On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 20:57:06 GMT, "Dean Macinskas" wrote:

... In my experience here in North America, Gopaldhara is at the
upper end price-wise. Very high quality, very high price. So I'll bet that
either they don't sell much relative to other estates, or they don't produce
much. Maybe most of their tea is sold on the export market, where they can
command and get their high prices. If true, they may not even appear on the
"domestic" radar.

In my conversations with wholesalers in India, the bulk of domestic
consumption is in CTC teas from Assam and Nilgiri (including the
surrounding areas in Karnataka and Kerala). The average Indian consumer
wants a tea with 'good color' that brew quickly. The Darjeelings are
used in small amounts to add floral notes to the tea. On the low end
you can even find packages boldly labeled 'dust and fannings'.