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White Tea

Kumaon White | BOP (Milled)

$242.00

Same Kumaon White leaf, milled smaller for blending and tea bags. Full-bodied with fresh notes of peeled cucumber and honeydew melon. A more affordable entry point into one of India's most storied tea regions.

Preparation

Steep 1 2 Tbsp /2.5 g | 8 oz | 170° F | 3 min
Steep 2 8 oz | 175° F | 4 min

Tasting Notes

Peeled cucumber & honeydew melon

Origin

Kumaon, North Indian Himalayas

Tea Makers

Champawat Tea Makers

Flavor & Aroma

Kumaon White stands apart from most white teas in its heft. Rather than leaning toward delicacy, it delivers a full, forward cup with fresh vegetal notes of peeled cucumber. A gentle floral lift carries through to a clean finish, with soft fruit tones of honeydew melon. This tea is also intended to age; the older, the better.

Origin Story

White tea was not part of Kumaon's tradition.

When we began working in the region, farmers were only making black teas. We introduced the idea of producing white tea and found that local tea makers hadn't even heard of it.
The truth is, we were in a bind. We had presold a Kumaon white tea but learned the bushes we planned to harvest weren't ready. In a scramble, we turned to Desmond, a third-generation tea maker in the next valley. He had never made white tea, but he was willing to try. He selected leaves from the best bushes in his family's garden, and the result was so strong that we still source primarily from those same bushes today.

Kumaon White was the first Kumaon tea produced specifically for global specialty markets -- a shift away from commodity teas destined for India's mass auctions, and the beginning of a deep partnership rooted in trust and experimentation.

  • Origin Story
  • Production

Tea Makers

Desmond Birkbeck comes from the only family that stayed in tea after the British pulled out in the 1920s. Desmond grew up on his family’s tea garden named Chirapani, which means “split water” and is named for the waterfall at the top of their tea garden. Desmond proudly tells the story of writing to the Tea Board of India when he was 14 years old, requesting that his family’s tea garden be able to sell into the Kolkata auctions. Now he is a leading force in his village and the Kumaon region, working to use tea to uplift local tea farmers.

Impact

Kumaon White started as an experiment. Quickly, it became proof that Kumaon could compete in global specialty markets. That's part of what led us to launch India's first farmer-owned specialty tea factory in 2025 with local Kumaon farmers. Co-owners (90% women) sell their harvest at up to 5x commodity prices and share in long-term factory profits.

We also prepay for Kumaon teas ahead of the season, so farmers get paid before the tea is even made, not after it sells.

Our Packaging

Our commitment to sustainability means we offer our teas in several types of packaging:

Tins

Durable and reusable, made from 100% recyclable steel. Labels are not recyclable but made from 50% hemp and 50% post-consumer waste.

Bulk Bags

Tough, resealable stand-up pouches with storing moisture and oxygen barriers. Not recyclable due to a 3-layer structure that serves as a food-safe barrier to keep your tea fresh as long as possible.

Pyramid Tea Bag

Recyclable stand-up pouches with tea bags, strings, and tags made from 100% sugarcane PLA, commercially compostable and degrades into organic matter. For best results, use a commercial compost facility.