first is from April to May and the second from September to December. These are wonderful blending teas as they offer both flavor and body.
