Dekorai Estate sits on the broad plains beneath the Arunachal hills, on the north bank of the Brahmaputra in Assam — the garden takes its name from the Dickori river, a tributary that runs along its western edge. At just 78.33 metres above sea level, the estate has built a strong reputation for its mid-season harvests, and this TGFOP grade shows why: only the top bud and first two leaves of each new shoot go into it, giving a leaf with a high proportion of golden tips, which is what the initials "Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe" describe.
The cup is black tea at its most straightforward and satisfying: malty, a little sweet, with a honeyed aroma and a light body. Tasting notes run from lemon and orange through honey and malt to deeper, vegetal, almost coffee-like and medicinal tones, depending on how it's brewed and what's added. Because it undergoes full oxidation, more than green, white or oolong leaves from the same plant, it carries a fair amount of caffeine, around 45mg a cup.
To brew it, spoon loose leaf into a filter or infuser, set it in a cup or mug, pour freshly boiled water at 100°C over the leaves, and let it steep for about four minutes for the best flavour. It takes milk or a milk alternative well, and also suits sugar, honey or lemon if you'd rather sweeten it that way; plenty of drinkers just take it black. Black tea of this kind has long been valued for its antioxidants, traditionally credited with helping the body deal with everyday oxidative stress, and some drinkers reach for a cup as part of a broader routine for oral and immune health, though these remain traditional associations rather than established medical claims.
