ASSAM TONGANAGOAN GOLDEN AXE BLACK TEA

The Tonganagoan estate is a small tea garden located near the Namdapha National Park, one of the most bio-diverse areas of India. 'Tongana' is the Assamese expression for an axe and 'gaon' means village. The garden is now owned by the Lohia family who also run many gardens in Darjeeling. In 2008 when Ashok Lohia took over the neglected garden he began the process of conversion to organic farming as he has done with all the group's gardens in Darjeeling. The garden is also a beacon in socially responsible farming with the 6000 people living in the garden being well taken care of. It is one of the very few organic gardens in Assam who are able to produce high-quality tea due to it planting the famous clonal variety P126 tea bush. This tea type is used in all of Assam's top gardens. The many golden tipped leaves lend this tea a very smooth character that along with the malty, jammy fruit notes has a strong sweet-chocolate aroma with hints of spice. 1912