Brewing Guide
Leaf, water, heat and time for each of our five grades.
Five grades, five ways to brew. Find your tea’s grade on its page or its label, then follow its guide below.
Our signature blends follow the grade of the estate tea they are built on. Each blend’s own page gives the dose and heat measured for that blend. Not sure what a grade is? The grades explained.
| Grade | Measure | Heat | Steep |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOPF | 1 tsp (2.5 g) | 95–100 °C | 2–3 min |
| BOP | 1 tsp (2.5 g) | 95–100 °C | 3–4 min |
| PEKOE | 1 heaped tsp (3 g) | 95–100 °C | 4–5 min |
| SILVER TIPS | 1 heaped tsp (3 g) | 75–80 °C | 4–5 min |
| GOLDEN TIPS | 1 heaped tsp (3 g) | 85–90 °C | 3–4 min |
BOPF
Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings — the smallest grade we make. Fine particles mean a fast brew and a deep coppery pour.
What the grades meanMeasure
1 tsp (2.5 g)
Water
200 ml
Heat
95–100 °C
Steep
2–3 min
- Second steep
- No — the leaf gives everything at once
- Leaf form
- Loose leaf
- Water
- Filtered; hard water dulls the colour
One thing worth knowing — Watch the clock. Past three minutes, fannings turn hard and bitter — this is the one tea on the list you can over-brew by accident.
BOP
Broken Orange Pekoe — broken leaf, a size up from fannings. Brisk and full, without the sharp edge.
What the grades meanMeasure
1 tsp (2.5 g)
Water
200 ml
Heat
95–100 °C
Steep
3–4 min
- Second steep
- One good steep; a second runs pale
- Leaf form
- Loose leaf
- Water
- Filtered, freshly boiled
One thing worth knowing — Three minutes for an everyday cup, four if you want it to stand up to milk. The difference is noticeable.
PEKOE
Whole leaf, rolled and twisted rather than broken. Slower to open and gentler in the cup than anything cut.
What the grades meanMeasure
1 heaped tsp (3 g)
Water
200 ml
Heat
95–100 °C
Steep
4–5 min
- Second steep
- Yes — a minute longer, still worth drinking
- Leaf form
- Loose leaf
- Water
- Filtered, freshly boiled
One thing worth knowing — Give it room. Whole leaf needs to unfurl, so a pot or a wide basket infuser beats a tightly packed ball every time.
SILVER TIPS
Unopened buds, hand-picked before they break and dried rather than oxidised. The rarest thing we make, and the least forgiving.
What the grades meanMeasure
1 heaped tsp (3 g)
Water
200 ml
Heat
75–80 °C
Steep
4–5 min
- Second steep
- Three steeps; the second is often the best
- Leaf form
- Loose leaf
- Water
- Filtered, well off the boil
One thing worth knowing — Boil the kettle, then let it stand five minutes before you pour. Boiling water scalds the bud and turns a delicate tea bitter — this is the single mistake worth avoiding.
GOLDEN TIPS
Buds taken through full oxidation, which turns the silver down to gold. Honeyed where Silver Tips is clean.
What the grades meanMeasure
1 heaped tsp (3 g)
Water
200 ml
Heat
85–90 °C
Steep
3–4 min
- Second steep
- Two steeps; the second is more floral
- Leaf form
- Loose leaf
- Water
- Filtered, just off the boil
One thing worth knowing — A minute's wait after the kettle clicks is enough. Full boiling water flattens the honey note this bud is grown for.
Every St. Clair’s tea is sold in one of these five grades.
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