Assam Mangalam FTGFOP1 (Special) Loose Leaf Black Tea

🍵 The Garden — Single-estate Assam from the Mangalam garden in the Sibsagar district, a relatively young estate that has quietly become one of the most respected in the region, planted with carefully selected assamica hybrid clones

🍵 The Liquor — A deep, dark amber cup with a warmth and clarity that speaks immediately to the quality of the leaf; takes milk beautifully but holds its own character when drunk black

🍵 The Character — Bold, malty, and full-bodied with notes of cocoa, date, and a hint of stone fruit towards the finish — the golden tips lending a natural sweetness and a smooth, rounded feel on the palate

🍵 The Morning — A commanding breakfast tea with the depth to wake you up and the smoothness to keep you coming back; equally at home in a large mug with a splash of milk or savoured slowly in a pot

The Mangalam tea garden sits in the Sibsagar district of upper Assam, and its story is one of considered ambition. In 1973, encouraged by extraordinarily good production results from the neighbouring Manjushree plantation, the owners decided to found a further tea garden. What followed was a deliberate act of innovation: rather than replicating the established methods of older Assam estates, Mangalam adopted an ultra-rational, plot-based organisation and pioneered close-row planting and plant cloning to enhance the aromatic intensity of the leaves. It was a bold approach, and it has paid dividends ever since.

The FTGFOP1 grade tells you a great deal before you have even opened the caddy. Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe — the highest designation in the orthodox Assam grading system — indicates a leaf with a generous proportion of golden tips, the most tender and aromatic part of the plant. These tips, formed from the youngest unopened buds, are what give this tea its natural sweetness and its unusually smooth, creamy texture. The leaves themselves are large and carefully processed, a sign of the methodical, quality-first approach for which Mangalam has built its reputation.

In the cup, this is Assam at its most assured. The liquor is a deep, burnished amber, rich and clear, with an aroma of warm malt, cocoa, and a gentle sweetness that draws you in. The flavour is full-bodied and bold without being harsh — malty at the core, with notes of date and a soft stone-fruit quality that emerges towards a smooth, lingering finish. It is a tea with genuine presence, and one that takes milk exceptionally well, the two combining into something rounded and deeply satisfying.

Since 2008, High Teas London has been one of the country's leading independent tea specialists. With over 350 teas and infusions — one of the largest collections in the UK — our range spans the world's finest gardens, from the high-altitude estates of Darjeeling to the river valleys of Assam. This Mangalam is one of the teas we are most proud to carry.

Ingredients: Assam black tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica), Mangalam Estate, Sibsagar district, Assam, India.

Brewing Note: Assam Mangalam rewards a straightforward, confident brew. Use freshly drawn water brought to a full rolling boil — 100°C — and allow around one heaped teaspoon per cup. Steep for three to four minutes for a bright, malty cup, or extend to five minutes if you prefer greater strength and depth. This tea takes milk very well; if drinking with milk, add it after steeping to better judge the strength. For those who prefer their Assam black, a slightly shorter steep of two and a half to three minutes will keep the liquor smooth and clean without bitterness.