The origins of our Doke Black Fusion tea
This handcrafted Northeast Indian black loose-leaf tea from the sustainably run Doke tea garden in Kishanganj, Bihar, offers a light amber-coloured cup with brisk, fresh notes and a tropical fruity sweet finish that can be enjoyed with or without milk.
Exceptionally well crafted, the single origin Doke Black Fusion has become much sought after for its pronounced character. The micro-batch single-origin tea made by tea master Rajiv Lochan's family from the TV22 cultivar of the Camellia Sinensis plant is famous for its tender first flush leaves, which are gently hand-rolled into distinctive, wiry, loose curls that yield a garden-fresh aroma and golden amber infusion. With its mild briskness, hints of fruity sweetness and subtle yet complex flavours, it's little wonder this robust brew has won a raft of awards.
You can almost taste the health benefits of this malty brew with its hints of molasses. Like all black teas, Doke Black Fusion comes packed with polyphenols, the plant compounds that have been linked to everything from lowering cholesterol and the risk of heart disease to helping improve gut health and blood pressure. And the feel-good factor you get from the caffeine is increased when you know that it's made to high ethical and environmentally friendly standards by the family-run Doke Tea.
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This small independent tea garden is located near Kishanganj in the state of Bihar, northeast India. The plantation was founded in 1998 by Rajiv Lochan – a veteran tea planter and conservationist who, after managing several other plantations, decided it was time to set up one of his own. Lochan's vision for Doke Tea was to produce carefully handcrafted teas that are unique to the region without harming the surrounding ecosystem.
Despite being located just 200km from Darjeeling, Bihar isn't a traditional tea-producing region, but Lochan and his team soon built a reputation for outstanding artisanally produced teas. The tea garden, which sits at an altitude of 60m, is cut by the river Doke and has a terroir similar to that of the alluvial Assam. As well as giving the estate its name, the river helps irrigate the plantation, which has its own water management and solar power systems – all part of Doke's mission to minimise its carbon footprint and impact on both the landscape and the people who work within it.
If you loved this Indian black tea…
Our Tea Makers of London tasting team has carefully sourced a range of rich and characterful blends available in our Tea Shop. For a delightful Ceylon black tea with an abundance of silvery tips, try a caddy of Adam's Peak. Malty, rich and spicy, Assam Mangalam makes a great breakfast blend, as does our smooth and lovely Kenilworth Ceylon black tea, while our Native Mountain Tea offers a unique, caramel-tinged flavour of the Taiwanese high country.