🍃Free shipping over ₹999 · Estate-direct from the Nilgiris since 1994
Forest Brews Tea Company
Broken Orange Pekoe from our estate — coarser than FBOP, bolder in the cup, and an exceptional value for those who take their black tea with milk and want maximum strength.
BOP — Broken Orange Pekoe — sits one grade below FBOP in the orthodox grading hierarchy: the leaf particle is slightly larger and the liquor extracts more slowly, giving more body and a deeper, maltier character than the finer FBOP. Many experienced tea drinkers prefer BOP for a milk chai precisely because its weight balances full-fat milk without being overwhelmed. This is a drinker’s grade, not a prestige grade, and it is priced accordingly.
Our Kaircombai BOP is processed on the same rollers as our FBOP, from the same plucks, but sorted to a different particle size. The fermentation is extended slightly to develop a deeper flavour profile. The liquor colour is a rich, dark amber-brown — slightly deeper than FBOP — with a malty, almost chocolate-like undertone that is more pronounced here than in finer grades. It holds its character well even when steeped slightly longer than recommended, making it forgiving in everyday brewing.
At 250g for ₹130, this is one of the most honest propositions in our range: estate leaf, directly from us, at a price that does not try to recover marketing spend. If your household makes three or four cups of strong, milky chai per day and you want a genuine estate tea without the price of a specialty grade, this is the right starting point.
Origin
Kaircombai, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu — 1,800m elevation
Grade
BOP
Weight
250g
Brew Temp
90–95°C
Steep Time
3–4 minutes
Five dimensions scored 0–100 from our cuppers.
Brew Guide
Use 2–2.5g per 200ml. Water at 90–95°C. Steep 3–4 minutes. Strain. Works with or without milk — with milk, use 2.5g and steep 4 minutes. A second steep is lighter but still worthwhile.
Temperature
90–95°C
Steep Time
3–4 minutes
Select a brew style and number of cups — we’ll give you exact quantities.
Full-fat milk: 300ml — add after initial water steep. Total liquid per cup ≈ 250ml.
South Indian Kadak — Method
Simmer leaf in water first, add 150ml full-fat milk, simmer again. Strain firmly. Sweeten with jaggery. Thick, dark, strong — the classic canteen cup.
The BOP is what I wanted all along — more weight than FBOP, still estate quality
I had been ordering the 500g FBOP for months and switched to the BOP as an experiment. For my taste — strong chai with milk, two cups in the morning — the BOP is the better fit. More body, slightly deeper colour, holds up beautifully when I forget to watch the clock and steep it a minute longer than intended. Honest, affordable, and consistent.
