Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Assam golden tips
Black tea
Assam orthodox tippy
Black tea
Why these two get confused
Two names for the same thing — Assam sorted for a high proportion of golden bud. Grade codes and marketing names are used interchangeably here and mean roughly the same.
Point by point
| Dimension | Assam golden tips | Assam orthodox tippy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Black tea · fully oxidised | Black tea · fully oxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. bud and one leaf and second flush harvest. | In order: Withering → Orthodox processing → Oxidation → Drying. bud and two leaves and second flush harvest. |
| Origin | India — Assam | India — Assam |
| Flavour | chocolate, fruity and sweet. full bodied, rich and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: malt, honey, raisin, cocoa. Layered in character. Bold in intensity. | sweet, fruity and nutty. full bodied, smooth and rich in the mouth. Aroma: honey, malt, dried apricot. Moderate in character. Bold in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 210s. | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 180s. |
| Cultural context | Not recorded for this tea. | Not recorded for this tea. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and is traditionally drunk plain. | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.