Dirok Tea Estate

Dirok Tea Estate is a black tea producer located in Assam, India, at an elevation of 168 metres. The estate is operated by Mcleod Russel India Ltd., historically one of the largest tea plantation companies in the world. Dirok is recorded as supplying Finlays, a major tea trader and blender with global distribution networks.

Terroir & Climate

At 168 metres above sea level, Dirok occupies the low-lying plains characteristic of much of Assam's tea-growing landscape. Estates at this elevation typically experience the region's warm, humid subtropical climate, with a pronounced monsoon season that generally delivers heavy rainfall between May and September. These conditions tend to encourage vigorous vegetative growth and high yields, factors that have historically underpinned Assam's reputation as a volume-driven black tea origin.

The latitude of approximately 27°N places Dirok within the Brahmaputra River valley, where alluvial soils are common and the growing season extends across much of the year. Estates in this environment often produce leaf with robust character, though the interplay of soil drainage, microclimate variation, and cultivation practices means that cup profile can differ even within a single district. The relatively low altitude typically results in faster leaf maturation compared to high-grown regions elsewhere in India.

Tea Produced

Dirok produces black tea, the dominant style across Assam. Estates in this region and at comparable elevations generally yield a full-bodied, malty liquor with strong colour and a brisk, astringent finish. The low-altitude plains of Assam typically favour teas suited to blending and breakfast-style infusions, valued for strength and consistency rather than aromatic complexity. While individual estate character can vary, the black teas from this part of India tend to perform well with milk and are widely used in both branded retail blends and foodservice applications.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Dirok is recorded as supplying Finlays, a vertically integrated tea business with sourcing, blending, and packing operations across multiple continents. Finlays serves major retail and foodservice customers, and its procurement from Dirok indicates that the estate's output meets the quality and volume benchmarks required by large-scale international supply chains. The presence of Finlays as a buyer suggests that Dirok's production is channelled into commercial blends with wide distribution, rather than being marketed as a single-estate or speciality line.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Operator

Mcleod Russel India Ltd. operates Dirok Tea Estate as part of a portfolio that includes six other estates listed in our directory. Once the world's largest tea producer by volume, Mcleod Russel built its position on estates across Assam and other Indian growing regions. The company has faced financial restructuring in recent years, yet it remains a significant operator within India's plantation sector. The scale of its holdings means that estates under Mcleod Russel management typically participate in established commercial supply chains serving domestic and export markets.

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Dirok Tea Estate lies at 27.2607, 95.5950 in Assam, India. Its 168 m elevation is the 5th highest of 66 estates we map in Assam. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Margherita Tea Estate — 7.0 km away
• Dehing Tea Estate — 8.6 km away · Golai No.4
• Powai Tea Estate — 9.6 km away · Agbandha Bangali
• Namsang Tea Estate — 12 km away · Namchang Chah Bagicha
• Chamong Tea Estate, Namdang — 15 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Dirok Tea Estate

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Dirok Tea Estate (168 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Dirok Tea Estate recorded 2,919 mm in 2025, 30% more than the 2,240 mm average across these estates: at the same height, local weather and exposure matter as much as elevation.

Estate	Where	Elevation	Rain 2025	Mean high
Kahawatte Plantations, Rilhena	Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka	168 m	3,902 mm	29.6 °C
Kudapana	Southern Province, Sri Lanka	169 m	2,342 mm	29.6 °C
Mcleod Russel India Ltd, Bhooteachang Tea Factory	Assam, India	165 m	1,742 mm	29.1 °C
Hre\u00f1uk Sa	Misiones, Argentina	173 m	1,860 mm	26.5 °C
Huangshan Biyun Tea Factory	Anhui, China	175 m	1,355 mm	24.0 °C

Dirok Tea Estate Compared with Assam

In Assam, Dirok Tea Estate is drier than 51% of the others by 2025 rainfall; higher than 94% of the others by elevation; cooler than 55% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Dirok Tea Estate against the 65 other estates we map in Assam, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.

Measure	Dirok Tea Estate	Region median	Region range
Elevation	168 m	109 m	26 to 266 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	2,919 mm	2,919 mm	1,742 to 4,142 mm
Mean daily high	28.6 °C	28.7 °C	27.9 to 30.0 °C
Mean overnight low	19.2 °C	19.6 °C	18.8 to 21.1 °C

Observed Climate at Dirok Tea Estate (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Dirok Tea Estate’s coordinates recorded 2,919 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was April (476 mm) and the driest was December (28 mm). Daytime highs averaged 28.6 °C and overnight lows 19.2 °C over the year; July was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	2,919 mm
Wettest month	April (476 mm)
Driest month	December (28 mm)
Mean daily high	28.6 °C
Mean overnight low	19.2 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Dirok Tea Estate located?

Dirok Tea Estate is in Assam, India, at coordinates 27.2607, 95.5950, at an elevation of about 168 metres.

Who operates Dirok Tea Estate?

Dirok Tea Estate is operated by Mcleod Russel India Ltd., according to public supply-chain records.

What type of tea does Dirok Tea Estate produce?

Dirok Tea Estate is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Dirok Tea Estate supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Dirok Tea Estate as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Dirok Tea Estate receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,919 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in April (476 mm).

How does Dirok Tea Estate compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Dirok Tea Estate recorded 2,919 mm in 2025, 30% more rain than the 2,240 mm average of estates at a similar elevation.

Data sources: public supply-chain disclosures (Ethical Tea Partnership member lists, Rainforest Alliance certificate holders and retailer supplier disclosures); climate figures are ERA5 reanalysis modelled for the estate’s coordinates via Open-Meteo (calendar year 2025); coordinates and elevations from geocoded records. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].