Apothecary Lessons: The Story of Harmutty Tea Estate. This is the story inside a cup of Wells Assam Reserve

Set in North Lakhimpur in northeastern Assam, Harmutty lies in the lush Brahmaputra region, where abundant rainfall, warmth and humidity create the conditions behind the rich, robust character for which Assam tea has become famous.

Even the estate’s name carries a story. Harmutty is traditionally said to be connected to Queen Hiramati, wife of the legendary King Arimatta—a little piece of local history and folklore woven into the identity of the garden.

Harmutty is particularly celebrated for beautifully made Assam teas with those distinctive golden tips you sometimes see scattered among the dark leaves. These are tender young buds that develop their warm golden appearance during processing and are prized in fine Assam teas. Brew them and you can expect the deep copper colour, richness and characteristic malty notes that make a good Assam so unmistakable.

And this is where the story becomes ours.

Wells Assam Reserve is sourced from the Harmutty Tea Estate, so when you open a packet, you’re not simply looking at loose-leaf black tea. You’re looking at tea grown in a landscape with generations of tea-making history behind it.

From a historic Assam garden established in the nineteenth century, through the hands that grow, pluck and make the leaf, all the way to your teapot